Grinding Gear Games has announced big plans for Path of Exile 2: The ARPG is getting the largest expansion in the studio’s history, and the endgame is being completely overhauled. Fans of Diablo 4 are also discussing this news but are happy their game is taking a different direction.
What are these big news? In a recent livestream, Grinding Gear Games, the studio behind Path of Exile (short PoE), unveiled grand plans for 2026. PoE 2, which has been in early access since December 2024, is receiving a massive update – bigger than anything the studio has released in terms of expansions before.
With Path of Exile 2: Return of the Ancients, ancient powers are entering the world of PoE 2, which will completely change the world. This is particularly evident in the endgame, which operates completely differently than before.
Path of Exile 2 is so complex that it is almost off-putting
What do Diablo fans say about it? A player of Diablo 4 sees the announcements as a reason to be happy in a Reddit post about the consistent direction of his own game. He writes: “After watching the last stream of PoE 2, I’m so glad Diablo 4 isn’t like that…”
He explains that the variety and scope of systems in the game are more off-putting for him as a “casual”. He is glad that Diablo 4 does a better job of remaining accessible. Additionally, the game offers quite a bit of content after “Lord of Hatred,” the latest expansion, without being overloaded.
Even Reddit user Mitch100 thinks that the complexity of PoE 2 doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the better game. PoE is “way too bloated,” he says in a comment under this post. Nowadays, complexity doesn’t mean much since almost everyone just follows guides. However, he clarifies that he enjoys both games and that both are good in their own way.
What fans appreciate most about Diablo 4 is the campaign – or rather the option not to have to repeat it. While you can skip the main story in Diablo 4 when creating a new character, you have to start over with the main story in PoE 1 and 2 with every character and season, which becomes tiresome over time.
Something many can agree on in the comments is that both games have their own target audience and are also aware of it:
- Diablo 4 is perfect for “gamer dads” (and grandfathers) – or just anyone who may just want to hack and loot for an hour or two in the evening
- Path of Exile 2 is a dream for those who want to delve into an ARPG and spend hours tinkering with the perfect builds
Many report in the comments that they play both titles – depending on what they feel like at the moment. Diablo 4 shouldn’t strive to be more like Path of Exile 2. Conversely, PoE 2 also doesn’t need to try to take the same niche as Diablo 4.
Return of the Ancients is supposed to be the last major expansion for Path of Exile 2 before the game leaves early access after approximately 2 years. The full release is expected to still take place in 2026, during the same period one of the most highly anticipated games of recent years is set to be released. Read more about this in this article: Path of Exile 2 is running into the waters of GTA 6, announces release for the same period
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