Path of Exile 2 was announced way back when in 2019, and the game has been in active development for quite a while, but we haven't heard a lot about the project recently. Luckily, there's no worry about the game being canceled, and we're here to explain everything you need to know about Path of Exile 2, including whether it's a sequel or expansion, its release date, the new gem system, platforms, and more.
Path of Exile 2: Sequel vs. Expansion
Some of the information about Path of Exile 2 comes across as a bit confusing, like how Path of Exile and Path of Exile 2 will have the same endgame. What does that even mean? Is this a weird Overwatch 2 type situation where it's a new game but not really but also yes? Well, kind of, but not exactly.
Path of Exile 2 is going to be its whole own new game complete with an original seven-act campaign, new graphics, new mechanics, and, of course, a whole new host of gear, weapons, and loot. However, this experience is coming to the current Path of Exile client, and you'll be able to play either the new campaign or the old campaign, and once either is finished, you'll be funneled into the same endgame.
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Of course, new items and mechanics will be specific to the new campaign, but all your cosmetic microtransactions will be carrying over, which is an extremely rare thing to hear in the gaming industry. Plus, while graphically Path of Exile 2 will be beyond that of Path of Exile, since it's coming to the same client, some engine-level improvements will likely come to the original game, too.
Throughout the development of Path of Exile 2, Path of Exile is expected to maintain its regular schedule of updates and new content, too, and considering how the original game and the new game will be merged, it seems pretty likely the original game will continue to be supported far off into the future. This is especially true for a company that's even willing to transfer over microtransaction purchases to make sure players' money doesn't go to waste.
Path of Exile 2's Release Date
We don't have an official release date just yet, but according to the developers we're looking at a late 2023 and more likely 2024 release date. Beyond that, though, we're likely to see a beta before the actual release of the game, and that will come likely sometime in 2023, though again this hasn't been confirmed.
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Originally, the game was expected to come out much earlier, in 2022 in fact, but the game was given a meaty delay to ensure that Grinding Gear Games made Path of Exile 2 the best it could be while dealing with COVID, supporting Path of Exile, and developing a new game at the same time.
Naturally, as we inch closer to an actual release we'll learn more about the specific details about what's coming when, but until then, we'll all have to wait to learn more.
Path of Exile 2's New Gem System
The way gems work is changing in Path of Exile 2. In the new game, support gems will be socketed directly into your skill gems. Yes, gemception, but this will eliminate the need to resocket new armor to try and get the exact sockets you need, streamlining the system without eliminating complexity, which is what many want out of a Path of Exile sequel.
To that end, Path of Exile 2 will also come with a much more robust tutorial, and while the developers promise that the robust skill tree customization of the first game will return, the plan is to streamline this, too, to an extent, as many players look at the massive skill tree of Path of Exile, feel immediately intimidated, and then they quit, which makes PoE feel more intimidating than the game actually is.
Path of Exile 2's Platforms
Again, not much has been officially confirmed in the way of what Path of Exile 2 will release on. However, Path of Exile is out on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Mac. So, if Path of Exile 2 is coming to the original game's client, we can probably expect that the game will come to all the platforms the original game is out on.
However, we'll also likely be able to expect next-gen features on PS5 and Xbox Series X, though the game is also likely to come to PS4 and Xbox One, though, again, nothing has been officially confirmed. We don't know if there'll be a simultaneous release across all platforms, either. The same goes for the beta, too.
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Of course, the lead platform of Path of Exile 2 is inevitably going to be PC, so the game will inevitably release first there, if anywhere, and the beta will also inevitably be on PC. If you're a PC Path of Exile player, you won't have anything to worry about.
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