Grinding Gear Games is preparing to release Path of Exile 2's early access build, but fans wanting a full release could be waiting a while.
Path of Exile 2 is a video game set in the dark fantasy world of Wraeclast where the exiled citizens of an island nation are left to die and fight their way back against all manner of ancient gods and evils.
Similar to games like The Last Epoch and Diablo 4, players can choose from different character classes and skill gems to customize their gameplay, but early access will include only six of 12 planned classes and the first half of the campaign.
Path of Exile 2 Beta Details
The developers initially opened Path of Exile 2 for a closed beta in August of 2024. It was originally supposed to release a beta in 2020, however, the COVID-19 lockdowns around the world slowed the game's development.
Grinding Gear Games has since confirmed that Path of Exile 2 will officially enter its early access period on December 6, 2024.
The game will be available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
When Will All of Path of Exile 2 Release?
So how long do players have to wait for the entirety of Path of Exile 2 to release?
At the time of writing, Grinding Gear Games has yet to announce an official release date for the full game, but judging by other beta-to-full-release pipelines some assumptions can be made.
The first Path of Exile game was released in early access in January 2013 before its Version 1.0.0 came out on PC in October 2013, marking around ten months between releases. The first game received multiple expansions and patches over the year, which have continued through 2024.
Some other video games which first released in early access before getting a full release can be seen below with their respective release dates:
- Hades: December 6, 2018 (early access) - September 17, 2020 (full release)
- Baldur's Gate 3: October 2020 (early access) - August 2023 (full release)
- Subnautica: December 2014 (early access) - January 2018 (full release)
There is no definitive timeline for when a game may be released after its early access period with the examples above spanning anywhere from ten months to four years. Hades 2 went through a similar release process earlier in 2024 and fans are still waiting for the game to release in its entirety.
In comparison, Grinding Gear Games released the first Path of Exile relatively quickly in 2013, with a gap of just ten months. So if some precedent is to be followed here, fans can expect to see Path of Exile 2 released in its entirety in late 2025, but there's no guarantee.
Path of Exile 2 will enter early access on December 6.
