Path of Exile 2's Launch Delay is a double-edged sword

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Important takeaways

  • Path of Exile 2's delay highlights commitment to a smooth launch experience, addressing server, account and data issues.
  • The delayed December 6th release date could be good if GGG manages to make the launch easier on servers and avoid microtransaction issues.
  • The delay poses potential setbacks due to previous PoE launch issues with bugs, server capacity, and microtransactions being lost.



Path of Exile 2 has long been on the wishlists of many action RPG fans after seeing the dramatically improved graphics compared to the original game as well as the fact that PoE 2 intends to introduce an incredible number of boss fights, each with unique mechanics. With that in mind The path of exile was a smash hit at launch and grew exponentially from there, it seems natural that its sequel will be a big deal for fans of the genre as a whole. With Path of Exile 2 originally released into early access on November 15th, a three-week delay with the launch scheduled for December 6th has its pros and cons.

As seen by many fans in the comments on the video posted by Path of Exile 2 Game director Jonathan Rogers, who announced the delay and explained the reasons for it, said the ARPG will have plenty of support regardless of its release date. The reasons for the delay also speak volumes for Grinding Gear Games' dedication to having the smoothest launch experience possible. However, these specific reasons make the delay a double-edged sword, as the experience really needs to be polished to avoid setbacks.


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The benefits of Path of Exile 2's early access delay

GGG's reasons for PoE 2's delay explained

There are various key points that GGG addressed in the video announcing the delay. These are:

  • The need for server-side infrastructure work that takes longer than expected
  • The need to integrate all accounts from The path of exile and Path of Exile 2 even across consoles to ensure players have access to all PoE microtransactions they have purchased over the years
  • Migrating databases and creating new systems to ensure all data is backwards compatible and get everything right so no one loses anything they've paid for or gets their account messed up


Given that the reasons are all tied to a polished launch without any major issues linked to accounts, microtransactions, and both new and old data, the delay makes sense. This is especially true when Rogers said that GGG might have been able to make it to the original launch date, but the team feared that mistakes could happen. Path of Exile 2The delay isn't too bad, considering that November and December are both stacked with releases, and if anything, this puts more distance between the release of the ARPG and Diablo 4's Vessel of Hatred expansion.


The downsides of Path of Exile 2's early access delay

At the same time, Path of Exile 2s early access delay exposes it to potential setbacks should the launch not go as smoothly as GGG wants it to – something that has happened in the past with PoE. Very The path of exile Leagues had issues at launch either due to bugs or server capacity, and how big Path of Exile 2 is set to be, it can be difficult to make sure everything works perfectly even with the delay. This can be exacerbated if some players still happen to not have all of their previous cosmetics and Path of Exile 2 launching alongside a bunch of new microtransactions.

One of the big reasons this is important for GGG to nail down, even more so with the delay, is that both the original game and the sequel are free to play, but they have supporter packs for players to purchase to help the company make the games as good as they can with more resources. This also gives players microtransactions from the supporter packs themselves, and then current in-game to buy even more. As such, Path of Exile 2s change to early access dates is likely a blessing, but it could just as easily turn into a curse.


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