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Path of Exile 2 is the highly anticipated sequel in the iconic ARPG series, and it's finally arriving on December 6. The initial release of Path of Exile 2 will be in early access, and players can only enter the early version if they purchase a specific pack of content on the developer's website. There will be a subsequent full release sometime in 2025, and the developers at Grinding Gear Games will unveil additional content as time goes on. During the early access period of Path of Exile 2, players will only have access to some of the game's content. This includes a handful of the classes, half of the campaign, and presumably only a portion of the loot table. For now, you can check out the sections below to see everything we currently know about Path of Exile 2. Path of Exile 2 Release DateThe initial release date for Path of Exile 2 is slated for December 6, 2024. This date is only for players who have purchased early access to the game, which is currently the sole way to play Path of Exile 2. Throughout the entire early access period, which will go on for an undisclosed amount of time, you'll have to pay in order to play. At this time, we don't know how long Path of Exile 2 will remain in early access. The timeframe likely depends on the stability of the build and how many issues the developers need to solve throughout the early access period. Path of Exile 2 has already been delayed a couple of times, so there's no telling when the full release date will arrive in the future. Preorder Path Of Exile 2With Path of Exile 2 only being in early access, there is currently no way to pre-order the game. All you can do is purchase the early access build through a variety of Supporter Packs. These Supporter Packs start at $30 and give you a key for the early access build, other in-game content, and coins to spend in the shop. The more expensive packs offer even more in-game content and coins as well as some real-life items, such as apparel. You can see the contents of every available Supporter Pack in our recent guide. Watch The Path Of Exile 2 Trailer HereSince the announcement of Path of Exile 2 and its early access build, several trailers and livestreams have gone up showing off different elements of the game. The most recent trailer showcases the entirety of early access, including some of the classes and content you can expect at launch. There are additional trailers that detail some individual classes in Path of Exile 2, such as the Witch and Ranger. The Path of Exile YouTube channel has dozens of different videos that go over in-depth elements of different parts of the game. Path Of Exile 2 PlatformsUnlike its predecessor, Path of Exile 2 will exclusively be available on the current-generation platforms as well as PC and Mac. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S users will finally get to experience the Path of Exile series in all of its glory with a version built for current-gen consoles, which follows a period in which the original was stuck on the last-gen consoles for several years. At the time of writing, there are no plans to bring Path of Exile 2 to any additional platforms, such as the Nintendo Switch. One improvement Path of Exile 2 is making from the original is introducing cross-platform play and cross-progression. No matter what system you're on, you'll be able to play through Path of Exile 2 with up to five other players in your party (for a total of six). Even if you're on PC and your friends are on PS5, you can easily party up with them using the in-game friends list. There's also full cross-progression support, allowing you to access your account regardless of what system you're on. You could be playing on PC one day and then swap over to Xbox Series X another day and still save all of your progress. Path Of Exile 2 Story, Setting, And CharactersThe story in Path of Exile 2 picks up 20 years after the events of the original. In the original, the story centers around you and others being exiled from the island nation of Oriath to the ravaged land of Wraeclast. There are dark forces trying to control Oriath and it's your job to escape Wraeclast and stop the forces from completely overruning your former home. In Path of Exile 2, the plot will largely be independent from the original, but there will likely be some returning characters.In the 20-year gap from the original to the sequel, the lands of Wraeclast and Oriath have changed quite significantly. The game begins with your character being sentenced to death by the "Iron Count." You, of course, escape this execution and stumble into a nearby town, called Clearfell Encampment, with surrounding areas being overcome by something called the "Seed of Corruption." At the end of Act 1, you fight the Iron Count in an epic battle to rid Clearfell of corruption and proceed to the Vastiri Desert, a location from the original game. The rest of the story follows a similar structure from act to act.The early access build of the game will only feature three Acts to start. At the end of every Act, a unique boss fight will occur that leads players into the next act of the campaign. Along the way, players will discover some familiar locations as well as plenty of new ones. You don't need to play the original Path of Exile to understand what's happening in the sequel, though.Overall, the early access build should feature roughly 50 hours of content throughout the three Acts and the endgame. The endgame is something the developers will continue to build on as early access rolls on. You can spend additional time for every character you make by completing side quests, discovering new areas and characters, and trying to beat bosses over and over to score specific drops. Path Of Exile 2 Levels And EndgamePath of Exile 2 will feature a fleshed-out endgame right from the start. However, you can only reach the endgame after beating the three-act campaign twice. The first time you beat it, you'll be roughly level 45. You're free to beat the three Acts the first time through on any difficulty level you choose. Once you're level 45 and done with the campaign, you'll need to beat it again, but this time on "Cruel" difficulty. Only after beating the campaign on this difficulty level will you be allowed to enter the endgame.Once you enter the endgame, you'll be able to explore the Atlas. This is a randomly generated map that goes on forever, giving you endless amounts of content to pursue. In the Atlas, you can discover towers that allow you to open up more of the map. You initially open up new areas by putting down Waystones, which essentially act as markers on the big Atlas map. These Waystones also allow you to select the difficulty of the enemies you'll face in the Atlas. The Waystones have several other mechanics as well, including the ability to modify them to influence what types of drop rates you'll receive from an area.In each area of the Atlas, you'll find monsters and bosses from the story, which need to be defeated to clear the different areas of corruption. Only some areas feature a major boss while all areas have plenty of monsters to kill that range in difficulty depending on the Waystone you placed.In addition to fighting enemies and bosses, you can also discover NPCs in the Atlas that offer objectives to complete for more rewards. As you find more and more NPCs, you might eventually find a location called the Hideout. Here, you can group NPCs together to join you on your exploration of the Atlas. The Hideout serves as another hub within the Atlas that players can return to throughout the endgame.Finally, a major element of the endgame in Path of Exile 2 is the systems in place. These systems act as events in the endgame that can be completed for rewards. Every system gives points for players to spend in the Atlas' skill trees and as players put more points in the different sections of the tree, the systems become more difficult and offer better rewards. There are seven systems in Path of Exile 2's endgame and each one offers different gameplay loops, pinnacle boss fights, and rewards. Here are the seven endgame systems:BreachRitualDeliriumExpeditionTrial of the SekhemasTrial of ChaosPinnacle BossThe Pinnacle Boss is the hardest piece of endgame content in Path of Exile 2 and requires some preparation before you're able to take it on. You can only take part in the Pinnacle Boss system after finding three distinct keys that unlock a door to a fortress somewhere in the Atlas. From there, you're faced with frequent boss fights that are more challenging than anything else in Path of Exile 2.
