Path of Exile 2 is free to play on Steam until June 1 at 1 PM PDT, giving PC players a short window to try Grinding Gear Games' action RPG without buying an early access supporter pack.
The offer is a Steam free weekend, not a free-to-keep giveaway. Anyone who downloads Path of Exile 2 on Steam can play during the promotional window, but access ends when the free weekend expires unless they buy into early access.
Steam's listing says the free weekend runs from May 29 to June 1 PDT and includes all content currently available in Path of Exile 2, including the recently released Return of the Ancients content update. The page also says there are no character-leveling limits during the trial and that progress made over the weekend will be saved to the player's account.
The free weekend lands after Return of the Ancients
The timing makes the trial more useful than a simple first-act sampler. Return of the Ancients went live this week, adding a fresh update cycle to a game that had already returned to Steam's most-played top 100 earlier in May as Grinding Gear previewed the update.
Path of Exile 2 remains in early access. The Steam page describes it as a next-generation action RPG set in Wraeclast, with co-op for up to six players, a campaign, endgame areas, boss encounters and a deep character-build system using Skill Gems, Support Gems and the Passive Skill Tree.
Players who decide to keep going can currently buy the Path of Exile 2 Early Access Supporter Pack on Steam at 50% off, bringing it from $29.99 to $14.99. The Steam page still notes that Path of Exile 2 is planned to become free-to-play when it leaves early access, so the paid pack is mainly a way to keep playing before full release.
Steam lists Path of Exile 2's overall user reviews as Mostly Positive, with recent reviews marked Very Positive. The game is also planned for a full launch after early access, though Grinding Gear has said the version 1.0 class lineup may be smaller than the original 12-class target if the rest of the game is ready first.
The free weekend expires June 1 at 1 PM PDT, which is 4 PM EDT. Progress carries forward on the same Steam account, but the free access itself does not remain after the promotion ends.