Perhaps a bombshell for the community, Path of Exile 2 is inevitably delayed to 2024 instead of the original release date of 2022.
We already knew that the development of Path of Exile was off to a rocky start. The first release date that Grinding Gear Games had in mind for the sequel was that the game was to be released at the beginning of 2020. Unfortunately, the timing of circumstances such as the worldwide pandemic caused by the coronavirus has delayed it until 2022. Players thought that was the last delay they would ever experience, but they were again proved wrong. Grinding Gear Games has announced that Path of Exile 2 will not arrive until 2024. According to Chris Wilson, one of the members of the study, they were thinking of offering an open beta within a year or two before its official release. Sadly, this means that players won’t be able to farm PoE currency and Exalted Orbs just yet.
Does This Kill the Hype?
Hype is one of the most important elements when talking about the marketing side of things, not just in the game industry. Hype is a factor that significantly boosts the popularity of the game before it’s even out, and when unexpected happenings such as delays happen, it kills the momentum, and in turn, the game itself. We’re not entirely sure as of yet whether the continuous delays of Path of Exile 2 might lead to the detriment of Grinding Gear Games, but what’s great about delays these days is that gamers are much more receptive towards it. After all, there’s still a lot of content that awaits them in Path of Exile. With new expansions still coming out and more ways to farm PoE currency and Exalted Orbs, players are pretty much spoiled for choice. What’s more, there are a ton of games out there that they can play outside of Path of Exile. The choice is theirs as to what video game they want to pick up next.
Plus, there’s the fact that more and more video game companies release unfinished or incomplete games. Having an update to the game is fine such as fixing bugs and whatnot, but monstrosities such as Cyberpunk 2077 are a perfect example of why it’s much better to release a game late rather than it being bombarded with negative reviews because of how rough and empty it is.
Memories From Exile-Con
The development of the Path of Exile sequel was first announced during Exile-Con, a convention that is solely dedicated to talking about the plans for the ARPG. Heck, the sequel was already announced as early as 2019 and eclipsed the already-exciting news of Path of Exile 4.0 which was also briefed on during the convention. It was smart of Grinding Gear Games to not mention anything about a release date during that time though; they didn’t make any promises. Players were only given a more tangible time frame on when the game would be released following a teaser trailer and gameplay overview that was released around 2020 and six months later consecutively. Unfortunately, the time frame of Q4 2022 seems to no longer be the case now.
Level-Headed Fans Understand
We’re not just talking about a year of a delay from the originally planned release date of Path of Exile 2. It’ll be 2024 at most before players get their hands at the game. At the very least, this means that the game can be released in around late 2023 which is the earliest that we’re going to get. To wait that long can be a bit of a bummer, especially to long-time fans who were waiting for the game so eagerly, but thankfully, level-headed fans got the message loud and clear. Online games aren’t easy to maintain and/or update. It’s nothing short of a miracle as to how there’s still an expansion being released for Path of Exile every four months while working on the sequel at the same time. With the pandemic in mind, everything is a logistical nightmare, making the job market trickier than usual. It would certainly help if Grinding Gear Games had more hands to assist them, but with how the world is right now, companies are having a difficult time finding the right people for the job. The lack of environmental artists in GGG is one of the main reasons for the game’s delay.
Final Thoughts
It’s still unsure whether the delay is a blessing in disguise or a hindrance. One thing’s for sure though: two years in terms of gaming is a long time. Grinding Gear Games has shared that they’ve already completed about 90% of the first act and 75% for the second act, but with the total number of events being seven, it’s clear that there’s still a lot of work for them. While players can’t farm PoE currency and Exalted Orbs in Path of Exile 2 just yet, there are still lots of upcoming leagues and expansions waiting for them in the original PoE. What do you think about Path of Exile 2 being delayed to 2024? Let us know down below.
