Short answer: Path of Exile 2 leaves Early Access and becomes free-to-play on December 11, 2026 (PST). The 1.0 full release adds Acts 5 and 6 (the complete six-Act campaign), two new classes, the Shadow and the Duelist, a new Conquerors of Wraeclast challenge league, a passive tree rework and over 40 new unique items. Until then, Early Access is still paid on Steam.
Path of Exile 2 1.0 release date
Grinding Gear Games announced it live at ExileCon 2026 on November 6: "Path of Exile 2 goes free-to-play on December 11 (PST)!" The official full release page says: "Path of Exile 2 launches as a free-to-play game on December 11!"
GGG has not posted the exact launch hour yet. For Path of Exile 1, the Covens of Umbra expansion comes first, on November 13: see our Covens of Umbra release date and patch notes.
The campaign is complete: Acts 5 and 6
- You return to Oriath to end the Twilight Order and the Beast.
- Acts 5 and 6 add 24 new areas, from slums and estates to the Temple District and the Grand Arena.
- 18 new unique bosses with multiple phases, and 20+ new Champion Rare encounters.
New class: the Shadow
- Uses daggers and a new weapon type: Traps.
- Brings a new Stealth mechanic: monsters can't see you until you get close, and being in the shadows empowers your dagger skills (poison explosions, shadow clones and more).
- Traps explode in the order you throw them, and each trap interacts with at least three others.
- Two Ascendancy classes at launch, including the Assassin.
New class: the Duelist
- A sword fighter built around a new Stances mechanic.
- Ready Stance empowers your sword skills. Stun enemies to enter Sand Stance, or parry to switch to Blood Stance and make enemies bleed.
- Two Ascendancy classes, including the Master-at-Arms.
New league: Conquerors of Wraeclast
The 1.0 challenge league is about building an army:
- Join Varek and his mercenaries, recruit troops and lead battles: 70+ new points of interest and 20+ missions during the campaign.
- In the endgame, build a stronghold with one of three factions, with 20+ buildings and upgrades each.
- Conquer castles to find a new crafting material that reforges your gear with locked fractured modifiers.
- A new endgame storyline about the Blood Lord and the Sanguar bloodline.
- Automate your Atlas: send up to three commanders with troops and Waystones to clear maps for you.
- A global faction war with 100+ castles to capture across the league.
Other big changes in 1.0
- 40+ new unique items and 70+ reworked ones.
- New skill gems and a big support gem rebalance.
- Passive skill tree rework with hundreds of new stats; jewel sockets moved into the clusters.
- Class reworks, for example the Mercenary can now reload ammo in the background.
Path of Exile 2 PC system requirements
Free-to-play will bring a lot of new players to PoE 2, and it is much heavier than Path of Exile 1:
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-7700 / AMD Ryzen 5 2500X | Intel Core i5-10500 / AMD Ryzen 5 3700X |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics card | GTX 960 (3 GB) / Intel Arc A380 / Radeon RX 470 | RTX 2060 / Intel Arc A770 / Radeon RX 5600 XT |
| DirectX | 12 | 12 |
| Storage | 100 GB | 100 GB (SSD recommended) |
Steam notes that a GPU with at least 3 GB of VRAM is required. Full details: Path of Exile 2 PC requirements, or check your PC on Can I Run Path of Exile 2?.
Pick your hardware and we compare it with the official Path of Exile 2 requirements.
Official Path of Exile 2 PC requirements
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| CPU | Intel® Core™ i7-7700 or AMD™ Ryzen 5 2500x | Intel® Core™ i5-10500 or AMD™ Ryzen 5 3700X |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| GPU | NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 960 (3GB), Intel® Arc™ A380, or ATI Radeon™ RX 470 | NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2060, Intel® Arc™ A770, or ATI Radeon™ RX 5600XT |
| Storage | 100 GB | 100 GB |
Source: official Path of Exile 2 website. Results are estimates based on relative hardware performance.
Should you buy Early Access now?
If you only want to play, wait for December 11: the game will be free. Early Access and the new Supporter Packs are for players who want to play right away or support GGG. The five new 1.0 packs include exclusive cosmetics and store points; the top tiers add merchandise and a figurine.
Related
- Path of Exile Covens of Umbra (3.30): Release Date & Patch Notes
- Path of Exile 2 PC System Requirements
- How to Increase FPS on PC: 13 Fixes That Work
FAQ
When is Path of Exile 2 free to play?
On December 11, 2026 (PST), when the game reaches its 1.0 full release.
Is Path of Exile 2 free now?
No. Until December 11, Path of Exile 2 is in paid Early Access.
What's new in Path of Exile 2 1.0?
Acts 5 and 6, the Shadow and Duelist classes, the Conquerors of Wraeclast league, a passive tree rework, new skills and over 40 new unique items.
What are the Shadow and Duelist in Path of Exile 2?
The Shadow uses daggers, traps and a new Stealth mechanic. The Duelist uses swords and a new Stances mechanic. Each has two Ascendancy classes at launch.
Can my PC run Path of Exile 2?
You need at least a GTX 960 (3 GB), Intel Arc A380 or RX 470, a Core i7-7700 or Ryzen 5 2500X, 8 GB of RAM and 100 GB of storage.
Sources: Path of Exile 2 full release page, ExileCon 2026 announcements, Steam store page (PC requirements). Last checked November 11, 2026.
Gaming writer at FpsGen. Guides and reviews are built on official sources, patch notes and real player data.
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