Grinding Gear Games (GGG), the developer behind the acclaimed Path of Exile series, has issued an apology to fans of the original game after delaying a significant update for Path of Exile 1. The studio had committed to providing ongoing updates for the first game, which has been active for over a decade, even as they prepared for the release of Path of Exile 2 in early access and beyond.
Originally scheduled for late October and later rescheduled for mid-February, the much-anticipated Path of Exile 1 update 3.26 has been further postponed. The reason? GGG has redirected all resources to tackle critical issues in Path of Exile 2, which is set to launch in early access. The last league update for Path of Exile 1, Settlers of Kalguur, was released in July 2024.
In a candid video message, Jonathan Rogers, game director for Path of Exile 2 and co-founder of GGG, explained the decision. He revealed that the team working on Path of Exile 1 was temporarily reassigned to help refine the endgame of Path of Exile 2 before its December launch. However, the complexity and volume of problems in Path of Exile 2 made it impossible to meet the original timelines for both games.
"We were fooling ourselves," Rogers admitted, acknowledging the misjudgment in pulling experienced developers away from Path of Exile 1. The urgency to fix crashes and balance issues in Path of Exile 2 took precedence, leading to further delays for Path of Exile 1's update.
Rogers emphasized the ongoing commitment to Path of Exile 2, stating that the Path of Exile 1 team would continue to focus on it until the release of version 0.2.0 and a few weeks beyond. He expressed regret over the situation and admitted to underestimating the impact of reallocating resources.
"I’m really sorry for how this went down," Rogers said, reflecting on the challenges of managing two major titles simultaneously. He acknowledged the need for better planning and structure within the studio to support both games effectively. Despite the setbacks, Rogers assured fans that there is a solid plan in place for the future of Path of Exile 1's update 3.26.
Path of Exile 2's early access launch on December 6, 2024, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S was a resounding success, achieving the 15th spot among the most-played games on Steam.
For those diving into Path of Exile 2, GGG offers guides on class selection, including an early Mercenary build and a Sorceress build. Additionally, resources are available on how to increase Spirit, engage in trading, and ascend within the game.
