Path of Exile 2 has spent nearly two years in Early Access, but Grinding Gear Games is finally ready to put a 1.0 on it. During gamescom Opening Night Live, the developer announced that Path of Exile 2 will fully launch on December 11, 2026, becoming completely free-to-play in the process.
The announcement also came with our first look at the Duelist, a long-awaited class joining the roster with the full release. Grinding Gear Games isn’t sharing much about how the Duelist plays just yet, but the new trailer gives players their first glimpse before more details arrive closer to launch.
When Path of Exile 2 entered Early Access, I wound up spending more than 90 hours with it and called it one of the most engaging ARPGs I’d played in decades. It certainly wasn’t finished at the time, with some frustrating endgame mechanics and balance issues, but the combat, build variety, and itemization had already won me over.
Grinding Gear Games has made some pretty substantial changes since then. The Third Edict added Act Four, removed the need to replay the campaign before reaching the endgame, introduced sprinting and asynchronous trading, and made major changes to Support Gems and the passive tree. I fell off Path of Exile 2 after its first major update, but a proper launch with another class is about as good an excuse as any to start thinking about another trip through Wraeclast.
Path of Exile 2 fully launches as a free-to-play game on December 11, 2026. Players can register now through the official website for release updates and milestone rewards.
