Path of Exile 2 beta delayed to end of 2024

Path of Exile 2 will no longer have its beta release this summer.

The beta's delay was one of several announcements developer Grinding Gear Games made during its three-and-a-half-hour-long showcase yesterday.

The showcase included a reveal of the ranger class from Path of Exile 1 which will be available in the sequel, and details on the next expansion, Necropolis, which will release for the original game on 29th March.

Last summer, Grinding Gear revealed it was planning to begin a closed beta test on 7th June 2024 which would last for months. At the time, game director Jonathan Rogers told Eurogamer he thought the studio was "definitely going to hit" its announced date.

The beta is now being pushed back, Grinding Gear announced yesterday, though alpha testing will still go ahead in June. "While we think we would be able to get the game's content ready in time [for 7th June], we underestimated how long it will take to get gameplay polished to a standard we're happy with," the developer said on X. The beta will take place towards the end of the year, it added, though it doesn't have a specific date yet.

In a recent interview with PC Gamer, Rogers said Path of Exile 2's monetisation model will be "exactly the same" as Path of Exile's, rather than taking notes from fellow action-RPG Diablo 4. At the end of last year, Rogers confirmed to Eurogamer that Path of Exile 1 and 2 will co-exist as free-to-play and will share an in-game shop, meaning any purchases made in one game will be available in both.