During the opening night live event at August's Gamescom, Grinding Gear Games revealed plans to bring Path of Exile 2 to Early Access on November 15. Things have changed??, though, and folks who have been eagerly awaiting thi??s one will need to hold out a little longer.

According to Grinding Gear's latest update on the project, Path of Exile 2's Early Access release has been delayed to D?ecember 6, 2024. Game director Jonathan Rogers shared the news in a?? video on the game's official website and social channels, starting off with a quick intro and an apologetic announcement. 

"Unfortunately, I have some really bad news. We have to delay Early Access for three weeks," he began. He addressed?? the fact that people even tend to plan time off for their launches, but said they "just have to do it." 

As Rogers noted in the video, the game itself isn't the issue at ha??nd. The delay came about as the result of "a bunch of server-side infrastructure work that has taken us a lot longer than we expected." 

Some of this has to do with fulfilling the promise that all microtransactions will work across Path of Exile 1 and 2. To pull that off, they have to integrate the account systems for both games, as well as the platforms. A bunch of new systems had to be created in the process, all of which needed to be backward co??mpatible with the old data. 

He said that while he was actually confident they could have made the original launch date, he wasn't certain they could do it without making mistakes.? "When you're migrating ?databases that are this old and with this much data, you find all sorts of strange demons in there," Rogers added. 

The only strange demons we're looking to battle are the ones in the game, and it sounds like this will hopefully be the last snag before we can do so. Beyond that, the team will also have a livestream to talk about all the content pl?ayers can expect in Early Access in "about four weeks."  

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As part of Gamescom Opening Night Live, Grinding Gear Games has announced that the long-awaited Path of Exile 2 wi??ll finally be hitting Early ?Access on November 15.

It’s been quite some time since the original Path of Exile launched in 2013, and likewise has been some time since the sequel was announced in 2019. Since then, a lot of changes hav??e been made, including dropping the concurrent campaign that would combine in the ??original game. It includes a six-act campaign that leads to its endgame.

The beta was initially supposed to launch in June, but was delayed in March as the developer made additional changes to it. It will feat??ure cross-play and cross-progression across platforms. Also, like the first game, it will be free-to-play with mi?crotransactions.

Path of Exile 2’s Early Access starts November 15??, 2024. It will launch on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.

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The Path of Exile saga continues on with its highly-anticipated sequel, set years after the original. This upcoming Action RPG showcases many new features for players to explore, from a six-act campaign to endgame maps. In this guide, we'll explain everything you need to know about Path of Exile 2, including a release window, platform?? availabilit??y, and more.

When does Path of Exile 2 come out?

According to the Gamescom trailer, Path of Exile 2 Early Access date has been set for Nov. 15, 2024. The trailer also provided m??ore insight i??nto the gameplay, presenting an all-out battle.

What platforms will be available for Path of Exile 2?

Path of Exile 2 will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Wishlists are available for each platform to inform you of the latest updates. You can also create an account via the game's official page, which shares Path of Exile 1 and 2 files.

Path of Exile 2 trailers

Grinding Gear Games has released several trailers for POE 2 over the years. First, we ha?ve the official trailer, which launched back in 2019. It begins with a character running away from a devastating hanging. You'll then see the multiple classes in action, showcasing a vast array of unique attacks.

After the reveal of the first trailer, players got a taste of gameplay with its demo video. Veterans will notice some changes to Path of Exile's classic Skil?l system. Specifically, Skill Gems will now have their own sockets, helping you organize them better.

Thanks to the upcoming Dual-Specialise feature, the Skill tree now allows you to switch between two fighting styles. Each character class, including Warrior, Witc?h, an?d Monk, can master any of these combat styles.

The Path of Exile 2 Console trailer is one of the more recent entries. This debut unveiled how the sequel will use cross-play and cross-??progression features, differing from its predecessor.

In addition to this, POE 2 can be played through couch co-op, where e?very??one can join in on the fun.

Will Path of Exile 2 be free?

Like the first installment, Path of Exile 2 will be free to play. However, it will most likely include in-game purchases for extra r?esources, such as characters, pets, and weapons. It's still possible to go through the game without buying anything at the cost of extra grinding.

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Alongside the announcement of the new Path of Exile: Necropolis expansion, Grinding Gear Games also revealed the new Ranger class coming to Path of Exile 2. Unfortunately, recent changes, primarily the addition of the WASD movement system, has also led to a delay to the Path of Exile 2 beta. Originally scheduled for June this year, the b??eta does not have a new date just yet but is expected at the end of this year.

All new Ranger class

Path of Exile 2 will feature 12 classes each with three Ascendancy specializations leading to 36 Ascendancy Classes in total. Late last year GGG revealed that WASD movement had been added to the game, which seems to be a perfect? fit for the new class they revealed today, the Ranger.

Declared as Path of Exile 2's most ?agile class, the Ranger has the ability to move while shooting and a variety of quick movement skills to enhance that. Based on the trailer it looks as though the WASD movement is really going to make this Ranger class work.

Beta delayed until the end of this year

Unfortunately, recent changes and additions like WASD movement has caused more work to be done to Path of Exile 2 to get it ready for beta than previously expected. As such, the Path of Exile 2 beta that was originally scheduled for June 2024 has been delayed. Grinding Gear Games hasn't provided a new beta date just yet, but did indicate it now probably won't happen until the end of this year, pushing the f?ull release of the game to 2025 at the earliest. The goal is still to have some sort of Alpha in Jun??e, but the more public Beta won't be until later this year.

One thing that has been consistent throughout Path of Exile 2's development cycle is that Grinding Gear Games wants to get it right. Even though a delay is a bummer, especially this close to the beta, I'm all for it for the game to get the proper polish and love it needs. If it's going to run alongside Path of Exile as two sep??arate games, it's important for GGG to get things just right.

The Path of Exile 2 beta will take place on PC later this year.

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During ExileCon, Grinding Gear Games revealed that as Path of Exile 2 grew since its announcement in 2019, they realized it was no longer just an expansion to Path of Exile as originally planned. With over 100 developers working on Path of Exile 2, it has become a much bigger project than originally anticipated. Moving forward, Path of Exile 2 will now be its own standalone title. Each game will still be supported and have its own unique?? mechanics, leagues, and features.

However, microtransactions and cosmetics will be cross-compatible across both games unless it's not possible. For example, Druid is an ascendancy in PoE2 but not in PoE. Therefore, a Druid-specific cosmetic for PoE2 will not be available in PoE where Druid does not exist.

[caption id="attachment_394274" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Grinding Gear Games[/caption]

Path of Exile 2 has evolved into its own standalone game

I was torn back in 2019 when Grinding Gear Games revealed Path of Exile 2 as more of an expansion that would integrate with and extend the base game. I love Path of Exile, but a big focus for PoE2 appeared to be accessibility. Therefore, it seemed counter-intuitive to me to combine the two when it seemed they would each be a unique expe???rience.

It certainly makes sense to support the two as separate games moving forward. Here's the list of the current features for Path of Exile 2:

• 100 distinct environments
• 600 monsters
• 100 bosses
• 1,500 passive skills
• 36 ascendancy classes
• 240 active skills
• 700 equipment types
• 6 person co-op

For comparison, the base Path of Exile currently has 19 ascendancy classes, 1,325 passive skills, and 276 active skills. This is with nearly a decade of up?dates and expansions under its belt, as well.

Furthermore, balance would have surely?? become an issue when integrating the two games with each other. With each having its own separate ascendancy classes, splitting the two game should hopefully stream??line any ongoing balancing.

Grinding Gear Games announced that a closed beta for Path of Exile 2 will launch on June 7, 2024. While a release date has yet to be announced, it looks like we might have to wait a while unt?il this one's officially lau??nched.

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Today should be a fun one with three bigger streaming events scheduled? in the gaming world. I'll be watching all three and? want to invite you to join me in an exciting Friday triple-header stream session!

First, the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest kicks off at 1 p.m. ET with a 1.5 hour Keynote presented by FF14 Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida. You can watch along on their Twitch or YouTube once the Fan Fest starts.

Next up we have a Diablo 4 Campfire Chat at 2 p.m. ET. Don't worry, you're not crazy. We just had one of these Campfire Chats on July 21. The Campfire Chat will be streamed on the official Diablo Twitch and YouTube channels once live.

Finally, to round out the day, ExileCon begins at 6 p.m. ET with a Keynote presented by Grinding Gear Games Producer and Developer Chris Wilson. ExileCon will be available live on the Path of Exile Twitch and YouTube channels when they begin.

Now let's take a look at what's can expect from each of the three events, so you know if the??re's something you might want to watch! Also, as each event starts we will update this post to include an embed of the stream so you can wa??tch along with us.

Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=--_vb2j_qDo

Fans are holding out hope we'll get at least some sort of information about update 7.0, the next expansion for Final Fantasy XIV. Square Enix has not confirmed or denied what we will see in the Keynote. This is the fifth annual fan festival for FF14, and is primarily a chance for fans of the MMORPG to meet up and share their passion for the game. While no date's been set, we probably won't get a new expansion until 202??4. Therefore, time-wise it's possible we see some sort of reveal today, but also possible we don?'t until the winter months.

Surprise, expansion! Here's everything shown at today's Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest keynote.

[caption id="attachment_394120" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Activision Blizzard[/caption]

Diablo 4 Campfire Chat

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5N91g5uMxg

No, you're not crazy. We just had one of these Campfire Chats on July 21. But a week ago the Diablo team promise??d better communication moving forward, starting with a planned Campfire Chat for today to discuss the upcoming patch 1.1.1. The update will focus on Class balance changes primarily with the Sorcerer and Barbarian. Furthermore, a variety of quality-of-life updates were teased for the upcoming patch so chances are we will hear more details about them as well. Finally, last week the team confirmed the release of patch 1.1.1 would follow soon after this Campfire Chat so it's likely we will get a date for it as well??.

Well, that's a wrap! Check out our Diablo 4 Campfire Chat recap here.

[caption id="attachment_394122" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Grinding Gear Games[/caption]

Path of Exile at ExileCon

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvah-HfhkYc

Fans of Path of Exile are in for a treat. After four years the second ExileCon ever is finally here, and it's sure to be a big one. Grinding Gear Games has confirmed Path of Exile 2 will be a big component of this year's event. It's likely we'll see some more in-depth gameplay and feature reveals, as PoE2 has been teased quite a bit over the last few months at other events like Summer Game Fest. It's even possible we'll finally get a release date. Also, patch 3.22—the new Path of Exile season—will be revealed today. We can expect a video showing off the new league mechanic as well as any new features and items being added to PoE with the update. Grinding Gear Game??s has admitted that this will be a big event, so who knows what else we may see.

The post Let’s watch today’s Final Fantasy XIV/Diablo 4/Path of Exile triple-header appeared first on Destructoid.

Let's not start Seasons off on the wrong foot

I consider myself a pretty big fan of action-RPG games. Therefore, like many others, I have been cautiously optimistic about the longevity Diablo 4 can provide with its content releases. And right now, Season 1 of Diablo 4 has the potential to bring ARPG fans together, or drive them even further a?part.

When D4 finally got announced, it didn't take long to start hearing two claims from ARPG fans. It was common to hear either "Diablo 4 will kill Path of Exile!" or "Diablo 4 won't have good enough content to compete with Path of Exile!". With over 100 hours in D4 so far, and almost 1,500 hours in PoE over the years, let me tell you: the two games can certainly co-exist in the ARPG genre. While bo?th games are ARPGs, their end-game systems—and therefore seasonal content loops—are very different. This is amazing for ARPG fans.

Imagine a scenario in which two games you love are getting new content, features, and Seasons in a rotational basis. D4 releases a new update, and by the time you're feeling done with it, a new PoE expansion is almost here. And when you're just about done with the new PoE expansion? Yup, you guessed it. A new D4 Season!

Blizzard recently confirmed an upcoming livestream on July 6th in which we'll get more details�a href="//twitter.com/RodFergusson/status/1674225198273556480" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and a release date—for Season 1. However, based on previous information from the developers, ARPG fans are starting to get worried. Depending on when D4's first Season starts, the two games could get caught in a com?petiti??????????????????????????ve content cycle and force players to choose between the two games.

[caption id="attachment_387631" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Blizzard Entertainment[/caption]

How important are these Seasons?

Seasonal content for Path of Exile is important for many reasons. First, each expansion introduces a new gameplay mechanic that freshens up the experience. Second, for developer Grinding Gear Games, each one adds ??new cosmetics which keep their free-to-play model working.

Diablo III comparatively didn't add much to its Seasons. Early iterations just offered a brand new leaderboard to climb for bragging rights. Later releases often came with a unique gimmick like being able to equip an extra legendary power, or receive super powerful buffs by interacting with shrines. But even still, compared to Path of Exile, seasonal content in D3 is very lackluster.

Blizzard has already confirmed Diablo 4 will have mor?e content-rich updates, with each Season bringing new stori??es, features, and gameplay elements.

[caption id="attachment_390212" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Grinding Gear Games[/caption]

ExileCon 2023

The second ever ExileCon will showcase all things Path of Exile on July 29-30. This is a big event that will feature Path of Exile 2 and Path of Exile Mobile, as well as the beta start dat?e for the two games. The conference will also have playable demos for both titles as well as so?me developer panels. Furthermore, the 3.22 expansion will be revealed, showcasing the future of the ARPG.

ExileCon was announced back on August 12, 2022. It's important to keep in mind we didn't even know Diablo 4's release date at that time. Die-hard ARPG and Path of Exile fans interested in the event probably? started planning their trip to New Zealand for the conference way back then.

[caption id="attachment_387241" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

So, what's the problem?

Timing, really. With the Season 1 announcement for Diablo 4 being on July 6, it's quite possible timeframe-wise that it could conflict with ExileCon. With the event? taking place in New Zealand, a lot of attendees will probably be traveling in the days leading up to the conference. ARPG fans have voiced their concern on both subreddits, as well as across various social media posts.

An even bigger issue here is the capability of creating a cycle. Path of Exile has always aimed to release their expansions quarterly. Prior to its release, Blizzard confirmed they will be looking ??to release Seasons quar??terly as well. Therefore, if Blizzard waits too long to release Season 1, it could launch around the same time as the 3.22 expansion for Path of Exile. We could end up in a cycle where the two games are constantly releasing new content at the same ?time.

Content creators have also voiced their concern with the overlap. Popular part-time ARPG streamer Quin69 has already taken to Twitter begging Diablo 4 Executive Producer Rod Fergusson to ensure Season 1 doesn't con??flict with ExileCon.

//twitter.com/quinrex/status/1674443595527634944

So ??Blizzard, this is my plea to you: Don't start The Great ARPG War. We love both games, and they can both flourish and thrive alongside each other. It's literally a wi?n-win scenario for everyone. The ball is in your court!

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An alternative to Diablo 4

During Summer Game Fest 2023, we got to finally see our first footage of Path of Exile 2. While we didn't learn many new details about Grinding Gear Games' next project, the timing for this reveal couldn't be more pointed. With Diablo 4 not even a week old at this point, ARPG fans are eating good the??se days.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=s65fA1urV4E

While the trailer didn't show a release date, it does tease that more information will arrive on July 28. That coincides with the upcoming ExileCon, so it sounds like Grinding Gear Games has quite a show in store. Announcements for announcements will always sound funny, but I'm plenty curious to see what Path of Exile 2 has in store for us in this case.

In the meantime, you can play Path of Exile on PC, MacOS, Xbox, and Playstation platforms.

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More loot and more skeletons to burn

It's a new year, and today developer Grinding Gear Games debuted a new trailer for its upcoming dungeon-crawling sequel Path of Exile 2.

The new Path of Exile was revealed back in 2019, right on the heels of Diablo IV. Still keeping the dungeon-crawling, loot-grabbing spirit alive, Path of Exile 2's trailer today gives u??s a better look at some?? of the locales we'll be visiting, and they sure do look pretty.

You can get a greater sense of what they look like in action with the in-depth gameplay walkthrough also revealed today, but these visuals are pretty striking. The caravan aspect in particular is cool—there's a part where you're fighting across a bridge while the massive wagons drift underneath, and it really adds a sense of scale to what's happening. It's got kind of a dark fantasy Fury Road vibe, y'know?

I'm admittedly not as well-versed in Path of Exile as I am with other loot games, but it seems to have found a sizeable audience. The sequel seems like a good time to get even more folks like me onboard, even if it's now competing with both a Diablo sequel and a remaster of Diablo II. It all just means more loot for?? the ?loot god.

Path of Exile 2 still doesn't have a release date, though on its site Grinding Gear Games says it doesn't expect to start a beta until "2022 at the earliest." Until then, there's also a new update coming to base Path of Exile to tide players over.

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