Path of Exile 2 has been developing for several years, with minor progress updates. While we occasionally get some details about its development, we still don’t have a clear picture of what to expect. However, Grinding Gears Game suddenly sent tons of emails to players who signed up for a potential PoE 2 Beta, and it seems that they are finally selecting a small group of participants for those who are interested.
Path of Exile 2 Closed Beta
We don’t have any details on what will be in the PoE 2 Closed Beta or when it will go live. The only information we have right now is that GGG is recruiting for closed beta testers via emails sent to gamers who previously signed up for it. We don’t know how many people will be selected for this phase, but we can assume that the slots will be limited.
How to Join the PoE 2 Closed Beta
GGG is very selective about its recruitment pool. They’ll only choose from those who registered from a previous sign-up or those who have spent at least $700 on Support Packs and other MTX (Overall Spending). Grinding Gears will randomly send emails to those who registered, and players will answer a Closed Beta survey. Devs will select their beta testers based on the answers in the sheets.
If you haven’t received an email yet but registered for the Closed Beta, you may have to wait a few days because GGG seems to be sending the surveys in waves. However, there is a high chance that you aren’t lucky enough to be included in the pool of prospective Beta testers. Fortunately, we’ll get another Closed Beta test in the future.
Based on the survey, we’ll have multiple Closed Beta tests within the coming months, and we speculate that the first one will go live in August. We also assume two additional testing phases will be conducted in September and October. Meanwhile, early access may occur in November and December.
Potential PoE 2 Announcement at Gamescom 2024
GGG will also appear during the Gamescom 2024 Convention in Cologne, Germany, and PAX West in Seattle, WA. Most likely, developers will announce more details during the conference, and they might reveal the dates for all betas, early access, and official release. Suppose you couldn’t join the first wave of Closed Beta participants. In that case, you can play a trial version of POE 2 at the GGG booth during the convention, which will occur on August 21 to 25 (Cologne, Germany) and August 30 to September 2 (PAX West).
What to Expect from Path of Exile 2
Devs finally clarified that Path of Exile 2 will be a standalone rather than an expansion of the base game. This means that PoE and PoE 2 will be separate games and will sometimes receive separate updates. We don’t know how the development of the base Path of Exile will progress once the second version comes out.
PoE 2 will have a significantly more beautiful and vibrant world than the base one, as players who have experienced its trial run at previous conventions have mentioned. It will also feature a new campaign on the continent, which will take place a few years after the events of the first. The new storyline will deal with the aftermath of Kitava’s rampage on Oriath and Wraeclast.
Aside from the new campaign, the game will also introduce new classes to enjoy. Fortunately, some of the previous jobs we've had so far will also return in this new installment. The official list features 12 distinct classes, which are:
- Warrior
- Marauder
- Duelist
- Mercenary
- Huntress
- Ranger
- Monk
- Shadow
- Witch
- Sorceress
- Druid
- Templar
We only got a glimpse of some of these classes during the previous ExileCons, so we don’t have any details on what each will do. PoE players base their builds on the attributes their paths specialize in, so we’ll probably have the same system for PoE 2. It has been confirmed that the game will have at least 19 Ascendancies. Hopefully, the Closed Beta will shed further light on this matter.
While older items will appear in PoE 2, we’re mainly expecting a new set of armor, weapons, and skill gems. The game will also feature a new skill system and passive abilities. There will be over 100 endgame maps for us to grind and explore. Fortunately, GGG has maintained that PoE 2 will be completely free-to-play, and players will only spend their money on MTX cosmetics.
