The future of the Path of Exile series not only looks bright, it’s absolutely beaming as two incredible new trailers dropped for both PoE2 and PoE: Affliction! PoE already has a massive following and I’ve played way too many hours to count going way back to the early beta days. Now, with PoE 2 on the horizon with a beta planned for next Summer, we were able to get a peek of the new goodies. We also chatted with the GGG dev team and they are laser-focused on quality content for PoE 1 and making PoE 2 the best it can be with improving on a ton of gameplay features, especially combat feel, for the sequel.

We are absolutely stoked to get our hands on both Affliction and PoE 2! Check out the full details and PR below.

Grinding Gear Games Reveals New Details On Path of Exile 2  and Showcases Path of Exile: Affliction

New Path of Exile Season Revealed in Developer Livestream Alongside New Mercenary Class for Path of Exile 2 

Auckland, New Zealand – November 30, 2023 – During today’s livestream event, Grinding Gear Games revealed a trailer and content details for the latest Path of Exile expansion, titled Affliction, which will launch on December 8 for PC and Mac, and December 13 for PlayStation and Xbox. Additionally, the team revealed the brand new Mercenary class for the upcoming Path of Exile 2. 

Watch the full livestream here, which aired live on Twitch. 

Path of Exile: Affliction Trailer - https://youtu.be/PP7yRXdHAT0

Path of Exile 2: Mercenary Gameplay Walkthrough - https://youtu.be/mU7mLtj7nxU

Path of Exile 2 Mercenary Class Key Features:

• The Mercenary is a crossbow-wielding character class in Path of Exile 2. This class has shooter-like gameplay, swapping crossbows and ammo types on the fly to inflict deadly combo attacks on his enemies.

• Path of Exile 2 supports WASD movement, which lets you aim and attack in a different direction than the one you are moving in. You can switch between click-to-move and WASD at any time.

Path of Exile: Affliction Key Features:

• The Affliction Challenge League - In the Affliction League, you will encounter Sacred Wisps that beckon you to enter overgrown passageways that lead to the Viridian Wildwood. A vile Affliction has covered this forest with a foreboding darkness. You'll need to uncover the forest's mysteries to put a stop to the source of the Affliction.

• The Viridian Wildwood - As you approach the darkness, your Wisps burn away the affliction that shrouds the forest. Make sure you tread carefully, because your Wisps only have a limited amount of power before they run out and you are returned to Wraeclast. 

• Control your Challenge and Reward - As you return from the Wildwood, any Wisps you have saved from the Affliction disperse into the environment and inhabit randomly-chosen monsters, increasing their power and also their rewards. The different types of Wisps have different effects, and sometimes more than one type will inhabit a single monster, making the fight even harder and even more rewarding.

• Wildwood Ascendancy Classes - While exploring the Wildwood, choose which of the Azmeri Wanderers that you will complete quests for to unlock one of three new Ascendancy classes which you can have in addition to your regular Ascendancy class. 

• Valuable New Rewards - The Affliction Challenge League has many different types of rewards. Monsters you fight throughout Wraeclast can be affected by the Wisps you have brought back from the Viridian Wildwood, dramatically increasing the quality and quantity of items they drop. Path of Exile: Affliction also contains over 15 new unique items.

• The Return of Ultimatum - Ultimatum is finally going core. The Trialmaster has returned and will offer you a choice to undertake a deadly Vaal trial in exchange for great rewards. If you defeat the trial, he offers to go double or nothing with you. Do you take the risk and go for an even better reward? Or do you lock in the winnings you have already earned? We've done a full rebalance of Ultimatum and have added many new modifiers, Atlas passive skills, Keystones and rewards including both new and reworked Uniques.

More information about specific features of Path of Exile can be found at www.pathofexile.com

Path of Exile 2 will be available on PC, macOS, Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. To learn more about Path of Exile 2, go to pathofexile2.com.

About Grinding Gear Games

Grinding Gear Games was founded in 2006 and is based in West Auckland, New Zealand. Its team members come from various countries and have a diversity of backgrounds ranging from artificial intelligence and software security to industrial design and professional tournament gaming. After the release of its flagship title, Path of Exile, GGG has been committed to ongoing expansion and new content releases for the critically-acclaimed game. In 2018, Tencent acquired a majority interest in Grinding Gear Games.