After playing the first few hours, I'm still a little shocked that the brooding gothic action RPG Path Of Exile 2 (due out later this year) is free. At least as free as its predecessor. At a preview event in Los Angeles, I asked the game's director, Jonathan Rogers, in the footsteps of Diablo 4, which was Blizzard's biggest financial hit to date despite being accused of aggressive live service monetization and MMO aspects, We could ask if this game will follow suit.

His answer to Path of Exile 2 was clear. It's definitely not an MMO. Rogers explained that while he was a big fan of Diablo 2, he had distanced himself from World of Warcraft and its social aspects. He is an ARPG enthusiast and still makes games that appeal to him, and does not feel that MMO elements bring much to the classic ARPG formula.

"I don't see great value in a shared overworld. There is a lot of theoretical value, like 'you can meet someone, make friends, and go on an adventure,' and I'm sure that happens, but most people don't have that experience. Most players spend a lot of time in instance dungeons, but I feel like a lot of time is wasted."

I asked Rogers if the business model for Diablo 4 was something Grinding Gear had considered, and he immediately replied that it would be "exactly the same" as Path of Exile 1. It's kind of a marketing term, but in essence, the idea is that the game is free enough from start to finish, but if you enjoy it and want further support, you have the option of paying for it. compared to FOMO exploitation and progression sales pitches, there is a positive feedback loop.

Aside from the addition of a cross character stash tab to make item hoarding a little easier, there was (and still is) nothing that could be paid for to make the game more fun. There were some fancy cosmetic items like armor, weapon skins, and alternate particle effects for spells, but they were mostly relegated to what Grinding Gear calls "supporter packs," emphasizing that the money spent is to keep making the same things.

Over the years, Path of Exile's monetization has leaned just a bit to the dark side, with cosmetic "mystery" loot boxes and end-game battle passes that (if paid for) offer seasonal cosmetic goodies. So far, the community seems to be happy with this, and I must admit that it feels much less intrusive than other recent live service games. It also helps that these cosmetic and stash boosts are the only thing holding the game together, and not something you are asked to pay for after spending $70.

Even though it is no longer an expansion of its predecessor, Grinding Gear has stated that Path of Exile 2 will also share its microtransaction library with its predecessor "as much as possible," so players will not have to repurchase skins, effects, and goodies they acquired in the previous game There is no need to re-purchase skins, effects, or goods obtained in the previous game. Yet another measure that generates good will: it is not hard to imagine that PoE has operated for so long with the direct support of its fans.