Grinding Gear Games has confirmed that Path of Exile 2 will exit paid early access and launch as version 1.0 on December 11. From that day, the action RPG becomes free to play, dropping the $30 entry fee that has gated it since early access began.
The announcement arrived alongside a short trailer built around the Duelist and sword combat, a weapon type that has been missing from the sequel so far. Grinding Gear Games hasn’t spelled out the full launch feature list yet, so treat the finer details as pending until the studio’s own launch materials drop.
Right now, playing Path of Exile 2 requires buying an Early Access Supporter Pack, usually the $30 tier, which also hands over roughly 300 store points to spend on cosmetics or stash tabs. After 1.0, none of that is needed. New players just download and play.
Anyone who already bought in keeps their points and pack rewards. The game then runs on the same model as the original Path of Exile: no paid campaign chapters, no paid classes, and no stat-boosting gear for sale.
Money instead goes on cosmetic armor and weapon effects, skill effects, hideout decorations, and stash tabs. That last one is worth being honest about: tabs are technically optional, but anyone grinding endgame and trading seriously will want the specialized currency and premium tabs. You can still trade through the currency exchange, the trade site, or direct chat deals without paying a cent.
Campaign and classes
Grinding Gear Games has previously said 1.0 would line up with a finished campaign. The current build has four acts plus three temporary interludes, and players expect two more acts to replace them for a six-act run. That hasn’t been formally confirmed in the launch announcement yet.
The class roster is murkier. The studio has said before that it wasn’t committing to every planned class arriving by 1.0, prioritizing three Ascendancies per existing class instead. The Duelist appearing in the trailer would push the lineup close to 10, leaving Marauder, Templar, and Shadow still unaccounted for. Missing doesn’t mean cut: post-launch updates remain on the table.
