Grinding Gear Games has dated the Path of Exile 2 1.0 launch for December 11, 2026, when early access ends and the action RPG becomes free to play on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
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Store links: Path of Exile 2 on Steam
Path of Exile 2 has a 1.0 date, and the paid gate is coming down
Grinding Gear Games has set the Path of Exile 2 release date for December 11, 2026, when the action RPG leaves early access and becomes free to play. The date was announced during Gamescom Opening Night Live, according to reports from GamingBolt, GosuGamers, Neowin, Push Square, and Maxroll, with GosuGamers specifying December 11 in PST.
That date is the concrete turn in a long early access run: the moment Path of Exile 2 stops being a paid-entry test environment and becomes the permanent free-to-play sequel Grinding Gear Games originally said it would be. Neowin reports that the change applies across PC, including Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. GamingBolt similarly says the December 11 date applies to all platforms.
The tension for players is practical as much as celebratory. Existing early access players have been playing a version of Path of Exile 2 that required payment to enter, while the full launch opens the gates to anyone on supported platforms. That means a larger audience, a likely surge in returning and first-time players, and a 1.0 patch that Grinding Gear Games is using to add major progression content rather than simply relabel the current build.
The 1.0 launch is expected to complete the campaign, not only remove the early access tag
The most substantial content detail attached to the Path of Exile 2 1.0 launch comes from GosuGamers, which reports that the December update will add the remaining campaign Acts, specifically two final Acts, to complete the existing story content. Push Square also says the full update will presumably include new content and updates, while noting that concrete details were not shared in that report.
For an RPG built around campaign routing, skill acquisition, gear checks, and endgame transition, that matters because Path of Exile 2’s early access structure has asked players to build characters inside an unfinished long-form progression arc. Adding the final Acts would change the leveling path, quest flow, boss sequence, and the point at which characters arrive at endgame systems. Early access veterans should expect their build planning habits to be tested, because a completed campaign usually changes the value of leveling skills, resistances, defensive layers, and weapon availability long before the endgame economy settles.
The sources do not provide final patch notes, a complete Act-by-Act breakdown, or details on any launch-day balance changes. Those remain unannounced in the provided material. Maxroll also notes that no date has been given for an upcoming 0.5.5 launch and describes the Runes of Aldur league mechanic returning with a fresh economy and balance changes as rumored, not confirmed. That distinction is important: December 11 is confirmed for 1.0, while any pre-1.0 league or economy reset details still need an official announcement.
Free to play changes the audience, but not every account question has an answer yet
Push Square reports that Path of Exile 2 will shed its current price point on December 11. Neowin frames the same move as Grinding Gear Games following through on the original plan for the sequel to become fully free to play, like the first Path of Exile. For players who have been waiting because they did not want to buy early access, the answer is straightforward: December 11 is the date to watch.
For early access players, the sources confirm the price transition but do not answer every account-level question. The provided reports do not state whether there will be character wipes, how existing early access progression will be handled, whether any economy will be reset for 1.0, or how launch-day leagues will be structured. Those are the questions build-focused players should keep parked until Grinding Gear Games publishes more specific launch guidance.
What is clear is that the commercial barrier changes. Anyone who already owns early access is not paying to keep playing because the game becomes free to play at 1.0. Anyone who held off can enter without buying an access pack once the switch flips. The open question is less about whether access becomes free, which is confirmed, and more about how Grinding Gear Games manages the migration from a paid early access population into a full live-service economy.
Duelist, swords, and Cyclone give melee players the clearest launch hook
Grinding Gear Games is also using 1.0 to make a statement about melee identity. GamingBolt reports that swords are coming in update 1.0 alongside the Duelist class, and says the weapon type can be dual-wielded or paired with a shield. The outlet also describes several new sword skills, including one that drives a blade into the ground to create damaging cracks, and says Cyclone will make its sequel debut.
GosuGamers identifies the new class as the Duelist and describes him as a sword-and-shield fighter with aggressive melee tools. Its report includes character flavor from the reveal, saying the Duelist trained for a place in the Grand Arena, sought vengeance, fled during the Fall of Oriath, and now fights for those unable to defend themselves. That is a very Path of Exile class pitch: personal violence reframed through exile, social collapse, and survival in Wraeclast’s brutal order.
There is one small naming wrinkle in the wider coverage. Neowin refers to the class as “Dualist,” but the other reports and the series’ established class naming point to “Duelist.” GamingBolt goes further into speculation from the trailer, saying the class appears to involve the Slayer ascendancy and that Gladiator appears likely from the trailer’s opening, while Champion remains an open question. Treat those ascendancy details as trailer-read interpretation unless Grinding Gear Games confirms the full class and ascendancy lineup.
Early access has been a live build, not a quiet preview
Neowin reports that Grinding Gear Games brought Path of Exile 2 into early access in late 2024, and describes the launch as large enough to bring hundreds of thousands of players onto the servers on launch day while causing internal systems trouble. The same report says the game has received nearly two years of updates across PC and consoles since then. Push Square, by contrast, describes the December 2026 1.0 arrival as following a year of early access, which conflicts with Neowin’s late-2024 timeline and its “almost two years” framing. Based on the supplied material, the safer reading is that outlets agree early access has been substantial, but they do not describe its length consistently.
The update history matters because 1.0 is landing on top of an actively changed game. Neowin lists major early access additions such as fresh classes, ascendancies, new Acts, a dungeon crafting system, and a complete endgame overhaul a few months before the 1.0 announcement. GosuGamers also points to a previous “final major content update before 1.0” that expanded endgame. Those details frame December 11 as the endpoint of an iterative early access period rather than the first large update after a static test.
That should shape expectations. Early access players should not assume their current build knowledge will transfer cleanly into launch. New Acts can change leveling efficiency. New weapons can redirect passive tree and skill gem priorities. New or revised endgame systems can change what counts as a strong farmer, boss killer, or league starter. Until Grinding Gear Games shares final 1.0 patch notes, smart preparation means understanding core systems rather than overcommitting to one brittle build plan.
The registration campaign is worth doing before launch
Grinding Gear Games has opened a registration campaign at pathofexile2.com/register, according to Push Square, GosuGamers, Neowin, and Maxroll. Push Square says interested new or returning players can sign up for in-game rewards. GosuGamers says the campaign includes rewards when 1.0 drops, including exclusive effects and a pet. Neowin reports that milestone rewards include weapon and portal effects, chimera wings, and a Scourgeborn Boar pet.
Maxroll’s posted FAQ details how the promotion works. After Path of Exile 2 fully launches on December 11, microtransaction codes are scheduled to be emailed to players who successfully registered. The FAQ says players then redeem the code on the Path of Exile website to claim the in-game microtransaction. It also says the promotion is not limited to new players, and that both new and existing players on available platforms can receive rewards.
The same FAQ says at least one microtransaction is guaranteed, with additional rewards unlocked through registration milestones, up to five total if all four community milestones are reached. It also says these microtransactions are exclusive to the promotion and will not be available in the store. Codes can be redeemed once, one code can be used per account, and the FAQ says a code can be given to a friend because it can be activated on any valid Path of Exile account. Maxroll also notes eligible platforms include Steam, Epic, PlayStation, and Xbox, provided accounts are properly linked where needed.
Should you play now or wait for December 11?
If you are new to Path of Exile 2 and mainly want the finished campaign, the cleanest answer is to wait for December 11. The game will be free to play then, and the 1.0 update is reported to bring the remaining campaign Acts, the Duelist, swords, and launch rewards. Waiting also avoids learning too many habits from an early access economy or balance state that may change at full release.
If you are already in early access, December 11 is less a starting line than a reset of priorities. Check the official registration campaign, watch for Grinding Gear Games’ next live update, and avoid treating any current build as launch-proof until patch notes arrive. GamingBolt reports that a new GGG Live was set for August 27 after the Gamescom reveal, which suggests more specifics may follow the date announcement.
The confirmed Path of Exile 2 1.0 launch picture is strong but incomplete: December 11, 2026; free to play; PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S; Duelist; swords; and a rewards campaign. The unanswered parts are the ones experienced ARPG players care about most: character continuity, economy structure, balance scope, exact launch timing, and full endgame consequences. Grinding Gear Games has given the date. Now it has to explain the handoff from early access into the version of Wraeclast everyone can enter.