Path of Exile 2: Release Date, Closed Beta and Everything We Know!
INTRODUCTION
Hello to all the Gamers and PoE fans out there, and welcome to our Path of Exile 2: Release Date, Closed Beta and Everything We Know post! We will delve deep into all the specifics and everything revolving PoE 2, as well as what you can expect in the coming months for this amazing game. Before we go into all this, if you’re a PoE Player you definitely want to know what’s going on in the game currently, so if you want to know more about the new Necropolis League, feel free to check our Path of Exile Necropolis Patch 3.24: Release Date post – it’s coming sooner than you might think!
Now when we talk about Path of Exile 2, there’s so much information that is already known, the Game itself was announced way back in 2019, and it is said that it has been in development from 2018! So there’s been quite a bit of years since the development started and it shows that GGG means business and they are definitely here to stay and continue serving the Players and our favorite Game.
When it comes to this post, we will go deep and explain a lot about what we know and what is currently public regarding PoE 2, as well as of course it’s Closed BETA and how you can access it. Considering there’s a lot of content and things to cover, lets not waste any more time and go right into it.
To start things off, lets look at the Official Trailer and set our mindset for PoE 2!
Path of Exile 2 – Official Trailer (Video)
The graphics, animation, and just the overall first look at PoE 2 gives chills down the spine and open up new horizons for the ARPG genre. Ever since its inception Path of Exile has definitely strived to utilize everything available in the Gaming World to make its Game better, and for many things, they were the ones that pushed others to adapt. Before we move further on into this post and talk much more about Path of Exile 2, let’s take a small break to remember what Path of Exile actually was, is, and what the story revolves around.
What is Path of Exile about? What is its story? (Spoiler)
In the complex story of “Path of Exile,” You assume the role of the Exile, cast out from the city of Oriath by High Templar Dominus. As you journey through the lands of Wraeclast, you confront various monsters and individuals, eventually uncovering Dominus’s dark deeds alongside his assistant Piety. Together, they discover the existence of the “Beast,” the source of a cataclysmic event that devastated Wraeclast centuries ago.
You as an Exile venture to Highgate and confront Malachai, the creator of the Rapture Device designed to awaken the Beast After a fierce battle, you defeat Malachai and enter the Beast itself, putting an end to its reign of terror.
Returning to Oriath, you find the city under the oppressive rule of High Templar Avarius and the corrupt Templar order. Exploiting the Karui slave rebellion, you topple Avarius and defeat the Templar god “Innocence.” However, your victory is short-lived as you learn that killing the Beast has unwittingly awakened the old gods, leading to chaos and destruction.
Guided by Sin, you as the Exile face the wrath of Kitava, the newly empowered god of the Karui. Despite your efforts, you fail to defeat Kitava, which forces you to talk to Sin who reveals the need for the Beast’s essence to combat the rampaging god. Returning to Wraeclast, you defeat the reawakened gods and extract the Beast’s essence to confront Kitava again.
With the aid of Innocence, who has been reborn and seeks redemption, you confront Kitava in a climactic battle. Through the combined strength of Sin, Innocence, and you as the Exile, you succeed in destroying Kitava and restoring peace to Oriath once more.
This is how the Campaign ends, and naturally how the end game starts.
Is Path of Exile 2 an expansion for PoE?
Initially, when PoE 2 was revealed at Exilecon in 2019, Path of Exile 2 was supposed to be the expansion, and PoE “1” was supposed to be the ‘base’. However, at Exilecon in 2023, this was denied and due to the insane amount of work, changes as well as time that was invested into PoE 2, it was decided that it would be a completely separate Game.
Are PoE and PoE 2 Sharing the same platform? Will I get my skins from PoE in Path of Exile 2?
Do not fret, PoE and PoE 2 will be sharing the same platform, this means that all of your microtransactions, skins, and all the other things that you have on your account will be usable in Path of Exile 2, and vice versa.
Naturally, if you get skins for the Path of Exile 2 only Classes(like the Druid or Monk) those won’t be usable in PoE (original) due to those Classes not existing in that game, but other than that, everything is shared, including your stash tabs and everything you’ve purchased.
What is the Story of Path of Exile 2? (Minor Spoiler)
There is not much that is currently known about the plot itself for Path of Exile 2. However, what we do know is that PoE 2 is set 20 years AFTER the events of Path of Exile (original). This will finally give those of us who know the whole Campaign inside and out in PoE, something new to work through. After the death of Kitava, new groups of enemies have arisen and begun a power grab that threatens the peace of Wraeclast.
Path of Exile 2 Closed BETA Information
We know quite a bit about Path of Exile 2 Closed BETA. We know when it starts, we know what content will be inside of it, we know how to access it, and most importantly it will be a thorough test of PoE 2 before it is released to the greater public sometime this year, or early on in 2025.
So let’s get into all those details and information that we know regarding the PoE 2 BETA!
Path of Exile 2 Closed BETA Release Date Moved
On the GGG Livestream on the 21st of March it was announced that the BETA will take longer and that the Release Date will not be on June 7th, 2024. The date is unknown as of yet. If you wish to read about all that was said in the Livestream, check our post!
How to Get Into PoE 2 BETA?
Jonathan Rodgers (the Path of Exile 2 Game Director), has confirmed that the PoE 2 BETA will take inspiration from the Path of Exile 3.0.0 BETA. This is mostly concerning how you will actually gain access to it.
How are Players selected to enter the PoE 2 BETA?
If we say that it will be similar to how PoE 3.0.0 BETA was done, then the math is quite simple and we can easily determine the way this will be done. Before the PoE 3.0.0 BETA, the way selection used to work was that there was a Public BETA Key Timer, that would invite ONE PLAYER per five minutes. Even though it was fun to see how people reacted when they got selected it still wasn’t the right approach. The biggest issue with this type of selection was the randomness and the overall negativity they got from the community.
However, since GGG is listening to what the Players are saying, it’s quite simple to sort this issue. There will be significantly larger waves of invites to invite ACTIVE Players into the BETA. So instead of sending out 288 keys per day as they used to do before(1 Player per 5 minutes), they will pick 500-1000 Players EACH DAY and they will send out invites to them simultaneously.
Is it possible to Pay to Enter the Path of Exile 2 BETA?
If we are to judge based on what Jonathan Rodgers said, then there are going to be PoE 2 Supporter Packs that will instantly grant you access to the BETA. On top of that, they will likely look at Players who have given a high amount of Support (purchasing Supporter packs previously, microtransactions, and various other offers that PoE had or has). It is imperative to note that ANY TOP-TIER PACK (440$ or above) will grant you eligibility for the BETA, as well as if your TOTAL LIFETIME PURCHASES combine to 500$ or more.
Will Path of Exile 2 BETA be available for the PS & Xbox versions at the same time as the PC?
In a recent interview, Jonathan Rodgers said that Console Players are going to be ‘extremely happy’ about what PoE 2 will offer. It was also hinted that the PS and Xbox Players will be able to participate in the BETA at the SAME TIME as the PC Players.
How long will the PoE 2 BETA Last?
There were many Questions regarding this, some of them being:
- Is the PoE 2 BETA going to be open for a month and then closed and re-opened at some other date?
- Is it going to be limited to certain daily time-frames or open constantly?
- Will it be LIVE until the Official release of Path of Exile 2?
We got an almost definitive answer to this Question recently in a Reddit Post, and it was answered by Jonathan Rodgers himself, he said: ” PoE 2 BETA will be LIVE UNTIL THE RELEASE of Path of Exile 2“.
Bear in mind that this isn’t close to being the same compared to what other companies are doing. For example, Diablo 4 had TWO open BETA’s and might’ve had a third stress-test weekend, but those BETA’s were not to ‘test’ the Game at all. The main reason for Diablo 4 BETA was a publicity stunt and marketing. They wanted to get Players inside the game, so they could make those awesome million graphics in which it is shown how millions of Players played on the BETA weekends etc.
The main difference between what Path of Exile 2 is going to do and what Diablo IV did, is that instead of ‘ONLY’ hyping up the Game like Diablo 4 did and having lots of content missing, bugs, balance issues, etc.
On the other hand, by doing things the way they do, GGG is indirectly saying that the PoE 2 BETA will be ALL about giving Players a chance at everything the game has to offer, testing every act, every boss fight, every Class and Ascendancy as well as the majority of the end-game content. This on top of the increased amount of Players that will be eligible DAILY to receive the Closed BETA invite shows that they are not joking around and they want to make the game truly amazing for Players once it releases with as few bugs as possible.
Estimate on how long the BETA will last once it starts
The PoE 2 BETA will last AT LEAST 6 months from the moment it goes LIVE. Jonathan Roberts did say that their time frame is focused somewhere between 6-12 months of BETA testing, but they hope that 6 months would be all they need before the Game Officially goes LIVE.
In reality, if the BETA lasts for 6 months, and goes LIVE on June 7th, 2024, it would make the Path of Exile 2 Release Date somewhere in early-mid December of 2024. This would be HUGE for a Game Release and the best possible moment for Supporter Pack sales as well as the release of the first Season for PoE 2.
However, as of yet, this is all wishful thinking, and we will see what will happen in the future after the BETA goes live. Aside from us wanting PoE 2 to be LIVE as soon as possible and GGG wants it out there ASAP as well, they still put the preference on having the game function properly, the main goal is that everything works as intended, that there’s least amount of issues, bugs, and potential setbacks that can come back to bite them.
Even though there’s a lot of hype around the Game and many People are anxious about it, and even though there will be dozens or even hundreds of Leagues, they can only release Path of Exile 2 ONCE. So if you can do something only once, you better do it right, even if it takes longer to set everything up!
What does the Early Closed BETA mean for PoE 2?
First, you must understand that this game has been developing since early 2018. Even though it was announced on Exilecon 2019, the plans and canvas were ready waaay before that. The original or initial idea was that Path of Exile 2 would be the actual expansion of Path of Exile 1 (original), but somewhere along the way, the game became too large and had too many differences, starting from the actual ‘engine’ on which it ran as well as the fact that many Players would still love to enjoy the PoE original game.
So to avoid preventing Players who wish to continue playing PoE as it is and basically ‘forcing’ People into playing PoE 2, they decided to keep the PoE and PoE 2 teams separate and work on the development and Leagues/Expansions for both games independently.
When we set the Question: ” What does the Early Closed BETA mean for PoE 2? “, the answer is simple. Aside from having tested the Game internally, and developing it for the past 6 YEARS, GGG will give out the BETA to Players who have been playing PoE the most, spent the most, and know the most about the game to gain the best possible insight during the whole BETA period and make sure that the whole game is set for a larger audience and it’s release.
Before we continue talking about the Path of Exile 2 BETA and what will be available there, let’s take a small break and see what the Road to Path of Exile 2 looked like.
The Road to Path of Exile 2 (Video)
Okay so, we hope that helped you get an idea of where the Game was, and where it is now. In this video you didn’t see the newest addition to Path of Exile which is the Necropolis Patch 3.24, you can read about its release date and everything we know in our Path of Exile: Necropolis Patch 3.24 blog post.
Now moving forward to what we can expect from Path of Exile 2 and what content we’ll be able to get our hands on in the PoE 2 Closed BETA.
What content will be available in Path of Exile 2 Closed BETA?
If we’ve noticed a pattern when it comes to Path of Exile 2, it’s that Jonathan Rodgers is being quite transparent about many things regarding the Game, and as its Director, it’s important to see how invested he is in all of this – it is truly one of the things that can influence the development as well as the outcome of a game.
The things they want to emphasize are:
- Give availability to the whole Campaign
- Check how fast Players progress through the Campaign
- They want to check if there are any broken Skills
- Any broken Builds
- Broken Items, or other stuff that have to be adjusted
- Organize and adapt the League System
- They will have at least 60 End-game maps to start things off – Note: They plan to release a total of 100+ Maps in PoE 2, but 60 of them will be already available in the BETA!
- Mapping Editor System
- Other End-Game systems in the BETA to test
and many others!
Which End Game systems are being ported over from PoE to Path of Exile 2?
Nothing was confirmed yet, but we did hear on several occasions that they said there’s no reason not to use things that are already good and widely praised by the Community and simply move them over and adapt those activities to Path of Exile 2. We can expect these to also be among the things we can test during the PoE 2 Closed BETA.
The ones that should be ‘moved’ from PoE to PoE 2 are:
- Delves – this incredible activity in Path of Exile is something that many other ARPGs and even MMORPGs wish to implement and have in their arsenal. These endless Dungeons with thousands upon thousands of mobs and hundreds upon hundreds of levels with unimaginable loot, and it’s importance is simply something that cannot be overstated.
- Heist – another really amazing feature and activity, it is not as utilized as the Delves, but the amount of attention to detail and time spent in the development on top of the voice-acting alone that was done for this incredible activity leaves nothing to be desired. There’s no reason not to see Heist in Path of Exile 2 as well. Note: We have reason to believe that many of the Characters that are in the Rogue Harbor were initially developed for PoE 2, but were added to Path of Exile 1 (original). If we check the few teasers that we have and some footage that was seen, the Characters from Rogue Harbor may play a significant role in the Path of Exile 2 story.
- Delirium – is definitely being ‘left alive’ in PoE 2. Not only because it was confirmed by the Path of Exile 2 Team, but it is simply an indispensable part of the End-Game ever since it was released in PoE. The sheer number of monsters and being able to create this misty feeling with a timer and with great Rewards is good enough to give it a spot in PoE 2. Not to mention the Delirium Maps themselves, and the amount of pressure it puts on your Character build and itemization.
Guesses on what other end-game activities should be added to PoE 2
On top of the above, we feel that the new end-game systems will most likely be either a prior existing system from Path of Exile(original) or a whole new system.
Some might be:
- There was talk of the Colosseum-like end-game system that wasn’t seen much outside of Act 3 in PoE.
- It could be the “Delve-Up” which was talked about here and there.
- A true “Expedition System” also remains an option. We’ve seen the teasers and videos showcasing the Expeditions, maybe we just might hop on a ship and sail with other Expedition Members and explore various islands. Note: This was the ‘original’ idea for this activity in Path of Exile, but it was cut due to time constraints.
Just looking at all this, and much more, we know that it is simply incredible the number of things that are being added to the game, as well as which will be available in the PoE 2 Closed BETA, it’s just amazing and I honestly can’t wait to try it out.
Which Classes and Ascendancies are going to be available in Path of Exile 2 Closed BETA?
If you thought that was all, you’re mistaken. The PoE 2 Closed BETA will give you not only a glimpse but will allow you to play any Class and all the ascendancies play the whole game to the fullest.
The Classes that will be available in PoE 2 Closed BETA
- Witch
- Ranger
- Duelist
- Shadow
- Templar
- Marauder
- Warrior
- Huntress
- Sorceress
- Mercenary
- Monk
- Druid
Even though it was said that all of the Classes and Ascendancies will be available from the start of the BETA, it most likely won’t be the case. Just like they will be adding new content to the game from Path of Exile over to PoE 2, the same will be done with the Classes and Ascendancies. After a couple of weeks/months, we expect the BETA to have everything available and considering they gave us the BETA roughly a month before it was initially announced, can’t say that we can complain much!
PoE 2 All Classes Trailer (Video)
How much content is going to be available in PoE 2 Closed BETA?
If we are to believe the words of Jonathan Rodgers the GGGs Game Director of Path of Exile 2, then the sheer amount of content that will be available in the Path of Exile 2 Closed BETA, will be enough to ‘dwarf’ any other ARPG in the market currently. Just by giving that statement, it shows confidence and that the content will definitely be ‘endless’.
And realistically, just looking at the number of Classes and Ascendencies it will be hundreds of hours of content just to understand what the Class does, which build is best, how many endless builds can be formed and made, and how many playstyles can be forged out of these newly introduced Classes.
That would be all regarding the BETA, but let’s turn towards other things we can expect from Path of Exile 2, and which things are confirmed currently and that we can expect.
What is Path of Exile 2 going to offer to Players?
There is a tremendous amount of things that have already been specified in various trailers and teasers, but to sum things up, here is what Path of Exile will offer:
- 100 Distinct environments
- 600 Monsters Types
- 100 Bosses
- 1500 Passive Skills
- 36 Ascendancy Classes
- 240 Active Skills
and much more!
Which Changes are being implemented to Path of Exile 2 compared to PoE? – Summary
There are so many new things, so many good things being transferred over from PoE(original) to PoE 2, but we will do our best to mention some of the more important ones.
- Six new character classes – Sorceress, Monk, Huntress, Mercenary, Warrior, Druid (Along with the 6 already existing, that’s a total of 12)
- New ascendancies, three for each Class (A total of 36 Ascendancies across 12 Classes)
- A revamped skill gem system where the links are in the gems themselves, not tied to equipment (Incredible QoL Change)
- Tons of new skills, including shapeshifting (bear, wolf, cat) and giant meteors
- Meta gems, which are gems that can have other gems socketed into them (think things like cast on crit or spell totem)
- New weapon types, like spears and crossbows
- A six-act story campaign set 20 years after the death of Kitava (Finally a continuation of the story)
- A new map-based endgame
- A dodge roll for everyone that doesn’t require a gem link, with the ability to dodge-cancel abilities
- Changes to crafting and the economy, including
- Changes to the way Chaos Orbs work and the introduction of Gold as a currency
- Over 100 new bosses (Each with Unique Skills and Mechanics)
On top of all this, many changes are coming to the Path of Exile Patch 3.24 Necropolis – so feel free to read on those as they should be used in Path of Exile 2 as well!
Which Changes are being implemented to Path of Exile 2 compared to PoE? – Breakdown
Lets break things down a bit for good measure.
New Classes
Not only do we get a new character class for each attribute and two-stat combination, but the original six classes are playable as well. Whenever GGG found themselves with an “A” or “B” choice, the answer was A + B it seems. With the addition of the Sorceress, Monk, Huntress, Mercenary, Warrior, and Druid, we get the feeling that this game is truly the one to inherit Diablo 2.
Gem Changes
Skill gems receive a major overhaul in Path of Exile 2, fundamentally changing the relationship between gear and skills. Instead of items dropping with sockets to slot your skills in, your skill gems will have the sockets. Uncut gems drop off monsters and can be assigned to skills of your choosing. Item level will still determine the number of support gems that can be attached, but these gems drop at the level of the monsters you’re fighting, so you don’t have to level them up from scratch.
Note: This should allow players to use more skills with greater flexibility since you won’t be locked into one or two six-link items for your main damaging skills.
Item Changes
In Path of Exile 2, significant changes are coming to how skill gems and items interact, promising a more dynamic and flexible gameplay experience. Previously, you were limited by the sockets available on their gear to slot in their skills. However, in PoE 2, skill gems themselves will have sockets, granting you more control over your skill setups.
Rather than relying on specific items with the right sockets, uncut gems will now drop from monsters, allowing you to assign them to their chosen skills. This means that you won’t be restricted by the gear you find or craft, but can instead tailor your skill setups based on the gems you acquire. Additionally, the number of support gems that can be attached will still depend on the item level, but these gems will now drop at the level of the monsters that you kill.
Note: This will ELIMINATE the need to re-level gems constantly.
With these changes, you will have greater flexibility in using a wider variety of skills. You won’t be locked into relying on one or two specific items to maximize their damage output, as you can now freely swap out gear without worrying about compatibility issues. Furthermore, you’ll be able to assign sections of your passive skill tree to a weapon swap, enabling an easy transition between different combat styles.
Overall, these adjustments are sure to make combat in Path of Exile 2 more dynamic and engaging. You will have the freedom to experiment with various skill combinations and adapt their playstyle on the go, and allow yourself to easily swap between an AoE build to a single target build depending on the situation.
Crafting Changes
Crafting Bench in a different form with much more options.
Currency Changes
- Chaos Orbs – will act as an Annulment Orb as well as an Exalted Orb in one. They remove a modifier and then they add a modifier.
- Orbs of Alteration – are being removed. No more spamming magic items thousands upon thousands of times.
and many many more.
Gold Implementation
Even though we never thought we’d have Gold in Path of Exile, well PoE 2 seems to be rewriting that part as well. Having gold in Path of Exile 2 will serve multiple purposes, one of which is streamlining the early-game currency drops and reducing the clutter of low-value items.
This means you won’t be bombarded with as much low-quality gear to sell, giving your loot filters a break. Additionally, gold will be used as a sink for gambling, providing exiles with fun and potentially rewarding activities. Zana recognizes that gambling is a beloved pastime among exiles, making it a fitting use for gold in the game.
Path of Exile 2 Closed BETA – Recap
- The Path of Exile 2 Closed BETA starts on June 7th, 2024.
- You can join the BETA if you’ve played A LOT of Path of Exile, spent a lot recently, or you’ve spent at least 500$ on microtransactions on your account. – Based on PoE 3.0.0 Closed BETA which was said will be the same for PoE 2.
- Inside the BETA you will be able to test the ENTIRE Campaign.
- A lot of the End-Game.
- A lot of Leagues.
- All the Itemization changes.
- Classes & Ascendancies
- The Crafting System
- Bosses
- The New Graphical Engine & Animations
You will be testing all this, not for 3 days, not for a ‘period’, not for a few weeks, but for AT LEAST 6 MONTHS!
CONCLUSION
Path of Exile 2 represents a monumental effort and stands as a true sequel to a game that has been evolving for over a decade. Following the completion of initial development, the GGG team will reportedly divide their focus evenly between the two games. This ambitious approach promises an exciting content release cycle that has the potential to be truly remarkable. With the possibility of leagues launching every month and a half instead of every three months, along with the introduction of new classes, skills, and endgame content, the future of Path of Exile could indeed usher in a golden age for the game.
We thank you so much for taking the time to read this post and we do hope it was helpful, meaningful, and most of all informative. As soon as we get more info we will do our best to update this post and write more about Path of Exile 2 as soon as more info comes out, there’s the newest information coming out on the 21st of March, 2024 with the live developer interview, as well as the new Path of Exile: Necropolis League coming out on the 29th of March.
The developer interview will reveal more about the new League for Path of Exile 1, as well as talk about Path of Exile 2 and what’s in store. If you’ve liked our post, please don’t hesitate to bookmark our blog page, and we’ll be doing our best to keep you up to date with the latest news and information in the gaming world.
If you need help with any Path of Exile services or Currency, we got you covered. On top of that, we will be offering Path of Exile 2 services, but for now, we do not have it on the site as of yet due to not knowing the actual release date. If we are not offering a service you’re interested in on the site, feel free to Request a Service or simply contact our Livechat or Discord Support, we’re available 24/7!
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As always we’ll leave you with a Video that covers most of what was written here in case you’re unable to read or if you’d just rather close your eyes and listen to what’s new.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read our post, and stay safe!