Path of Exile 2 was always going to be one of the more notable releases of 2024, but few gamers probably expected the game to be as successful as it ended up being. Grinding Gear Games' isometric action RPG took the gaming world by storm, quite literally, when it came out on current-gen platforms last month. Despite launching with a $30 price tag (even though its predecessor is free-to-play), the game quickly climbed up the sales charts and became one of the most successful games of the year. On Steam alone, Path of Exile 2 managed to reach an all-time high of over 570,000 concurrent players, which, to put into perspective, was more than double the number of players the original Path of Exile received using the same metric.
For an RPG that costs less than half the price of a AAA game, Path of Exile 2 is surprisingly filled with a lot of content. The game's main story will take players about 33 hours to beat, or 53 hours if they want to complete all the side content. Compared to, say, Diablo 4's campaign, which is a few hours shorter, this is a pretty sizable length. What makes Path of Exile 2's story mode even more impressive, though, is that it technically hasn't been finished yet. Path of Exile 2 is currently in early access, so the final, 1.0 version of the game is still a few months away from being released.
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Path of Exile 2's Early Access is Only Supposed to Last for a Few Months
Grinding Gear Games is Currently Targeting a May 2025 Launch for Path of Exile 2
According to the game's Steam page, Grinding Gear Games decided to use the early access business model for Path of Exile 2 so as to give players "the best possible experience at release." The company stated that, in order for the character builds, items, and economy systems in the game to be balanced, they had to be playtested by fans before it could be fully released. Although Path of Exile 2 is going to remain in early access for "as long as needed,” Grinding Gear Games has noted that it aims to launch the game in at least six months.
Path of Exile 1 Was in Early Access for More than a Year
If Path of Exile 2 does not get hit by any delays, then the game should come out sometime in May 2025, at the earliest. Before fans get their hopes up, though, it's important for them to keep in mind that this is a pretty ambitious goal to achieve. It should not be forgotten that Grinding Gear Games' previous game, Path of Exile, was in early access for a far longer period of time than just six months. In fact, the hit action RPG didn't receive a 1.0 launch until more than a year later.
The original Path of Exile was first released through a closed beta, which was only accessible to those who had purchased a supporter pack for the game. It lasted for approximately nine months, from April 4, 2012 to January 23, 2013. Immediately after the closed beta came to an end, Grinding Gear Games launched an open beta for Path of Exile that was free to all players. Eventually, the full version of the game was released on October 13, 2013, a whopping eight months later.
Path of Exile 2 Could Be Delayed Into the Late Summer
Considering the fact that it took more than seventeen months for the first Path of Exile game to leave early access, it's entirely possible that its sequel will take a similarly long time to be fully released. Grinding Gear Games has stated that it intends to double the amount of content in Path of Exile 2 leading up to its debut, and that, frankly, seems like it will require at least a little more time than just six months. Since there's still a long road ahead for Path of Exile 2's development, the game may miss its May 2025 deadline and come out later in the year instead, possibly during the late summer.
Path of Exile II
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 100%
- Released
- December 6, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Nudity, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Language, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
- Developer(s)
- Grinding Gear Games
- Publisher(s)
- Grinding Gear Games
WHERE TO PLAY
Path of Exile 2 takes place in the land of Wraeclast, a dark continent populated by unique cultures, ancient secrets, and monstrous dangers. A sinister threat, long thought destroyed, has begun creeping back on the edge of civilisation, driving people mad and sickening the land with Corruption.
Path of Exile 2 features a brand new campaign with six acts, 100 distinct environments, 600 monsters and 100 bosses.
Path of Exile 2 features twelve character classes, 240 Skill Gems, hundreds of equipment base types, a six-act campaign, more than a hundred unique boss fights, a deep endgame system and so much more.
Play with your friends without losing any progress with couch co-op, cross-play and cross-progression.
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Path of Exile
- Early Access Release
- December 6, 2024
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash, MMORPG
