Path of Exile 2 Lands in Early Access Late This Year

Sony’s latest State of Play presentation showed off the much-anticipated Path of Exile 2, and now we have a release window. The free-to-play action RPG is coming in Early Access for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in late 2024.

First, check out the trailer aired during the State of Play.

We’ve learned that Path of Exile 2 will have cross-play and cross-progression across platforms. In addition, there will now be couch co-op, so players can hack and slash together locally.

A second trailer (not shown at the State of Play) goes into how developer Grinding Gear Games is tailoring Path of Exile 2 for consoles. Maybe PC isn’t necessarily the best way to play this time around?

Path of Exile 2 Overview

Path of Exile 2 is a next generation free-to-play Action RPG from Grinding Gear Games, featuring co-op for up to six players. Set years after the original Path of Exile, you will return to the dark world of Wraeclast and seek to end the corruption that is spreading.

Path of Exile 2 features a brand new campaign with six acts, 100 distinct environments, 600 monsters and 100 bosses.

Key Features

Twelve Character Classes

Path of Exile 2 features twelve character classes, two for every combination of Strength, Dexterity and Intelligence. While each of the class variants focuses on a different playstyle, they’re just a starting point. You can combine skills from many classes together to create your ideal character build.

Each of the twelve character classes has its own three Ascendancy specialisations, resulting in a total of 36 Ascendancy Classes to pick between.

New Skill Gem System

Path of Exile 2 features 240 Skill Gems that grant devastating active skills and 200 Support Gems that modify their behaviour. Combine these together to create your perfect build.

This is the next generation of Path of Exile’s famous skill system. Support Gems are now socketed directly into Skill Gems, removing many of the frustrations present in the old system while maintaining all the previous depth. It’s now possible to six-link every skill your character uses.

Dual-specialise your Passive Skill Tree

Path of Exile’s iconic Passive Skill Tree has made a return, with 1,500 skills that allow you to completely customise your gameplay experience. It now features Dual Specialisation, the ability to allocate some passive skill points to two different sets of skills. They engage whenever the appropriate weapon or skill type is used. For example, you can have some points allocated to both daggers and traps, or ice and lightning, and as you swap between attacks, the appropriate skill points will apply. This lets you specialise in multiple areas without opportunity cost.

Uncover All-new Items

Path of Exile 2 features 700 equipment base types and every single one has its own unique item you can find. You can augment your arsenal with new weapons such as Spears, Crossbows and Flails, as well as supplementary items like Focuses, Traps and redesigned Sceptres.

Encounter Unique Bosses

In Path of Exile 2, every area of the Campaign contains a boss encounter. There’s over a hundred bosses to fight as you make your way through the Acts and they all have unique mechanics to learn.

Explore a New Endgame

At the conclusion of Path of Exile 2’s six-act campaign, you’ll gain access to its endgame. Each of the more than 100 endgame maps has its own boss fight and modifiers that enable revamped versions of many of Path of Exile’s past leagues. We’ll reveal more details of the surprises that await you in Path of Exile 2’s endgame in the leadup to release.

Fair-To-Play. Never Pay-To-Win.

Path of Exile 2 is a separate game to the original Path of Exile. We will continue to offer expansions for both games going forward. They are completely free-to-play and will never be “pay to win”. Purchases are shared between the two games.

It was reported earlier this year that the game’s beta release had been delayed from June 7th. Grinding Gear Games cited a need for more polish time, and said the beta would push through toward the end of 2024.

Path of Exile 2 launches in Early Access late this year for PS5, XSX, and PC. Keep tuned to RPGFan for a firm release date!