Path of Exile 2 could leave early access before the end of 2026, but Grinding Gear Games is no longer treating all 12 planned character classes as mandatory for version 1.0.

Game director and studio co-founder Jonathan Rogers told Eurogamer that the studio is aiming to launch Path of Exile 2 in full sometime after ExileCon, which takes place in New Zealand in early November. The plan depends on player reaction to the upcoming 0.5.0 update, Return of the Ancients, because that patch is focused on rebuilding the action RPG's endgame.

"This is actually intended to be the final update in early access before 1.0," Rogers said. "The endgame is the last major thing we feel is really important to get right before we're able to ship, so assuming that the players actually really like the new endgame stuff for this update, there really should be no reason why we can't launch into 1.0 for the next update."

That target gives Path of Exile 2 a clearer full-launch path after its paid early access debut on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in December 2024. The Steam page still describes the finished game as a six-act campaign with 12 classes, 36 Ascendancy classes, 100 bosses and a new endgame, but Rogers now says the class count can slip if the rest of the game feels complete.

The 1.0 launch may not include every class

Path of Exile 2 currently has eight playable classes: warrior, ranger, huntress, sorceress, mercenary, monk, druid and witch. Eurogamer notes that the remaining expected classes are Marauder, Duelist, Shadow and Templar, based on the original Path of Exile lineup.

Rogers said Grinding Gear wants every included class to have the needed skills and Ascendancy options, even if that means holding back some of the missing ones until after launch.

"Originally we were going to do 12 character classes but I actually don't believe any more that it's crucial that all of them are necessarily in 1.0," Rogers said. "We want to make sure that all the character classes we do have are finished and they've got all the ascendancy classes they need, and they've got all the skills they need, and everything like that."

Rogers would not confirm exactly how many classes will be ready for 1.0. He did say the studio believes the full release can still feel complete if the campaign is in place, the endgame has enough content and there are enough polished classes to support different builds.

The campaign is not being framed as the biggest risk. Rogers said Acts 5 and 6 have already been in development for some time, with most of Act 5's environment work complete and Act 6 also far along. Boss work and playtesting remain, but he described that production path as familiar ground for the studio.

The endgame is the part Grinding Gear wants tested in public before signing off on 1.0. Return of the Ancients is due on May 29, and an official Grinding Gear Games forum post promoted a May 7 live reveal for the update. If players reject the new endgame structure, Rogers said the studio would keep iterating before calling the game ready.

Path of Exile 2 is paid during early access, but it is still planned to become free-to-play at full launch. That makes the 1.0 timing important beyond the current early access audience, since it would open the door to a much larger wave of players waiting for the finished version.