During Exilecon, the annual Path of Exile fan convention, Grinding Gear Games made several huge announcements in regards to their ever-popular franchise.
Of course, the team at GGG has been teasing the announcement of PoE version 4.0 for some time now, so it was no surprise that this was one of, if not THE biggest announcements at the show. However, what was surprising is that they are actually giving it a title – Path of Exile 2. Even more surprising? It will be built into the same launcher, effectively maintaining the existing game alongside its successor.
Path of Exile 2 will essentially reflect a whole new story mode separate to the first. Thus, there will be two campaigns within a single game, and two chances at Character selection. It will, of course, also bring massive changes to the way the game plays, particularly in regards to its Gem skill system. Interestingly, however, GGG noted that some of these features will actually be rolled out over the next year, PRIOR to the release of Path of Exile 2.
Still, that particular update is over a year away, so there was much more to be shown off.
For those that don’t play the free-to-play ARG, Path of Exile receives seasonal updates (referred to as Leagues) approximately every 3 months. Also part of the Exilecon announcements was the next League, which has been titled Metamorph.
Here, players will be tasked with collecting monster essences in order to create their own beastly Metamorph, which in turn will provide its own unique rewards. This sounds like the most original League in some time, so I look forward to seeing how it plays out (although Blight, the current League, is wonderful in its simplicity).
However, so as to not have their players languishing for the next year as they wait on Path of Exile 2, GGG ALSO announced an update to their popular endgame content. This will change the current mapping system (titled War for the Atlas) and replace it with a new, more complex and more challenging system, which will be called Conquerors of the Atlas. This will release alongside Metamorph in mid-December.
And if these announcements weren’t already enough for the adoring crowd, GGG finished off the show with a very surprising announcement – Path of Exile Mobile. While this game is also several months from release, it did come as a surprise to all in attendance, although the announcement wasn’t without a dig at their largest competitor – Chris Wilson, Managing Director at Grinding Gear Games, stated that they decided it would be a good idea to announce a full sequel before mentioning their mobile game. Chuckle.
The goal here is to provide a fair free-to-play system on mobile, while also providing the same Path of Exile look and feel that players love, but in smaller play sessions. Colour me interested – we’ll see how it turns out on release.
We’ll keep you updated on any further progression or announcements here – but keep in mind that Metamorph and Conquerors of the Atlas are both scheduled to release on PC on December 13, 2019!
For more info, check the official announcements page.
