Path of Exile 2’s Early Access Approach Sparks Debate Yet May Offer Loyal Gamers Valuable Rewards

If you’ve ever dipped your toes into the gaming world, chances are you’ve at least heard whispers of Path of Exile, renowned for its infamously sprawling passive skill tree. Fans will also tell you that this is one of the few free-to-play games that doesn’t exploit its players.

Path of Exile is often highlighted as a benchmark for fair free-to-play practices, offering gamers the chance to purchase gameplay options and cosmetics while preserving the core experience intact. It’s a shining example of how to strike a balance between monetization and maintaining a loyal player base.

With this in mind, you might still be a bit puzzled by the price of the Path of Exile 2 supporter packs. Though they start at a reasonable $30, some go up to a jaw-dropping $480! Sure, a few of these bundles also come with physical goodies, but even without those, the prices are well above what most free-to-play games typically charge.

These bundle values are, of course, set by the game’s developer, Grinding Gear Games. They’ve refined their pricing strategy over years with the original Path of Exile, and they likely wouldn’t set these high prices if they weren’t confident in their sales potential. There are folks out there who find value in these bundles, as evidenced by the similarly priced packs of the original game.

Now, here’s something not everyone might know—GGG is showing love to its dedicated players. Those who’ve spent $480 or more in Path of Exile can score an early access key for the sequel. Sure, 480 bucks isn’t pocket change, but given the game’s been around a decade, many players may have unwittingly reached that threshold. Over ten years, that’s about $48 annually, or just $4 each month—not so steep when you put it into perspective.

At first glance, this might not seem like the most enticing offer, but it appreciably acknowledges the investments of a committed slice of the player base. The original game isn’t going anywhere, ensuring that those players continue to enjoy their acquisitions. At the same time, they’re given a fresh incentive to delve into Path of Exile 2 without needing to invest anything further upfront. This strategy rewards long-time fans while creating a clever player retention strategy for GGG. Win-win, right?

Ultimately, this approach is a savvy business move that reinforces GGG’s image as a studio that respects its players through a fair free-to-play model. A look at their monetization strategies over the years reveals a pattern of player-first decisions, epitomizing that they truly didn’t have to do certain things—but they chose to anyway. Hats off to Grinding Gear Games for setting an example that other developers who prioritize profits over players could learn from.