Everything you should know about PoE 2 

Welcome to our Path of Exile 2 overview, a guide that covers everything we know about PoE 2, such as the release date, campaign, classes, currency, end-game activities, and more. We've designed our article with a user-friendly structure, making it easy to follow and navigate.

PoE 2 is an action role-playing game (ARPG) developed by Grinding Gear Games, the same developers as Path of Exile. Set years after the events in the original Path of Exile, you return to the dark world of Wraeclast with means to end the corruption that is spreading across Oriath once again. 

Let's take a look at what Path of Exile 2 has to offer. Ready, Exile? 

Table of Contents

• What is Path of Exile 2?

• Release Date

• Who can play Path of Exile 2

• What gets transferred from PoE 1 to PoE 2

• Campaign

• What is the max level in PoE 2?

• Classes and ascendancies

• Skill Tree

• Itemization

• Crafting

• Types of Currency

• Bosses

• End-Game activities

• PvP

• Conclusion

What is Path of Exile 2 

Path of Exile 2 (POE 2) is a next-gen ARPG game similar to its predecessor, Path of Exile, and other big hits in the genre, such as Diablo and Last Epoch, but with its own twist on Skills and Passives. 

Players experience the aftermath of Kitava's death, with corruption spreading once again through Wraeclast and rumors of a ghastly living seed that drives those around it to madness.

Is PoE 2 a standalone game or a continuation of PoE 1?

Path of Exile 2 is a separate game from Path of Exile 1, offering a complex skill system, hundreds of customizable skills, and a dangerous continent to conquer.

You take on the role of an Exile, starting the game on the Island of Ogham, with your character being sentenced to death by hanging. You make your escape from the gallows and start your journey to uncover the secrets of Wraeclast once again.

Will PoE 2 replace PoE 1?

POE 2 will not replace POE 1, as the game will have major gameplay and system changes. These changes will offer a fresh playstyle, making each of the two games a unique experience. 

Path of Exile 2 will add a dodge roll mechanic and a poise system for crowd control, similar to Diablo 4. Bosses will also be able to have multiple hitboxes, allowing for action-packed and exciting boss fights.

What will happen to Path of Exile 1 after Path of Exile 2 release? 

Path of Exile 1 will continue receiving updates and new expansions even after the release of Path of Exile 2, with both games running on a League system similar to Diablo Seasons and Last Epoch Cycles.

 Do you need PoE 1 to play PoE 2? 

Since PoE 2 will be a standalone game, you don't need PoE 1 to play the sequel. If you've never played Path of Exile before, you can hop on Path of Exile 2 without any prerequisites.

Moving on, we'll see when the release date for Path of Exile 2 is.

Is PoE 2 harder than PoE 1?

Due to the changes in gameplay systems and mechanics, Path of Exile 2 will prove to be more difficult than Path of Exile 1. It will have a more slow-paced playstyle, with mechanics like the dodge roll being essential to avoiding powerful attacks from enemies.

Securing your preferred level, items, or builds can prove to be a challenging and time-consuming endeavor. Thankfully, PoE 2 boosting services from Kboosting are here to help you finish your campaign, perfect your builds, and engage in numerous end-game pursuits within Path of Exile 2.

PoE 2 Release Date

Path of Exile 2 is currently under development. The developers have announced that the game will have a playable Closed Beta before the full release. 

There's currently no information on how Early Access will be distributed, but based on the Path of Exile 1 Closed Beta, we can assume invites will be given out randomly or to players who purchase a specific Supporter Pack from the Shop.

When is the PoE 2 launch date? 

Grinding Gear Games (GGG), the developers behind PoE 2 have yet to announce an exact launch date, with the Early Access version of the game having the release delayed until late 2024 at the earliest.

Source: pathofexile2.com

Next up, we're going to look at the requirements to play Path of Exile 2

 Who can play Path of Exile 2? 

Anyone can play Path of Exile 2. Even if you haven't played the original Path of Exile, there will be major changes to gameplay and game mechanics, with similarities to other games in the genre, like Diablo 4 and Last Epoch, so players coming from the first game won't be at an advantage.

Even though you don't have to play Path of Exile 1 to enjoy the sequel, if you are interested in the lore or want a more immersive experience, we strongly recommend you give the campaign a playthrough, as the games take place in the same world, within a short time frame between in-game events.

Will PoE 2 be free to play? 

PoE 2 will be completely free to play, just like PoE 1. All expansions added to the game will also be free, so you don't have to worry about purchasing any DLCs along the way. Also, the item shop will not contain any pay-to-win items, with all purchases being exclusively cosmetic.

On what platforms will Path of Exile 2 be available? 

Path of Exile 2 will be available on all popular platforms, such as PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox X & S Series, Windows, and Mac OS.

Can you play Path of Exile 2 solo or in a group? 

You can play Path of Exile 2 either solo or in a group of up to 6 players. In Path of Exile 1, mobs and bosses in the area gain increased health for each additional player in the party. However, the party will also gain a buff to item quantity, item rarity, and currency drops in the area.

In Path of Exile 1, the most popular strategy for groups is to have one carry with five support builds, such as Aurabot, Cursebot, Managuardian, etc.

What gets transferred from PoE 1 to PoE 2

All microtransactions you purchased for PoE 1 will be transferred to PoE 2. This includes everything from stash tabs, hideout decorations, cosmetics, and skill effects to guild hideout decorations.

Further on, we're going to take a quick glance at what the PoE 2 campaign has in store.

 PoE 2 Campaign

source: Path of Exile 2 official release trailer

The campaign in PoE 2 takes us through the world of Wraeclast once again, visiting iconic zones from PoE 1 and new areas. It offers a continuation of the story from the first game.

You start your journey in the dark forests, bogs, and crypts of Ezomyr. After passing through the dense foliage and surviving treacherous encounters with corrupted creatures, you'll travel via the Maraketh caravan through the Plains of Vastiri.

Your journey with the merchants leads you toward the flooded city of Utzaal, where you'll adventure through the ruins of the Vaal. Slowly, you'll make your way to the port city of Kingsmarch, with adventures on the coast of Forsaken Phrecia and the Karui Archipelago to follow.

How long is the PoE 2 campaign 

Since the game is still under development, we don't have any concrete information on how much time the Path of Exile 2 campaign will take to complete, but based on gameplay shown during ExileCon, trailers released alongside PoE 1 League reveals and walkthroughs of the first four acts we can make a rough estimate of 16 to 20 hours for the first completion of the campaign.

How many acts are in Path of Exile 2?

There will be six acts in PoE 2, each taking place in the area of a different tribe from across Wraeclast. You will encounter tribes from the first game, some of which were factions in the Legion league mechanic in PoE 1 (Ezomyte, Maraketh, Vaal, and Karui).

Is the campaign hard to complete?

From the gameplay snippets we've seen from the developers, the Path of Exile 2 campaign seems easy, but a few bosses from the campaign may prove challenging depending on your gear and knowledge of the fight.

What is the max level in Path of Exile 2?

The maximum level for PoE 2 has yet to be announced, but based on PoE 1, we can assume that the level cap will be level 100.

How long does it take to get to max level in PoE 2 

The time it takes to get to the maximum level in Path of Exile 2 varies depending on your gear, the farming strategy you follow, and the number of deaths during leveling since each death after completing the campaign will apply an XP reduction penalty to your character. 

Based on the time it takes to get to 100 in PoE 1 and the gameplay we've seen, we can make a rough estimate of around 200 hours of playtime to reach the maximum level, implying you are playing alone on a fresh character without access to leveling gear.

Moving forward, we'll explore one of the most important aspects of ARPGs: the classes.

PoE 2 Classes and Ascendancies

Just like in other ARPG games, we have classes, some of them being new to Path of Exile, while the rest are the 6 classes from PoE 1 (with the scion not being playable in PoE 2), alongside a few ascendancies from the first game that have been reworked as classes. 

The main idea behind the Path of Exile 2 class design is to have each class specialize in a specific type of gameplay and skills without limiting the player's creativity when creating a build.

How many classes are in PoE 2?

There will be 12 classes in Path of Exile 2, with each single or hybrid attribute combination represented by two classes. These attribute affinities only determine the starting location on the passive skill tree, with no actual effect on your stats.

source: ExileCon 2023 Path of Exile 2 reveals

Below, you can find a list of all classes available in PoE 2:

• Strength: Marauder - axes

• Strength: Warrior - maces

• Dexterity: Ranger - bows

• Dexterity: Huntress - spears

• Intelligence: Witch - minions and occult spells

• Intelligence: Sorceress - elemental spells

• Str/Dex: Duelist - swords

• Str/Dex: Mercenary - crossbows

• Int/Dex: Shadow - daggers and traps

• Int/Dex: Monk - unarmed and quarterstaves

• Str/Int: Templar - flails

• Str/Int: Druid - shapeshift spells

Will there be ascendancies or specializations in Path of Exile 2? 

Yes, it has been confirmed that Path of Exile 2 will have both ascendancies and specializations. Each of the 12 classes will have 3 ascendancies, which can be unlocked by completing a quest or defeating a boss in Acts 2, 3, and 4.

Depending on your ascendancy, you will unlock a small secondary passive skill tree, usually granting powerful and build-defining bonuses.

Next up, we're going to take a look at one of Path of Exile's most iconic elements, the Skill Tree.

PoE 2 Skill Tree 

In the Path of Exile universe, one of the most iconic systems is the passive skill tree. In the first game, it consisted of 1325 different passives in the form of a large web. The starting location was predefined by the class you chose, a system that will be kept in PoE 2 as well. 

To unlock a passive, you would have to create a connection by allocating points into nodes that lead from your starting position to the desired node.

source: Path of Exile 2 Official Release Trailer

Will there be a skill tree in PoE 2? 

Path of Exile 2 will have a skill tree similar to the one in Path of Exile 1, but larger, containing 2000 different passive skills that allow you to customize your gameplay experience to your liking. The mastery system from PoE 1 will be removed, but passives will be more generic and less weapon-specific.

There will also be a dual specialization system that allows you to allocate some passive skill points to two different sets of skills. They will swap whenever the appropriate weapon or skill type is used. 

Note: For example, you can have some points allocated into ice and fire if you are playing a caster build, and when you use an ice lance, it will use the ice passive tree, and if you were to cast fireball, it would swap to the fire skill tree.

Reservation from auras can also be dynamically swapped based on your weapon set. Shapeshifting will also receive the same treatment regarding specializations, and the "skill tree swap" speed is affected by specific stats, with larger weapons taking longer to swap.

PoE 2 Itemization 

Path of Exile 2 will have some significant changes to itemization compared to Path of Exile 1. The game will feature over 700 equipment bases, a more extensive variety of weapon types, and a complete overhaul of the Skill Gem system.

Gear will have a stronger stat and visual identity based on their archetype. Base items will also more closely reflect the theme of their drop location and can only be purchased from vendors in related zones. Weapons will also receive an overhaul to implicits, leaving room for implicit ideas similar to the ones in Last Epoch.

Sockets and links will no longer be found on items and will be replaced by a skill gem menu containing 9 slots for skill gems or meta gems. Skill gems will drop with a variable amount of sockets for support gems, up to 5 (for a 6-linked skill). You can upgrade the skill gems to 3, 4, or 5 sockets deterministically with three tiers of Jeweller's Orbs (Lesser / Normal / Greater Jeweller's Orb).

Similarly, the socket colors are randomized and can be chosen by using a Chromatic Orb, with all the sockets always being linked.

Types of items in Path of Exile 2 

Items in Path of Exile 2 will be the same as in PoE 1: weapons, body armour, helmets, jewels, etc. There will be a wider variety of base types, and items will have the same rarities as in Path of Exile 1: normal, magic, rare, and unique.

source: revealed during ExileCon 2023

Weapon types received a major overhaul, each being themed around a specific type of skills and gameplay. Here is a list of the changes, alongside the four new weapon types that will be added in Path of Exile 2:

• Daggers are purely attack-themed and can roll around 15% base crit.

• Scepters grant base Spirit and roll aura-like modifiers.

• Quarterstaves replace Warstaves and are completely separate from Staves.

• Staves provide a spell skill as an implicit, have no attack stats, and are 4x1 in size.

• Wands have no attack stats.

• Shields can be raised to block attacks from the front, limited by a "block meter" that will stun you when depleted.

• Spears will be hybrid melee/ranged attack weapons.

• Crossbows will act similar to bows, with crossbow type (Burst Shot, Rapid Shot, Power Shot) and socketed Ammo skills (Piercing, Incendiary, Permafrost) dynamically changing the effects of skills. You can also equip attachments in the offhand slot, granting a skill (Oil Grenade Launcher, Flash Grenade Launcher).

• Traps will determine throw speed and detonation type for trap skills.

• Flails are a new melee strength/intelligence weapon with medium base crit chance (~10%)

Will there be uniques in PoE 2? 

Unique items are one of the main aspects of Path of Exile, as their effects are usually build-defining and extremely powerful, so we will see them in PoE 2 as well.

There will be a unique item for each of the 700 equipment bases, and iconic Path of Exile 1 items such as Shavronne's Wrappings, Headhunter, Mageblood, and more will be adapted for PoE 2 with new modifiers or base types.

source: revealed during ExileCon 2023

Now, let's tinker with the Crafting System within Path of Exile 2.

PoE 2 Crafting 

Path of Exile's crafting system is another trademark of the game. It offers a complex and well-designed balance between RNG and deterministic outcomes, with players still figuring out new and more efficient crafting methods in PoE 1.

Can you craft items in Path of Exile 2? 

We don't have much information about crafting in PoE 2 at this time, but there will likely be a similar system to the first game, where you will have access to various orbs and league mechanics to help you create best-in-slot items.

The only significant change to crafting in Path of Exile 2 will be the removal of the crafting bench, possibly making crafting BIS items harder without access to meta-mods and being able to craft any desired affix as a 6th modifier.

Coming up is currency, so let's take a peek at the riches you can find in PoE 2.

Types of Currency in Path of Exile 2

Currency is one of the main elements that Path of Exile revolves around, with various currency items being used as crafting materials, as tokens for barter with other players, to add league mechanics when using the map device, etc.

Currencies like Divine Orbs, Exalted Orbs, Chaos Orbs, and the sought-after Mirror of Kalandra remain the most known items in both games (so in Path of Exile 2 as well), as they are all used (or were used) in player-to-player trades consistently due to their rarity and uses in crafting. 

source: revealed during ExileCon 2023

Another important mention regarding currency is that rarity will now apply to currency drops, increasing the chances of getting a higher-tier currency. Players advocated for this feature in Path of Exile 1, and it was also a widespread misconception since rarity had no effects on currency drops in the first game.

What are the main currencies in PoE 2 

Since the game has yet to be released, we can't be certain which currencies will be the most used and sought after in PoE 2, but we can make a well-versed guess using the information we have and experience from Path of Exile 1.

The Mirror of Kalandra will remain the most expensive and coveted currency due to its effect, as it can duplicate any item, allowing players to copy the perfect items of other players. At the same time, Chaos Orbs, Divine Orbs, and Exalted Orbs will be the other widely-used currencies due to their powerful crafting effects.

Path of Exile 2 will also see the addition of Gold, an untradeable currency that drops from any mob and is picked up by proximity, similar to Azurite. Gold will be used to purchase items from vendors, and apply Kirac Map Mods, and you may have to pay a tax in Gold for each player-to-player trade.

Continuing our adventure, we'll talk about Bosses in Path of Exile 2.

PoE 2 Bosses 

Similar to other ARPGs, like Diablo 4 and Last Epoch, bosses will be one of the main elements for Path of Exile 2. Compared to the first installment, PoE 2 aims to make bosses from the campaign, maps, and end-game bosses alike into exciting and skill-testing encounters.

source: Path of Exile 2 Ranger Gameplay (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnUkPbctHbY)

One of the main changes to bosses in Path of Exile 2 would be the technical ability to have multiple hitboxes, which will allow for more complex movement and more creative and challenging mechanics.

How many bosses will Path of Exile 2 have?

We know that Path of Exile 2 will feature over 100 bosses inside of the six-act campaign, with maps having reworked versions of each boss fight from the campaign. Alongside these bosses, we will also see some unique end-game boss fights.

Will there be Uber bosses in PoE 2? 

The developers have not provided concrete information regarding Uber Bosses in PoE 2. Still, based on Path of Exile's 1 Uber Bosses and other games in the genre, it will certainly feature Uber variants for end-game bosses, which could prove to be almost like a souls-like game boss fight unless the player had a massively over-geared character.

Getting near the end of our journey about Path of Exile 2, we will cover the main activity of Path of Exile, the end-game.

PoE 2 End-Game activities 

Path of Exile 2 devs have announced that it will have a similar end-game to its predecessor, having a map system and revamped versions of league mechanics from the previous game.

Mapping system in PoE 2

Maps will contain more challenging variants of bosses you will encounter during the campaign, possibly like a mini Uber boss, with enhanced or even utterly new attack patterns.

Additionally, you will also be able to roll league mechanics straight onto the maps as affixes. In contrast, in PoE 1, map modifiers would add difficulty to the maps, alongside a bonus to the quantity and rarity of all drops in the instance.

PoE 2 PvP 

In PVP mode, players can fight with other characters in various arenas and game modes. In PoE 1, we had a variety of modes, such as:

• Duels - 1v1 PvP battles available anywhere by challenging someone to a duel

• Capture the Flag (CTF) - Team vs Team, where players must capture the enemy flag and bring it back to their war base

• Sarn Arena - free-for-all (FFA) PvP zone which can be found in the City of Sarn

• Tournaments - 1v1, 3v3, FFA or CTF multi-round PvP game mode where players participate in a series of rounds against other participants

Path of Exile 1 also featured two PvP seasons in the early days, each lasting around one month, and separate leaderboards for the EU and US. The reward for being on the top of the leaderboards was a special set of alternate art gear pieces.

Will there be a PvP feature in PoE 2? 

For now, we have yet to receive any information from the developers about PvP being a feature in PoE 2. Since the game mode was not very popular in the original game, we will have to wait for the developers to announce whether we will see some form of player-versus-player content in Path of Exile 2.

 Conclusion

In this article, we discussed everything we know about the game, from the release date to the campaign and classes, skill gems and skill trees, the intricate crafting system and itemization changes, and currency, plus a brief delve into end-game activities.

What started as a small project meant to be a spiritual successor to Diablo 2, with Path of Exile 1, has become one of the genre's titans, constantly coming up with mechanics and gameplay that have revolutionized the ARPG genre, now raising the stakes even higher with Path of Exile 2.

The journey is far from over exiles. We will see you on the coasts of Wraeclast.