Grinding Gear Games has set December 11, 2026, as the release date for Path of Exile 2’s full 1.0 launch, capping off nearly two years in early access. The action RPG will drop its early access price tag entirely, becoming fully free-to-play for everyone on Steam.
The studio used the extended early access window to polish the game ahead of a wider audience, including a fix for a persistent stutter and area-reload bug that landed less than a month before the 1.0 announcement.
Two years of early access pays off
Path of Exile 2 launched into early access nearly two years ago, giving Grinding Gear Games time to refine systems, balance, and performance before opening the game up to a mass audience. The developer says the version arriving December 11 is a fully-formed release rather than a scaled-back launch.
A new Duelist class joins the fight
The 1.0 update finally introduces a sword-wielding Duelist class after roughly two years of development, giving players a new melee-focused option to build around when the servers reset for launch.
The facts
- Path of Exile 2 launches out of early access on December 11, 2026
- The game becomes fully free-to-play at launch, removing its early access price
- A sword-wielding Duelist class is being added after roughly two years of development
- Grinding Gear Games fixed a long-standing stutter and area-reload bug less than a month before the announcement
Source: PCGamesN
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