Many game studios and their production schedules have been delayed by the pandemic, and this time it is Path Of Exile 2’s turn to get a big mark in the “You were late” box. According to Grinding Gear studio chief Chris Wilson, the sequential expansion of Path Of Exile is unlikely to arrive until 2022.
In an interview with RPS’s cheerful PC Gamer fanzine, Wilson explained how the increase in travel restrictions hindered team growth and ultimately the development of Path Of Exile 2. “I hate to blame Covid for things, but that’s a big part at the moment, ”said Wilson. “We had a hard time hiring internationally because the borders with New Zealand are closed, which has somewhat reduced the exponential growth of our asset creation team.”
To make up for lost development time, Wilson said they will make an effort this year and can estimate a release date depending on how much is done. “Development progress hasn’t been as fast as we wanted, so our goal is to hit as much as we can during 2021 on things in Path Of Exile 2 and see how far we’ve moved. Try to do as much as possible, and that will give us a better idea of a good release date that we can estimate, which should be at the end of the year. “
PC Gamer then asked Wilson if Path Of Exile 2 was likely to be released in 2022, to which he replied, “Yes, I think that’s correct.”
Path Of Exile 2 is set to be a sequel to the loot-filled action RPG, arriving in the form of an expansion. This will present a new seven-act storyline that is available alongside the original campaign. In addition, it will bring a new Skill Gem system, new Ascension Classes and more of these things.
Don’t confuse Path Of Exile 2 with Path Of Exile’s next expansion, Echoes Of The Atlas, which was announced yesterday. You will be able to play it on January 15th and bring with you new maps, endgame content and a new challenge league.
We consider Path Of Exile to be one of the best RPGs for PC and one of the best free games for PC.