The first Path of Exile, released in October 2013, has amassed a huge base of loyal fans over more than 10 years. The success of this free-to-play Action RPG, which has received nearly 30 expansions over the years, is due to the combination of a complex combat system, a variety of mechanics and the ability to deeply customize characters. Developers from Grinding Gear Games (GGG) have been actively developing the game for a decade, adding new elements and changing existing ones, which turned it into a large-scale ecosystem. Now the team is working on the long-awaited sequel, which promises to both retain the spirit of the original while offering players a completely new experience.
Path of Exile 2 will retain the fundamental features of the original: it will be a free action role-playing game with online game elements. The new game will bring six acts in the story campaign, more than 100 unique locations, about 100 bosses and 600 types of enemies. The game will feature 12 base character classes with additional options for specialization, giving players a variety of approaches to combat and playstyles. In addition, GGG has introduced more than 700 types of equipment and weapons, including new types such as crossbows, flails and spears, which will enrich the experience of exploring the world and fighting.
IN interview For Epic Games, the developers said that when creating Path of Exile 2, they sought to improve the combat and animations that held back the team’s capabilities in the original. Thus, the system of characters and their skeletons had to be rebuilt from scratch, which allowed the animators to significantly improve mobility and work out the dynamics of battle scenes. As a result, players will be able to see smoother and more realistic movements, which according to lead animator Edward Tate, was not possible within the old limitations.
The innovations also affected class skills. For example, the new Monk class has been given unique martial arts-inspired skills, giving it greater flexibility and the ability to create impressive melee combos. The Mercenary class is now armed with a crossbow with the option of high-speed shooting on the move – this will make the character more mobile and add interesting tactical options.
Path of Exile 2 has also redesigned familiar gameplay systems to make the process easier for new players and more convenient for experienced players. Skill Gems have now been combined into a separate menu, allowing players to better combine skills and use them in conjunction. The ability to flexibly customize skills has also been added, including movement options using the WASD keys and the ability to roll.
An important change affected the loot extraction system. Unlike the first part, where players were faced with a huge number of items they did not need, in the sequel all dropped items will have some kind of value. This will remove the need for third-party filters and make the game more comfortable, especially for beginners.
Path of Exile 2 will continue Grinding Gear Games’ free-trade policy. As in the first part, items and currency can be exchanged on the in-game market, giving players the opportunity to shape the economy and set prices for rare items. However, the game will add a new in-game currency – gold, which cannot be exchanged. This will strengthen the economy and prevent inflation.
Path of Exile 2 will be released in Early Access on December 6, 2024 on Steam and the Epic Games Store. Initially, the game will be paid, but after release it will switch to a free distribution model.
