Path of Exile 2 announced, but it's not a separate game

YouTube

Path of Exile 2 was announced today at ExileCon, the big show that's taking place at this very moment in Auckland, New Zealand. Despite the title, it's not actually a separate new game, but rather an expansion that also completely overhauls the base game in the process.

Path of Exile 2 will add a new seven-act story that takes place 20 years after the end of the current game. It will overhaul many of the game's core systems and rework the mechanics of each of the game's seven character classes. It's also getting a major visual rework with physics-based rendering. For example, arrows will bounce off of some surfaces and stick into others depending on what they're made of.

Path of Exile 2 characters will use the same "class archetypes" as those of the original game, but you'll have to create a new one in order to play the new story. PoE2 characters can select from 19 new Ascendancy Classes that differ from the old ones, which will still be available in the original Path of Exile campaign. Fortunately, all your cosmetics will carry over, as it all exists within a single ecosystem.

Path of Exile 2 is still a long way off: Grinding Gear Games said it won't likely even begin beta testing until very late in 2020. For the more immediate future, Path of Exile expansions will continue to release on their regular three-month schedule, with content that will be available in both Path of Exile 1 and 2 campaigns.

Our man Steven is on the scene in New Zealand and will have a far more in-depth report on what's coming soon. In the meantime, you can find out more at pathofexile.com, and check out the vastly improved Path of Exile 2 engine in action in the 14-minute gameplay video below.

YouTube

Watch On

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.