Path of Exile 2

Story and setting

Path of Exile 2 takes place roughly 20 years after the events of the original game. Wraeclast has had time to recover after Kitava’s defeat, with settlements and societies slowly rebuilding. That fragile recovery is threatened by ambitious rulers, old powers and a new spread of Corruption that is making the land sick and driving people towards madness.

The opening areas take place around Ogham, a region where local cultures, religious powers and political interests collide. The finished campaign is planned to run across six acts, with the Early Access version gradually expanding towards that complete story. Grinding Gear Games has presented the sequel as a new campaign rather than a replacement for the original Path of Exile, with both games continuing as separate titles.

How it plays

The game uses a fixed, isometric viewpoint and real-time hack-and-slash combat. You choose a character class, fight through hand-built and procedurally arranged areas, defeat bosses, collect equipment and reshape your build through skill gems, support gems and the huge passive skill tree. The finished game is listed with 12 classes, 36 Ascendancy specialisations, 240 Skill Gems, 200 Support Gems, around 1,500 passive skills and hundreds of equipment base types.

Support Gems are socketed directly into Skill Gems, allowing each active ability to be customised without relying on a particular piece of armour. The passive tree also supports dual specialisation, letting a character prepare separate bonuses for different weapons or damage types. Spears, crossbows and flails are among the weapon types introduced by the sequel, while the 1.0 release is set to add the sword-wielding Duelist class.

The campaign is only the beginning. After the story, players can explore a large endgame built around maps, tougher versions of encounters, crafting, league mechanics, specialised passive trees and boss fights. Grinding Gear Games says the full version will contain more than 100 bosses, each with its own mechanics, alongside 100 distinct environments and a broad selection of endgame areas.

Online play and progression

Yes, Path of Exile 2 has an online mode. It supports online multiplayer and co-op for up to six players, as well as two-player couch co-op on supported consoles. Cross-play allows people on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S to play together, while cross-progression lets players move between supported platforms without abandoning their account progress.

The game can be approached as a solo experience, but it is designed as an online service rather than an offline RPG. No offline mode has been announced. The Early Access version also uses leagues and regular content updates, with balance, economy and endgame systems continuing to change before 1.0.

Platforms, editions and UK price

The confirmed launch platforms are Windows PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. PC players can use the standalone client, Steam or the Epic Games Store. A native Mac version was not available when Early Access began, and Grinding Gear Games has not confirmed that macOS support will be ready for the 1.0 release, so Mac should not currently be treated as a confirmed platform.

The full 1.0 version will be free to play. There is no announced boxed edition or paid standard edition for the UK. Early Access is currently sold through supporter or Founder’s Packs, which include access to the unfinished game alongside points and cosmetic items. On the UK PlayStation Store, the entry pack is £23.99, Lord of Ogham is £44.99 and King of the Faridun is £73.99. Xbox lists equivalent Early Access packs from £24.99, with higher tiers available. These are Early Access supporter purchases, not the price of the final game.

Path of Exile 2 is rated PEGI 18 in the UK for extreme violence, with in-game purchases and user interaction also flagged. The current Xbox listing says online console multiplayer requires Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate. No Game Pass or PlayStation Plus catalogue inclusion for the full release has been announced.

Trailers and what remains unconfirmed

The June 2024 console presentation introduced couch co-op, cross-play and cross-progression. A 24 July 2024 Xbox Wire feature explained the 20-year time jump, the troubled state of Wraeclast and the new Ogham setting. Those presentations also showed the sequel’s slower, more deliberate combat, new classes and boss encounters.

At Gamescom Opening Night Live on 25 August 2026, the Version 1.0 trailer confirmed the 11 December release date and showed the sword-based Duelist in action. Grinding Gear Games’ 27 August Duelist Deep Dive then expanded on the class, sword skills and the final Early Access event, Forbidden Rites. The remaining two campaign acts and the completed endgame are confirmed for the full version, but the studio has not published a complete launch-day breakdown of every class, Ascendancy, league mechanic or system change.

The exact UK launch time, native Mac support, any physical retail release and any retailer pre-order programme remain unconfirmed. Until 1.0 arrives, buyers should also expect balance changes, economy resets between leagues and possible alterations to Early Access content.