The beta for Path of Exile 2 was actually supposed to start on June 7, 2024. Now it’s being postponed because the developers underestimated the effort required to polish it up. Instead, an alpha takes place – so that the first impression is perfect for everyone in the end.
This is the status of Path of Exile 2:
When can I play Path of Exile 2? In an introduction to the new Ranger class in PoE 2 and the new league in Path of Exile, Creative Director Jonathan Rogers explained that the Path of Exile 2 beta will not be released until the end of 2024. The full release on PC, Xbox and PS5 is not yet known.
Instead, an alpha will start in June. However, only experts and veterans from the community are invited to test the game extensively. In an interview with MeinMMO, the boss said:
We don’t need a million players right now to test what we have. What we really need is a much smaller group […] Veterans and players we can trust. Players that we know can test different builds and stuff like that. […] You’ll get a full game, but it’ll be a bad game.
Jonathan Rogers, Creative Director of Path of Exile 2
The aim is to improve and perfect mechanics and gameplay. That’s why Alpha is also under an NDA.
However, some of the content was created five years ago. Just getting this content into a presentable condition took longer than expected. But they want to present a finished product directly to the masses.
Rogers says: “We want the beta to be immediately release quality. We want to have done as much as we can.” The first impression counts because it often stays in the memory for a long time.
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Path of Exile 2: New Class Ranger is ideal for PS5 and Xbox
As part of the presentation, those responsible at Grinding Gear Games also introduced the new class: Rangers, who are already playable in Path of Exile. Rangers rely on ranged bow attacks.
When creating it, it was important to the developers to capture the feeling of a ranger – like Leogolas with dozens of arrows, the example said. The presentation also featured various elemental builds with poison or lightning.
A big feature of the class is the ability to move and fire at the same time – something that sounds tailor-made for controller players. The class was originally designed for mouse and keyboard.
Rogers explains in the interview:
We definitely have PS5 and Xbox in mind during development, but [Ranger] were not created for them. We had in mind the WASD control that we announced last time.
However, the controls feel much more natural on the controller than you would expect.
Above all, Path of Exile 2 is a kind of new beginning, the opportunity to purify the old game. Since the first part has been on the market for so long, many players have simply optimized the fun. With PoE 2 you can simply start over and solve the problem. This is the best innovation, along with improved gameplay. Even if the beta comes out later, you have a lot to expect this year: 2024 is the best year if you love games like Diablo