Path of Exile 2 is in early access and is set for full release on December 11, 2026, when it becomes free to play. The original Path of Exile continues to receive updates, with 3.29 Curse of the Allflame released July 25 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Grinding Gear Games is running two tracks. Path of Exile 2 remains in early access, which began December 7, 2024, for DLC purchasers, and the studio announced at gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 that the full release is set for December 11, 2026. At that point the action RPG goes free to play across all supported platforms, after the paid early access period. The game supports solo play and cooperative play for up to six players on Wraeclast, and its supported platforms include PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
The early access run has been punctuated by technical work and seasonal content. Update 0.5.0, Return of the Ancients, refreshed endgame content and added new Ascendancies, arriving with a free weekend on PC and Xbox Series X|S that ran until June 2 and drew a SteamDB peak of about 410,000 concurrent players, below the roughly 580,000 launch peak. On July 30, director Jonathan Rogers said the Device Removed freeze bug had been traced to specific NVIDIA drivers, with a new driver plus patch 0.5.4e resolving it. A player also found a hidden device that sacrifices a level 100 character for the title Martyr of the First Edict and a permanent skill point for everyone in the same league.
The original Path of Exile has not been left behind. Update 3.29, Curse of the Allflame, released July 25 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, adding the Voyage league mechanic on the seabed of Lakecrest, Allflame Crafting, the Luminari ascendancy class, and the return of Torath's Mercenaries as a core mechanic. The update also relaxed equipment socket color restrictions so any gem fits any socket.
Separately, former CEO Chris Wilson said on his YouTube channel that decoy assets mixed into patches to confuse data miners were useful trolling but largely wasted effort. He recommends encrypted data distribution with a later key release, though he has not seen any game implement it.
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Chris Wilson, former CEO of Grinding Gear Games, discussed data mining countermeasures on his YouTube channel. He used decoy assets mixed into patches to confuse data miners, calling the tactic useful trolling but largely wasted effort. He recommends encrypted data distribution with a later key release as a better approach, though he has not seen any game implement it.
Grinding Gear Games announced during gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 that Path of Exile 2 will receive its full release on December 11, 2026. The action RPG, currently in early access, will be offered as a free-to-play title across all supported platforms when it officially launches. The game supports solo play and cooperative play for up to six players on the dark continent of Wraeclast, where players build characters using various enhancement elements and take on powerful enemies. Early access began on December 7, 2024, for DLC purchasers, meaning the official release arrives about two years after the initial early access period started. Supported platforms include PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The announcement trailer shown at the event featured battle scenes and appeared to reveal a new class specializing in sword action. The game is the sequel to Path of Exile, which debuted in 2013. Early access launched with six classes, with additional classes such as Huntress and Druid added through major updates since then.
Path of Exile 2 director Jonathan Rogers reported on July 30 that two long-standing technical issues have been dramatically improved. The 'Device Removed' bug, which froze gameplay when the graphics driver crashed, has been traced to specific NVIDIA drivers. A new driver plus patch 0.5.4e resolves it, and shader compile times are also being reduced.
Grinding Gear Games released Path of Exile update 3.29, Curse of the Allflame, on July 25 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The update introduces the Voyage league mechanic, set on the seabed of Lakecrest, along with the Allflame Crafting system. Torath's Mercenaries returns as a core mechanic, and the new Luminari ascendancy class allows permanent mercenary hiring.
Grinding Gear Games announced the major update 3.29 'Curse of the Allflame' for Path of Exile, releasing July 25. The update introduces a new league with deep-sea exploration mechanics, a new Ascendancy class for the Scion, and the return of Mercenaries of Trarthus as a core mechanic. A key system change relaxes equipment socket color restrictions, allowing any gem to be equipped in any socket.
A Path of Exile 2 player discovered a hidden device that sacrifices a level 100 character to grant the title 'Martyr of the First Edict' and gives all players in the same league a permanent skill point. The find, shared by streamer cArn_, has already been replicated in the current season league, sparking discussion about the game's secret systems.
Grinding Gear Games launched a free weekend for Path of Exile 2 on PC and Xbox Series X|S, running until June 2. The event coincides with update 0.5.0, 'Return of the Ancients,' the last major early access league before the planned full version 1.0 release later in 2026. The update refreshed endgame content and added new Ascendancies. SteamDB recorded a peak of about 410,000 concurrent players within 24 hours, the highest for any update so far, though below the launch peak of around 580,000.