Path of Exile 2 announced for 2021
Visitors to the ExileCon 2019 were looking forward to the announcement of Patch 4.0.0 of Path of Exile. Instead, Part 2 was announced at the convention specifically for the game. Grinding Gear Games, the developer behind the successful free-to-play title, also promised that players of Part 1 will not lose anything. On the contrary, the community is to be kept together and Path of Exile 2 will be a competitor for Blizzard's Diablo 4.
What the sequel promises
For the second part, the graphics engine was revised. Better lighting and more stable performance are promised. The new story comes in seven acts and is said to take place 20 years after the events of Part 1. The skill system is also to be renewed, 19 new Ascendancy classes are announced and also major changes in passive skills and items. The beta is to be released at the end of 2020, with a release date of 2021.
The big surprise at the release is that all content from Part One will be seamlessly transferred to Part Two. This means that all microtransactions, characters and other player achievements will not be lost. It was very important to the development team not to split the community with the sequel. Both parts are steering the same endgame content and thus it is ensured that Path of Exile 2 will only continue the story.
Path of Exile to challenge Diablo 4
Path of Exile 2 is an open declaration of war on Blizzard's announced release of Diablo 4. The developers from New Zealand can definitely compete with the established software studio. But overall, Path of Exile 2 will also appeal to an audience that appreciates a higher complexity in skill systems. Because this was already a big strength of Part 1 and it is very unlikely that this will change.
