Path of Exile 2 announced with official gameplay trailer

Grinding Gear Games is finally putting the “S” in games, a joke that was originally made up for League of Legends' creators Riot Games, but that also makes sense here. With Path of Exile as its flagship and sole title, the New Zealand-based studio has revealed Path of Exile 2.

During ExileCon, the first Path of Exile convention ever, GGG has disclosed what it is working on, and one of the projects is the surprising Path of Exile 2. Not only because a different IP, or at least a distinct genre in the same universe would probably sound more reasonable, but also because Path of Exile 2 isn't exactly what one would expect.

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Path of Exile 2 is a new game, but not quite; it is in fact a “new seven-act storyline that is available alongside the original Path of Exile 1 campaign.” That is the official description and the best way to put it. Both storylines will lead to the Atlas endgame, and Path of Exile 2 keeps all the expansion content that has been released over the last six years.

However, it comes with noticeable engine improvements and a new set of Exiles to choose from. If that hanging sequence is the character selection screen, which sounds very likely, it is as grim and clever as we've come to expect from Path of Exile. There are 19 new Ascendancy Classes, all of them brand new and distinct from the ones that you have in the first game.

There is a new skill system and new equipment, made from scratch, along with new character models and animations. Your microtransactions from Path of Exile 1, however, progress to the sequel.

There is no Path of Exile 2 release date yet, and a beta isn't expected before late 2020, so there is a lot of waiting ahead. Path of Exile expansions released until then will be compatible with the new game, just as it happens with the previous DLC.

You can read more about the game here and watch the two announcement trailers below. Do you think this is a wise move, or GGG should have focused on an entirely new sequel with a unique spin?