Path of Exile 2 is not free as of 20 October 2026. The game is still in Early Access, currently on version 0.5.5e, and you need to buy a pack to play it. The cheapest way in costs €27.75 on Steam. According to Grinding Gear Games, Path of Exile 2 goes free-to-play on 11 December 2026 with the full 1.0 release. Below you’ll find prices by store, what each pack includes and what to watch out for when you buy on PC or console.
Is Path of Exile 2 free?
Not yet. Path of Exile 2 is developed and published by Grinding Gear Games (GGG), a studio founded in 2006 in West Auckland, New Zealand. Early Access started on 6 December 2024, and as of 20 October 2026 Steam still lists the game as paid. You get in with the Early Access Supporter Pack or with one of the pricier Supporter Packs that include access as well.
That is set to change with the full version. On 25 August 2026, at gamescom Opening Night Live, GGG announced that Path of Exile 2 1.0 will launch as free-to-play on 11 December 2026 (Pacific time, PST). GGG has not given an exact launch hour. Until then, playing means paying for access.
How much does Path of Exile 2 cost? Prices by store
Prices are as of 20 October 2026, without discounts and in the currency each store shows. We don’t convert them. Steam prices are from the Czech Steam store in euros, console prices from the Czech PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store in Czech koruna. GGG’s own website shows US dollars.
| Store | Pack | Price on 20 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Steam (Czech store) | Early Access Supporter Pack | €27.75 |
| Steam (Czech store) | Lord of Ogham Supporter Pack | €55.45 |
| Steam (Czech store) | King of the Faridun Supporter Pack | €92.40 |
| PlayStation Store (Czech store, PS5) | Founder’s Pack – Path of Exile 2 Early Access | 639.00 CZK |
| PlayStation Store (Czech store, PS5) | Founder’s Pack – Lord of Ogham | 1,265.01 CZK |
| PlayStation Store (Czech store, PS5) | Founder’s Pack – King of the Faridun | 2,108.67 CZK |
| Microsoft Store (Czech store, Xbox) | Path of Exile 2 Early Access Supporter Packs | 859 CZK |
| pathofexile2.com (GGG) | Early Access Supporter Pack | $30 |
| pathofexile2.com (GGG) | Lord of Ogham | $60 |
| pathofexile2.com (GGG) | King of the Faridun | $100 |
| pathofexile2.com (GGG) | Thaumaturge of the Vaal | $160 |
Check the current offer on the Steam page or on GGG’s website. Prices in your local console store may differ from the Czech ones above.
What’s in the pack
Every pack in the table gives you Early Access. On top of that you get points, which you spend on cosmetics in the in-game shop. On GGG’s website it looks like this:
- Early Access Supporter Pack – access and 300 points.
- Lord of Ogham – 600 points.
- King of the Faridun – 1000 points.
- Thaumaturge of the Vaal – 1600 points and one extra key.
The PlayStation Store lists 300 Points plus Early Access for the base pack, and the Microsoft Store also lists access and 300 Points. Steam is the same: according to the pack’s store page, the Early Access Supporter Pack contains access and 300 Points.
A heads-up for Xbox: the Microsoft Store also has a Path of Exile 2 (Game Preview) listing for free. That listing alone won’t get you into Early Access. You still need to buy a pack.
Buying on PC or on console?
Where you buy matters. A purchase on PC (GGG’s website, Steam, Epic Games Store) unlocks Early Access for the PC clients. If you buy on GGG’s site and want to play through another PC store, you can claim a key in your account under my-account/early-access. A purchase in a console store, however, unlocks Early Access only on the console where you bought it. So buy where you plan to play.
Access is one thing, your progress is another. How cross-platform play and moving between platforms works is covered in our PoE2 crossplay guide.
The shop is cosmetic only
Points and everything else in the in-game shop are about looks, not character power. GGG’s slogan is “Fair-To-Play. Never Pay-To-Win.” You can’t buy better gear or faster progress.
If you’ve played Path of Exile 1, keep in mind these are two separate games. Your Path of Exile 1 account works in PoE2 too, and purchases are shared between the two games. Stash tabs bought in Path of Exile 1 are available in PoE2 “where relevant”.
Sales and Free Weekends
GGG runs occasional promotions. When the big Return of the Ancients update launched on 29 May 2026, there was a Free Weekend (29 May – 1 June 2026), and the Early Access Supporter Pack was 50% off on all platforms (29 May – 12 June 2026). As of 20 October 2026, there is no discount on Steam.
The good news: major updates aren’t sold separately. If you have access, you download them for free. Asked whether Return of the Ancients was a paid expansion, GGG’s answer was simply “No.”
Platforms
Path of Exile 2 runs on Windows PC (GGG’s own client from pathofexile2.com, Steam and the Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. There is no PS4 or Xbox One version. Mac and Linux are not supported: Steam lists Windows only and GGG’s website offers a Windows installer only. The game also needs an internet connection and has no offline mode. What your PC needs is covered in our system requirements guide.
What happens on 11 December 2026
According to GGG, the full 1.0 version launches on 11 December 2026 and the game will be free-to-play from that day. What happens to the Early Access packs and their price after that, GGG hasn’t announced as of 20 October 2026, so we won’t guess.
One thing applies to existing players too: buying Early Access does not automatically give you the full release registration rewards. Everyone has to register. How registration works and what GGG has announced for 1.0 is in our full release guide.
Not sure whether to buy now or wait for 11 December? Join our Discord and ask other players: GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
Not as of 20 October 2026. The game is in Early Access and you need to buy a pack to play. According to GGG it goes free-to-play on 11 December 2026 with the full 1.0 release.
The cheapest Early Access Supporter Pack costs €27.75 in the Czech Steam store (20 October 2026, no discount). The Lord of Ogham and King of the Faridun packs cost €55.45 and €92.40.
No. A PC purchase unlocks Early Access for the PC clients, a console store purchase only on the console where you bought it.
According to GGG, no. The shop is cosmetic and the studio promises “Fair-To-Play. Never Pay-To-Win.”
Information verified on 20 October 2026. More guides are waiting in our PoE2 guides hub.