Path of Exile
News, coverage and analysis tracking Path of Exile across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Path of Exile is ripping up the rulebook, and nothing is "untouchable" - but don't get your hopes up for a campaign skip
Grinding Gear Games directors Mark Roberts and Christopher Laferriere discussed upcoming changes for Path of Exile 3.29, including the removal of socket colors and the introduction of underwater combat. They confirmed that while no changes are off the table, campaign skips are not currently planned, as they believe the journey is integral to character development and player investment. The developers also touched on the addition of a new Scion ascendancy and the ongoing development of Path of Exile 2.
Roadmaps and Plans
Grinding Gear Games has announced the upcoming 'Curse of the Allflame' league for Path of Exile, introducing new mechanics and significant endgame changes. The update will also see the addition of mercenaries to the core game.
Colorless skill gem sockets are coming in Path of Exile’s Curse of the Allflame
Grinding Gear Games announced upcoming changes to Path of Exile, including a significant rework of skill gem sockets that will remove color restrictions. This change aims to increase player flexibility and reduce barriers to entry for new and returning players. Designers Christopher Laferriere and Mark Roberts highlighted the goal of community growth as a key driver for this and other updates.
Go under the sea in Path of Exile: Curse of the Allflame, launching July 24
Path of Exile: Curse of the Allflame, the next major update for the action RPG, is set to launch on July 24th. This expansion introduces a new underwater environment, a new Ascendancy class for the Scion called the Luminary, and revamps to Abyss and Legion content. The update also features new crafting mechanics and significant changes to gem socketing.
After 13 years, Path of Exile's devs are finally ready to ditch one of its most iconic and frustrating mechanics
Grinding Gear Games is removing the iconic and often frustrating socket color system from Path of Exile in its upcoming expansion, Curse of the Allflame. This change aims to reduce friction for new players and make the game more accessible. The expansion, launching July 24, will also rework Abyss and Legion activities.
Path of Exile 3.29 just shattered a fundamental rule, and I'm not talking about its new underwater combat
Path of Exile 3.29, Curse of the Allflame, introduces significant changes including the removal of socket color restrictions, a new underwater league mechanic, and the permanent addition of Mercenaries. Game Director Mark Roberts announced the removal of socket colors, a fundamental rule since the game's inception, aiming to improve build experimentation and gear upgrades. The new league features underwater exploration with air pockets, a Voyage system for crafting expeditions, and a new crafting currency called Ducats. The update also includes reworks for Abyss and Legion mechanics, and the introduction of Atlas Anomalies.
The only indie roguelike action RPG that rivals Hades and Diablo for me just got an incredible new expansion
The Cursed War expansion for the roguelike action RPG Hell Clock adds a fourth act, new skills, and deeper crafting mechanics, enhancing the game's already strong buildcrafting and combat. Developed by Rogue Snail, the expansion is praised for its engaging gameplay loop and narrative, which draws inspiration from historical events in Brazil.
MMO Hype Train: Can Scars of Honor overcome its generic WoW clone identity?
Scars of Honor, an upcoming MMORPG from Beast Burst Entertainment, faces scrutiny over its generic identity and past crowdfunding failure. Despite a colorful visual style reminiscent of RuneScape and Albion Online, the game's features list offers little distinction from existing titles. The article questions whether Scars of Honor can overcome its "WoW clone" label and generate sufficient hype to succeed in the competitive MMO market.
Magic the Gathering community stunned as Path of Exile co-creator shows one of the biggest collections in the world, including 14 Black Lotuses, years after selling his cards to "fund the company"
Chris Wilson, co-creator of Path of Exile and former co-founder of Grinding Gear Games, has revealed an extensive Magic The Gathering card collection, including 14 Black Lotus cards. Wilson had previously sold parts of his collection to fund Grinding Gear Games' development but has since rebuilt one of the world's most valuable Magic collections, featuring numerous rare and early-set cards.
Path of Exile 2 for Busy Adults | TAG
This guide offers strategies for busy adults to engage with Path of Exile 2, a demanding ARPG with frequent league resets. It recommends focusing on the campaign and standard league progression, skipping competitive elements like ladder climbing and complex trade optimization. The article suggests a minimum time commitment of 6-8 hours per week for a satisfying experience and outlines realistic paths for new and returning players, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing core skill gems and basic atlas progression.
Live Service Games for Busy Adults: The 2026 Ranking | TAG
This article ranks live service games based on their suitability for players with limited time, evaluating factors like return friendliness, session flexibility, FOMO pressure, and catch-up cost. Deep Rock Galactic and Helldivers 2 are highlighted as the most casual-friendly options, while games like Destiny 2 and ranked Apex Legends are deemed unsuitable for adult schedules due to their punishing nature for irregular play and aggressive battle pass systems.
Live Service Games Worth Your Time 2026 | TAG
This guide offers strategies for busy adults to navigate the demanding landscape of live service games in 2026. It advises prioritizing titles like Fortnite, Marvel Rivals, and Helldivers 2 that respect limited playtime, while cautioning against games with excessive daily logins, battle pass pressure, or overwhelming grind. The article also provides a framework for quitting games that become obligations and discusses ethical monetization practices.
PlayStation – and The Gaming Industry – Just Doesn’t Learn With Live-Service
Despite numerous high-profile failures and significant layoffs within studios like Bungie and Quantic Dream, Sony Interactive Entertainment, led by Hideaki Nishino, remains committed to pursuing live-service games. This strategy is questioned due to past setbacks and the company's historical strength in single-player titles, with concerns that chasing trends is leading to wasted investment and development resources.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth hits a new concurrent player record on Steam 12 years after it was released
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth has achieved a new concurrent player record on Steam, with nearly 131,000 players, surpassing its previous peak from 2021. This surge is attributed to a significant 90% discount during the Steam Summer Sale. The game, along with its expansions like Repentance and Repentance+, continues to be a popular roguelike, currently ranking as the 10th biggest game on Steam.
Steam Week in Review: Steam sales are the best time to hoard dozens of forgotten '90s PC gaming oddities
The Steam Summer Sale offers deep discounts on major titles, but also presents an opportunity to explore forgotten '90s PC gaming oddities. The article highlights obscure FMV racers, cyberpunk adventures, and rail shooters, suggesting that even browsing trailers and screenshots can be a fascinating dive into video game history. It also notes the ongoing popularity of games like Cyberpunk 2077 and PUBG: Battlegrounds during the sale period.
6 Vacation Week Games to Finish Before Flying Home | TAG
This guide recommends six games that can be completed within a 5-10 hour playtime, ideal for finishing during a week-long vacation. It emphasizes narrative-driven and handheld-compatible titles like Inside, Stray, A Short Hike, What Remains of Edith Finch, and Firewatch, with Outer Wilds suggested for longer vacations. The article also provides advice on session structure, device choice, and avoiding common vacation gaming pitfalls.
Path of Exile 2 showcases a new endgame-centric passive tree arriving in its next patch
Path of Exile 2 is introducing a new endgame-centric passive tree in its upcoming patch 0.5.4. This atlas passive tree will offer 24 unlockable points to customize encounters and expeditions. The patch also includes an update to unique items, allowing them to be used at minimum level requirements and scale their power down for lower-level characters.
New Path of Exile 2 update adds yet another skill tree on top of making unique items easier to use in order to "open up a whole bunch of builds" in the action RPG
Path of Exile 2's latest update introduces the Atlas Passive Tree, offering players more customization options for character builds. This update also makes unique items scale with character level, allowing powerful gear to be used earlier in the game. Developer Jonathan Rogers stated this aims to "open up a whole bunch of builds available to play much earlier."
Path of Exile 2 just added yet another skill tree, because why the heck not
Grinding Gear Games has released update 0.5.4 for Path of Exile 2, introducing a new Atlas Passive skill tree focused on the Expedition mechanic and the Runes of Aldur seasonal league. The update also adjusts unique items to scale down their granted skills for lower-level characters and adds new unique gloves called The Master's Reach.
Chris Wilson's new ARPG won't be as big as Path of Exile, making him worry fans will say "'all this…
Grinding Gear Games co-founder Chris Wilson stated that his new action-RPG, developed by his studio Light Pattern, will be significantly smaller in scope than Path of Exile. Wilson expressed concern that fans might be disappointed by the smaller scale, especially given the studio's small team size and his self-funding of the project. The game is still years away from announcement and will be developed in stealth.
