Path of Exile 1 will continue alongside sequel, GGG says

Grinding Gear Games will continue developing Path of Exile 1 alongside Path of Exile 2. The studio has no near-term plans to start Path of Exile 3 or resume serious work on Path of Exile Mobile.

Path of Exile 1 remains popular enough to support ongoing development. Game Director Jonathan Rogers told reporters at Exilecon that the game reaches Steam’s top three with each league release. Player numbers are broadly stable from one league to the next, although about one-third of players in each league also played the previous one. Many players return only when a new update interests them.

GGG designed the two games to share purchased cosmetics and stash tabs. Path of Exile 2 will become free to play when its version 1.0 launches on Dec. 11. Some older cosmetic designs still need to be transferred to the sequel.

“There’s absolutely no reason for us to kill PoE 1,” Rogers said. He added that the shared purchases give GGG a financial reason to keep supporting both games.

GGG will not consider Path of Exile 3 until Path of Exile 2 reaches a plateau. The studio began developing the sequel eight years ago partly because it was uncertain whether Path of Exile 1 would continue growing. Game Director Mark Roberts described a potential third game as “forever away.”

Path of Exile Mobile has been inactive for some time. The game’s code and engine still compile for mobile devices, but GGG determined that it could not maintain three games at once. Rogers said the studio would need a recovery period before deciding whether to resume serious development.

GGG is not actively pursuing a film or television adaptation. Rogers described such a project as something he would not push for, while Roberts expressed concern that adaptations can harm established game franchises.

Path of Exile 3.30 is scheduled for release on Nov. 13, followed by Path of Exile 2’s version 1.0 launch on Dec. 11. Optimization work has reduced Path of Exile 2’s existing files by about 30GB. Roughly 40GB of new content will offset that reduction, increasing the game’s installation size. A tool designed around the game’s fixed camera view helped identify models that could use lower detail.

Reviewed and fact-checked by Vlad Kipran on November 9.