Path of Exile 2 is one of the loudest releases in gaming in recent months. The game’s early access went live in December, 2024, though players currently need to pay for it—and now they’re wondering if the title will ever become free to play.
The first entry in the series is now a free-to-play experience, so logically, its sequel should follow the same route. Essentially, it does, but before it’s available for free, players need to wait a bit longer. Here’s how everything works.
When will Path of Exile 2 be free to play?
As it stands, PoE 2 isn’t free to play and will remain so for an undisclosed amount of time. Players may try the early version of the game by grabbing the early access, which is currently available for $29.99 on Steam. If they wish to have additional content when they start their playthrough, they may purchase more expensive Supporter Packs, which also grant them early access.
If you don’t want to purchase the PoE 2, you can also wait for a free weekend. The recent one concluded on Sept. 1, 2025 at 3pm CT/1pm PT, allowing players to download and play the game for free on Steam. Before its speculated release by the end of 2025, you can wait for the next free weekend and invest a few hours into the game while trying out new classes to test it on your system.
With that said, PoE 2 will be free to play once it officially launches. However, no one but Grinding Gear Games knows when that will happen. Like with every game that has an early access, PoE 2 is susceptible to delays, so its release window could also be pushed to next year, and it could even go live sometime later if the developer needs more time to polish it.
Is there free early access for Path of Exile players?
Luckily for lifelong fans of the franchise, Grinding Gear Games is giving early access codes to those who spent a lot of money on the first game. That is, to be more precise, for players who bought a lifetime total of $480 on PoE purchases.
You can also spend your money on the Third Edict Mystery Box during your playthrough in the early access through microtransactions. However, the items are purely cosmetic and they won’t affect the player’s gameplay at all.
Will there be any additional content for those who pay for Path of Exile 2’s early access?
The good news is, what players spend now on the title’s early access is reimbursed in the game. For example, if a player grabs the cheapest early access supporter pack for $29.99, they’re given an equivalent of that amount in in-game currency. This can be spent on a plethora of items that can be used to boost your character.
However, that doesn’t mean the game is pay-to-win. Veteran PoE players know that every item can be claimed by grinding the game. Moreover, Grinding Gear Games has assured players that it won’t apply a pay-to-win system.
Therefore, if you’re patient and aren’t a huge action RPG fan, you may wait until the game officially releases and becomes free. On the other hand, if you’re keen on trying out the gameplay itself, you may jump into it with early access. The current version of PoE 2 already offers a massive world that’ll surely suck you in for hours, if not days, and with regular updates, it’s bound to only get better.
