Path of Exile
News, coverage and analysis tracking Path of Exile across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Evening Patches
Official patch notes have been released for Path of Exile's Curse of the Allflame expansion, version 3.29.1. Additionally, the PIGFACE Crafting Update is now live, and version 8.0 content for Star Wars: The Old Republic is available on the Public Test Server.
Path of Exile 2 declares victory over long-standing shader issues thanks to a new Nvidia patch
Grinding Gear Games has announced that long-standing shader issues and "device removed" errors in Path of Exile 2 have been resolved, primarily through a new Nvidia driver patch. Players are advised to update their Nvidia drivers to version 610.88 and allow the game to rebuild its shader cache for improved performance. While this addresses issues for Nvidia users, AMD players experiencing similar problems are still awaiting a solution.
Buffs, Nerfs, and Bugs
NVIDIA addressed a critical bug in Path of Exile 2 that required a full PC shipment to resolve, indicating the issue was more complex than initially thought. The company has since implemented fixes for shader and device removal problems.
Path of Exile 2 finally has a fix for two of its longest-lasting, and most frustrating, technical problems
Grinding Gear Games has released a patch for Path of Exile 2 that, in conjunction with a new Nvidia driver, addresses long-standing issues with shaders and device removal crashes. Director Jonathan Rogers explained that these problems, which caused game freezes and poor performance, were impacted by Nvidia drivers. The developer worked with Nvidia to resolve these issues, which had been frustrating players for over a year.
A new Path of Exile 2 patch finally fixes the frustrating freezes that have plagued players since day one
Grinding Gear Games has released a patch for Path of Exile 2 that, in conjunction with a new Nvidia driver, aims to resolve persistent crashes and freezes related to shader loading. Game Director Jonathan Rogers explained that the issue, which primarily affected Nvidia users on newer drivers, took over a year and a half to diagnose and fix due to difficulties in reproduction and initial lack of support from Nvidia.
Why Balatro’s Card Runs Feel So Thrilling
Research indicates that players of complex MMOs like Path of Exile and World of Warcraft develop transferable cognitive skills such as problem-solving, strategic thinking, and risk assessment. These skills, honed through managing in-game economies and coordinating group content, are comparable to those required in professional and financial environments. The article argues that the cultural perception of gaming needs to evolve to recognize these developed capabilities.
Why does GCash feel like the default for casino play in the Philippines?
Research indicates that players of MMOs like Path of Exile, World of Warcraft, and Destiny 2 develop valuable cognitive skills such as problem-solving, strategic thinking, and economic analysis. These skills, honed through managing complex in-game economies and coordinating group activities, are transferable to professional and financial contexts, despite historical underestimation of gamer capabilities.
The Hidden Skill Every MMO Player Has That Most People Underestimate
Research indicates that players of Massively Multiplayer Online games, particularly those engaging with complex economies like in Path of Exile, develop valuable cognitive skills such as strategic self-regulation, problem-solving, and analytical decision-making. These skills, often underestimated, are transferable to professional and financial contexts, mirroring real-world risk assessment and system analysis. The article argues that the cultural perception of gaming needs to evolve to recognize these developed capabilities.
Path of Exile 1 sees yet another surge of Steam players and two days of hotfixing for its latest expansion
Path of Exile's latest expansion, Curse of the Allflame, has seen a surge in player activity on Steam, reaching a peak of over 155,000 concurrent players. Developer Grinding Gear Games has released numerous hotfixes to address bugs related to hardcore mode, crashing, and other issues encountered during the launch weekend.
MMO Week in Review: FFXIV in Berlin, Black Desert in SoCal, and Jimothy saturation
This week's MMO news covers Final Fantasy XIV's Fan Festival in Berlin, Black Desert's Heidel Ball, and the early access launch of SEED. Updates were also provided for Dungeons & Dragons Online, Aion 2, and The Guild reunion movie. Several games saw controversy including World of Warcraft staff cheating, Elder Scrolls Online capacity issues, and Microsoft layoffs.
Mastering Path of Exile Xbox Risk and Reward Mechanics
This guide details the risk and reward mechanics in Path of Exile for Xbox players, focusing on the Atlas of Worlds endgame. It explains how currency, map tiers, modifiers, and defensive layers contribute to a player's success and the high cost of death. The article also touches on Atlas specialization and the game's unique crafting item economy.
Betawatch: Aion 2 outlines head start plans as Guild Wars 3 outlines its story premise
NCsoft has detailed head start plans for Aion 2, which is slated for a global launch in September 2026. Guild Wars 3 has also outlined its story premise, with a beta expected in fall 2027. The article also provides an extensive list of other MMORPGs currently in various stages of testing and development.
Path of Exile 1: Curse of the Allflame Released
The latest expansion for Grinding Gear Games' action RPG Path of Exile 1, titled Curse of the Allflame, has been released for PC and consoles. Further details can be found on the official Path of Exile website.
Path of Exile 1’s Curse of the Allflame arrives today with a new challenge league and Scion Ascendancy class
Path of Exile's latest content update, Curse of the Allflame, is now live, introducing a new challenge league, improvements to Abyss and Legion, and a new Ascendancy Class for the Scion. The update also features an all-new endgame system and is available on PC and consoles.
Overwatch, Path of Exile, and the In-Game Economy: What Virtual Currency Systems Reveal About Real Money Design
This analysis explores how virtual currency systems in games like Overwatch 2 and Path of Exile are designed to psychologically influence players and abstract real-world spending. It contrasts Blizzard's stable but awkward dual-currency model with Grinding Gear Games' player-driven orb economy, highlighting how these designs reduce the 'pain of paying' and encourage continued engagement. The article also touches on the migration of these principles to other digital sectors and offers advice for players on budgeting for in-game purchases.
Subscriptions, Clouds, and Streams
NVIDIA announced new games coming to GeForce NOW, including an expansion for Path of Exile. Separately, Xbox and Meta are expanding ways to enjoy Xbox Game Pass, highlighting the growing trend of subscription services and cloud-based gaming.
Path of Exile's total skill gem overhaul is the perfect moment for new players to jump in
The upcoming Path of Exile 3.29 update, Curse of the Allflame, introduces significant changes to skill gems, making the game more accessible for new players. Grinding Gear Games is removing gem-specific socket color restrictions and rebalancing over 150 skills, with a focus on spellcasters. Game Director Mark Roberts hopes these changes will encourage diverse build experimentation beyond the traditional 'Rolling Magma' starter skill. The update launches July 24, 2026, and both Path of Exile and Path of Exile 2 will continue to receive alternating updates.
Path of Exile 2 players broke the game by summoning 2,000 skeletons and then lured unsuspecting players into the…
Players in Path of Exile 2 have pushed the game's limits by summoning approximately 2,000 skeletons, causing severe performance issues and frame rate drops. Streamer Empyriangaming and friends experimented with minion builds to test the game's capacity, leading to unplayable lag and even using the chaos to lure players into a trap in their hideout.
Path of Exile devs want it to be easier for new players, but still won't let you skip its 20-hour campaign every league—at least not yet: 'It feels very wrong to me'
Grinding Gear Games developers have stated that they will not implement a campaign skip for Path of Exile or Path of Exile 2, despite frequent player requests. Game director Mark Roberts believes completing the campaign is integral to the player's connection with their character and the overall game experience. While some systems have been updated to improve the new player experience, the lengthy campaign remains a core, non-skippable element.
Path of Exile co-creator Chris Wilson says hardcore Diablo 2 players want "arbitrary" speed breakpoints because they can't resist ARPG optimization
Path of Exile co-creator Chris Wilson explains that hardcore Diablo 2 players enjoy optimizing characters around 'arbitrary' speed breakpoints in action RPGs. He argues that these specific thresholds for attack speed, cast speed, and hit recovery are a key part of the genre's appeal for dedicated players, who often create spreadsheets to maximize their builds.
