Path Of Exile 2 Officially Announced At ExileCon

Path of Exile 2 has been officially announced. Revealed at ExileCon in New Zealand today, the sequel is a seven-act game promising numerous updates and improvements over the first game.

Grinding Gear Games founder Chris Wilson said the studio was hesitant to make a full-on sequel because it worried about splitting the community. But Path of Exile's story was becoming too large already, and the team thought it would be better to make a new game, with new features.

All the game content you might already have for Path of Exile 1--including microtransaction items, expansions, and more--will carry forward to the sequel.

One of the biggest and most notable changes for Path of Exile 2 is that gems are no longer socketed. This is a very big change, and it'll surely change the way players consider armor drops, among other things.

Additionally, the game engine has been updated with improvements to make the lighting and other effects look better. There are also improvements to the skill system and more. Another new feature is "shapeshifting," which allows players to change form with the press of a button, even mid-animation.

Wilson said Path of Exile 2, overall, addresses all of the "deficiencies" of the first game. A live demonstration of Path of Exile 2 was shown during the ExileCon keynote--and it looked seriously impressive. You can rewind the keynote address to watch for yourself, and we'll post more gameplay videos here on GameSpot as soon as we can.

No release date has been announced for Path of Exile 2, but Wilson said the studio is taking its time to ensure the experience is polished. ExileCon runs all weekend, so keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.

Disclosure: Grinding Gear Games is paying for GameSpot's flight and accommodation in Auckland, New Zealand to attend ExileCon.