Path Of Exile 2 probably won't arrive until 2022
Fans will have to wait a little longer
Many game studios and their production schedules have been slowed by the pandemic, and this time it's Path Of Exile 2's turn to get a big tick in the "You've Been Delayed" box. According to Grinding Gear studio head Chris Wilson, Path Of Exile's sequel-shaped expansion probably won't arrive until 2022.
In an interview with cheery RPS fanzine PC Gamer, Wilson explained how the increase in travel restrictions has hamstrung the team's growth, and ultimately, Path Of Exile 2's development. "I hate to blame Covid for stuff, but that is a big part of it at the moment," Wilson said. "We have had difficulty hiring internationally because the borders to New Zealand are closed, so that has curtailed the exponential growth of our asset creation team a little bit."
To make up for lost development time, Wilson said that they're going to knuckle down this year and may estimate a release date depending on how much gets done. "The progress of development hasn't been as fast as we wanted, and so our goal is to bash as hard as we can during 2021 on Path Of Exile 2 stuff and see how much headway we make. Trying to get as much done as possible, and that'll give us a better idea of a good release date we can estimate, which should be towards the end of the year."
PC Gamer then asked Wilson if Path Of Exile 2 was likely to launch in 2022, to which he responded, "Yeah I think that's accurate."
Path Of Exile 2 is set to be a sequel to the loot-filled action-RPG, arriving in the form of an expansion. It's going to introduce a new seven-act storyline that's available alongside the original campaign. Plus, it will bring a new Skill Gem system, new Ascendancy Classes, and lots more of this stuff.
Don't get Path Of Exile 2 confused with Path Of Exile's next expansion, Echoes Of The Atlas, which was announced yesterday. You'll be able to play it on January 15th and it brings with it new maps, endgame content, and a new challenge league.
We reckon Path Of Exile is one of the best RPGs on PC and one of the best free PC games.