Path of Exile 2 is one of the loudest releases in gaming in recent months. The game’s early access went live in December, though players currently need to pay for it—and now they’re wondering if the title will ever become free to play.
The first entry in the series is now a free-to-play experience, so logically, its sequel should follow the same route. Essentially, it does, but before it’s available for free, players need to wait a bit longer. Here’s how everything works.
When will Path of Exile 2 be free to play?
As it stands, PoE 2 isn’t free to play and will remain so for an undisclosed amount of time. Players may try the early version of the game by grabbing the early access, which is currently available for $29.99 on Steam. If they wish to have more additional content when they start their playthrough, they may purchase more expensive Supporter Packs which also grant them early access.
With that said, PoE 2 will be free to play once it officially launches. However, no one but Grinding Gear Games knows when that will happen. The popular rumor floating around the web currently is that the developer wants to release it six months following the start of early access (Dec. 6, 2024), which would put the official launch at June 2025 maximum. Although, like with every game that has an early access, PoE 2 is susceptible to delays, and could go live sometime later if the developer needs more time to polish it.
Therefore, we guess that the latest it should release is the end of 2025, which is a timetable the developer has also pointed to.
Is there free early access for Path of Exile players?
Luckily for lifelong fans of the franchise, Grinding Gear Games is giving early access codes for those who spent a lot of money in the first game. That is, to be more precise, for players who bought a lifetime total of $480 on PoE purchases.
Will there be any additional content for those who pay for Path of Exile 2’s early access?
The good news is, what players spend now on the title’s early access is reimbursed in the game. For example, if a player grabs the cheapest early access supporter pack for $29.99, they’re given an equivalent of that amount in an in-game currency. This can be spent on a plethora of items that can be used to boost your character.
However, that doesn’t mean the game is pay-to-win. Veteran PoE players know that every item can be claimed by grinding the game. Moreover, Grinding Gear Games has assured players that it won’t apply a pay-to-win system.
Therefore, if you’re patient and aren’t a huge action RPG fan, you may wait until the game officially releases and becomes free. On the other hand, if you’re keen on trying out the gameplay itself, you may jump into it with early access. The current version of PoE 2 already offers a massive world that’ll surely suck you in for hours, if not days, and with regular updates, it’s bound to only get better.
