Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2 (initially referred to as Path of Exile 4.0) is an upcoming new game by Grinding Gear Games. It was officially announced on November 15, 2019, during ExileCon. Initially announced as an expansion to the first game as a major update with a shared game client, it has since changed into a separate game that will be supported alongside the first Path of Exile. GGG has not currently confirmed an official launch date. Further details are to ere revealed at ExileCon 2023 on July 29, 2023 where the Closed Beta date was announced as June 7, 2024.

Path of Exile 2 will introduce a completely new game, although already owned microtransactions will still be usable. There will be six acts, and an overhaul of many of the game's core systems. The skill gem system will be drastically changed, removing gem sockets from equipment and moving them to active skill gems instead. Other additions and changes include include a major visual rework with physics-based rendering, an overhaul to combat, new base classes and Ascendancy classes, and unannounced rework of the passive skill tree and endgame.

System overhaul

Characters

Character selection screen

The character models have been reworked for higher resolution and dynamic movement. Character models also have a new rigging system that improves the physics of equipment and MTX. Characters will also have alternate gender options. Characters now have new dynamic walking/running/sprinting animation based on movement speed.

Classes

Path of Exile 2 will have twelve base classes, with two classes representing each base and hybrid attributes (the Scion will not be present). Each base class has three Ascendancy classes to choose from, resulting in 36 Ascendancy classes.

The new ascendancy classes will not be available through the labyrinths, but through other means in the new campaign.

Skills granted by ascendancy classes will now scale with skill levels based on the character's progression rather than be granted at an arbitrary specific level.

• Survivalist (Ranger) - Projectile effects, Spell Avoidance
• Tactician (Ranger) - Spears, Flare Arrow (meta "arrow rain" skill), ballistas, melee bow attacks
• Beastmaster (Ranger) - Shapeshift (Werecat (crit), Bear); Wild Cat Companion (Cheetah, Lion, Panther), Aspect buffs
• Defiler (Witch) -
• Arcanist (Witch) - Lightning damage and Energy system
• Unnamed Marauder - Ancestral proxies and Ancestor Totems
• Reaver - Melee and ally buffer

New gameplay

Players will have access to a dodge roll at all times. It has no cooldown or limitations to use, and can be used to cancel animations. It can be used to avoid most projectiles and attacks.

A new resource called Spirit is added. Spirit is reserved with skills with persistent effects (skills which would have a reservation), summon permanent minions, and trigger effects.

Tougher monsters no longer have innate resistance or immunity to crowd control effects like freeze and stun. These effects now build up as it is applied and trigger when it reaches a threshold, but each time it triggers, the threshold required to trigger it again increases, although this resistance wears off over time. A new status effect call immobilise acts as a weaker stun effect.

Gold has been introduced to the game.

Skill gems & sockets

New skill screen as seen on ExileCon.

Sockets will be reworked; skill gems will receive a variable amount of sockets and can have up to 6 sockets like items did previously. Items will get a fixed amount of primary sockets based on their item class rather than a randomized amount. Skill gems can be found with varying number of sockets and colors. The number of sockets can be upgraded with special Jeweller's OrbJeweller's OrbStack Size: 20Reforges the number of sockets on an itemRight click this item then left click a socketed item to apply it. The item's quality increases the chances of obtaining more sockets.s and have their colors rerolled Chromatic OrbChromatic OrbStack Size: 20Reforges the colour of sockets on an itemRight click this item then left click a socketed item to apply it.; unlike previously, those sockets are always linked, so Orb of FusingOrb of FusingStack Size: 20Reforges the links between sockets on an itemRight click this item then left click a socketed item to apply it. The item's quality increases the chances of obtaining more links. will become obsolete.

Similar to the current sockets, the number of sockets possible on an skill gem will depend on the item level:

Sockets	Item Level
2	1
3	20
4	35
5	50

Players will also be given the option to sacrifice a gem and transfer its experience points and level onto an identical gem. This feature is useful if you find a gem of the same type you have been using and have more sockets available.

Support gems can be socketed into active skill gems. In addition to accounting for single support gems supporting multiple active skill gems, meta gems will also be introduced where the reverse is true: these are gems that go into the primary sockets and can have skill and support gems socketed into them. For example, the Proficiency meta gem allows socketing auras into them as well as support gems. It will reduce the mana cost of any socketed gems and since it is a skill gem itself, it can also be cast to toggle all socketed auras at the same time.

Items will have a fixed number of sockets based on their item class:

• 2 hand weapons: 4 Sockets
• 1 hand weapons and Shields: 2 Sockets
• Body Armour: 2 Sockets
• Gloves: 1 Socket
• Boots: 1 Socket
• Helmets: 1 Socket

This means a total of 9 sockets for primary skill gems are available.

Primary sockets are still coloured based on the primary attribute associated with the item. This means strength bases have red sockets, intelligence bases have blue sockets and dexterity bases have green sockets. Hybrid items have hybrid primary sockets accordingly, so for example a strength/dexterity hybrid will have a red/green hybrid socket. In late game (maps) there will be a currency item available to change the colour of primary sockets.

Hybrid socket on the strength/dexterity hybrid skull cap (as seen on exilecon)

Certain items like items (for example Tabula RasaTabula Rasa
Simple RobeMovement Speed: -3%Has no Attribute Requirements or Energy Shield (Hidden)
Has 6 Linked White Sockets (Hidden)) may add additional primary sockets.

Updated tabula rasa with 3 white sockets instead of the default 2 (as seen on exilecon)

Items that add skills will add a skill to the skill screen where the skill can be socketed separately. The number of sockets on these skills can be rerolled.

Abyss sockets will remain unaffected by those changes and remain on the gear.

Certain skills like totems will have the option to select specific AI, like aggressive vs defensive.

Uncut gems can be crafted into a new gem in the Gemcutting menu. Skills are categorized within character base classes, but any class can craft gems from any other class's category.

Skill tree

Path of Exile 2 will allow you to have multiple skill trees, one for each of your weapon swap slots and shapeshift forms. Your passive tree allocation will change when you have the requisite weapon slot or transformation active. You can set skills to only be used in specific weapon sets or form.

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Lore

20 years have gone since the death of Kitava. Society has been slowly rebuilding and with that ambitious men rise to fill the void and their thirst for power is once again corrupting Wraeclast.