Path of Exile 2 Goes Free to Play on December 11: What Carries Over and How to Start Fast

After almost two years in paid Early Access, Path of Exile 2 launches as a fully free-to-play 1.0 release on December 11, 2026 (PST). Grinding Gear Games confirmed it in an official press release on August 25, alongside the reveal of a brand-new class, the Duelist, at gamescom's Opening Night Live. The final two campaign acts arrive with it, and the $30 entry price that has gated the game since December 2024 disappears on the same day.

We already covered the announcement itself in our PoE 2 1.0 overview. This guide is the practical follow-up: what "free to play" actually means, exactly what happens to your Early Access characters and currency, when to tune in to ExileCon, and a step-by-step plan for launch day, whether you're a veteran or have never played before.

Path of Exile 2 1.0 at a Glance

Release date: Friday, December 11, 2026 (PST). GGG hasn't announced the exact launch time yet.
Price: Free to play on every platform. Early Access currently requires a supporter pack starting at $30.
Platforms: PC (standalone client, Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
New class: the Duelist, the first class in PoE 2 built around swords. Swords also arrive as a new weapon type.
Campaign: the final two acts, Acts 5 and 6, complete the story.
Before launch: ExileCon 2026 in Auckland, livestreamed free on November 6–7 (PST).
Your Early Access characters: not deleted. They move to a separate league called "Early Access" (details below).

Path of Exile 2 timeline from Early Access in December 2024 to the free-to-play 1.0 launch on December 11, 2026

What "Free to Play" Actually Means

When 1.0 goes live, anyone can download Path of Exile 2 and play the full game without paying. GGG is using the same business model the original Path of Exile has used since 2013: the game itself is free, and the studio earns its money from optional purchases like cosmetics and stash tabs.

That has a few practical consequences worth knowing:

You don't need to buy Early Access now to play 1.0. Buying a supporter pack today only gets you into the current Early Access leagues before December 11, plus the pack's cosmetic rewards.
Anything you already bought stays on your account. Supporter pack rewards, cosmetics and purchased stash tabs are account-bound, so they're available on your new 1.0 characters.
Expect a much bigger player base. Removing the price barrier on PC, PlayStation and Xbox at the same time means a large wave of brand-new players. That's good for trade (more buyers and sellers), but also means a busier, more volatile economy in the first weeks.

What Happens to Your Early Access Characters?

This is the question we get asked the most, and GGG answered it in its official Path of Exile 2 Early Access FAQ, posted by the Community Team back in November 2024. Asked whether there will be a wipe, the answer was: "No, there will not be a wipe." The FAQ explains that none of your characters will be wiped, "they will just go to a league called Early Access (so they will never be in Standard)." It also confirms: "After launch the 'Early Access' characters will still exist."

What happens to Path of Exile 2 Early Access characters, items and purchases at 1.0

In plain terms:

Your Early Access characters are safe. They and everything they carry move into a permanent "Early Access" league that you can still log into.
They don't move into 1.0's Standard league. The 1.0 leagues start with new characters only.
The 1.0 economy starts fresh for everyone. Currency, gear and items from Early Access don't carry into the 1.0 leagues, so veterans and brand-new players start on equal footing.

So if you've been hoarding Divine Orbs in Runes of Aldur "for 1.0", that plan won't work. Those orbs stay in the Early Access league with your characters. If there's something you've always wanted to craft or try in Early Access, the next six weeks are the time to do it.

What's Running Until Then: Runes of Aldur and Forbidden Rites

Right now there are two ways to play. The Runes of Aldur league launched with patch 0.5.0, Return of the Ancients, on May 29. On September 4, GGG added Forbidden Rites (patch 0.5.5), PoE 2's first event league. It has its own fresh economy, a Ritual-focused twist, a reworked Trial of Chaos and eight challenges with cosmetic rewards.

GGG chose not to include a big balance pass in 0.5.5. The sweeping balance changes originally planned were held back for 1.0 itself, so expect substantial changes to skills and classes when the full patch notes arrive. Both current leagues are expected to run until 1.0 replaces them on December 11.

Meet the Duelist

The Duelist is the headline addition for 1.0, and it fills the biggest gap in PoE 2's class lineup: until now there has been no sword-focused class at all. GGG describes him as skilled with both sword and shield, with fast, aggressive and adaptable melee combat. In the official backstory, he was raised as an orphan in the slums and trained for a place in the Grand Arena to seek vengeance, then fled the Fall of Oriath. He now fights for those who can't defend themselves.

The gamescom reveal trailer showed parries, stance changes that alter his basic attacks, and flashy sword skills, some adding lightning or bleed effects. As with every PoE 2 class, the details that matter most for builds are his Ascendancy classes. Those haven't been officially revealed yet, and they're widely expected to be shown at ExileCon. GGG's long-term plan is 12 base classes with three Ascendancies each. With the Duelist, that makes nine classes at 1.0.

The Campaign Is Finally Complete

Early Access launched in December 2024 with three of the six planned acts. Act 4 and the interludes arrived with The Third Edict (0.3.0) in August 2025, and 1.0 delivers the final two acts, completing the six-act story GGG has been building toward since PoE 2 was first announced at ExileCon in 2019. For new players, December 11 is the first time you'll be able to play Path of Exile 2's whole story from start to finish.

ExileCon 2026: When to Watch

ExileCon 2026 takes place in Auckland, New Zealand, on November 7–8 local time. Because of the time difference, that's November 6–7 for viewers in the Americas and Europe. The whole event is livestreamed free on GGG's Twitch and YouTube channels, with new Twitch Drops to earn while you watch.

Livestream starts: 12:00 PM PST on November 6 and November 7.
Opening keynote ("big announcements"): Friday, November 6 at 1:00 PM PST. That's 21:00 UTC, 22:00 CET, 23:00 EET, and 10:00 AM NZDT on November 7.
Also on the schedule: developer talks, live podcasts with content creators, and race finales for both games.

GGG hasn't said which announcements will be about which game. Path of Exile 1's next expansion is also being revealed at the show (see our PoE 3.30 guide), but ExileCon is the obvious place for the Duelist's Ascendancies and a deeper look at 1.0.

Register Before December 10 for Free Rewards

GGG is running a pre-launch registration campaign at pathofexile2.com/register until December 10 (PST). Registering gets you release news and updates. The more players register in total, the more rewards unlock for everyone, including exclusive effects and a pet. It takes a minute and costs nothing, so do it now.

How to Hit the Ground Running on December 11

A fresh economy plus a flood of new players makes the first week the most competitive, and most rewarding, stretch of the whole launch. Here's how to make the most of it.

1. Get the client ready early. The published PC requirements list 100 GB of storage, with an SSD recommended. Install or update the day before, not at launch. Big GGG launches have historically meant login queues in the first hours, so a patch download on top of that is time you don't want to lose.

2. Pick two starters, not one. The Duelist will be the most popular pick by far. If you want to be first to try him, go for it, but have a backup class you already know. Patch notes for a release this big usually reshuffle what's strong, so wait for them before locking in.

3. Learn the currency before you need it. PoE 2's crafting runs on orbs, and knowing what each does saves you from wasting the valuable ones early:

Orb of Transmutation turns a normal item into a magic one, and Orb of Augmentation adds a modifier to a magic item.
Regal Orb upgrades a magic item to rare, while Orb of Alchemy turns a normal item straight into a rare.
Exalted Orb adds a new random modifier to a rare item. It's also one of the main currencies players trade in.
Chaos Orb removes one random modifier from a rare item and adds a new one.
Orb of Annulment removes a random modifier. It's risky, but powerful for finishing crafts.
Divine Orb rerolls the numeric values of an item's modifiers. It's the high-value trade currency for expensive gear.
Vaal Orb corrupts an item for an unpredictable outcome, and the item can't be modified normally afterwards.

For the full breakdown, including essences and omens, read our PoE 2 currency guide.

4. Don't sell your first big drop too fast. In a brand-new economy, prices in the first days swing hard, often in both directions. Check the trade site before listing anything that looks valuable. Our PoE 2 trade link guide shows how to share an exact listing.

5. Plan your endgame early. Once you finish the campaign, PoE 2's endgame runs on the Atlas of Worlds and Waystones. Knowing how Waystone tiers and sustain work before you get there saves hours. Our Waystones & Atlas guide covers it.

6. Get currency when you need it. If you'd rather spend launch week playing than farming, our PoE 2 currency catalog lists Exalted Orbs, Divine Orbs, Chaos Orbs and the rest of the crafting set. Choose your league in the selector on each item page. With a free account you also earn Arcane Coins cashback on every order.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Path of Exile 2 free to play?
Yes, from December 11, 2026. Until then it's in paid Early Access.

What time does PoE 2 1.0 launch?
GGG has only confirmed the date, December 11 (PST). We'll update this guide when the exact time is announced.

Will my Early Access characters be deleted?
No. According to GGG's Early Access FAQ, they move to a league called "Early Access" and will still exist after launch. They won't be moved into Standard.

Does my Early Access currency carry over to 1.0?
No. It stays with your characters in the Early Access league. The 1.0 leagues start with a fresh economy.

Is it free on PlayStation and Xbox too?
Yes. GGG says 1.0 is free to play on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Should I buy Early Access now?
Only if you want to play the current leagues before December 11 or you want the supporter pack cosmetics. You don't need it to play 1.0.

When will the Duelist's Ascendancies be revealed?
Not officially announced yet. ExileCon (November 6–7 PST) is the most likely place.

Continue Reading: More Path of Exile Guides

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