Path of Exile 2 opens its free campaign in December

Path of Exile 2 is adding a sword-wielding Duelist just as it opens the gates to everyone. The free-to-play full release arrives on 11 December 2026, bringing a new starting character and the final stretch of its campaign. For anyone who's waited outside its paid Early Access, that's an appealing invitation: a dark fantasy adventure with an ending to reach, followed by a vast appetite for better equipment.

Grinding Gear Games' action RPG sends you across Wraeclast, where Corruption is spreading through the land and its inhabitants. You fight monsters, gather loot and develop a character through skills and equipment, alone or in a cooperative party of up to six. December's launch follows the paid Early Access release of 6 December 2024. The date to circle this time is the full launch, with the developer specifying 11 December in Pacific time.

A Duelist at the door

Swords are the immediately tempting addition. The Duelist arrives with 1.0, alongside the new weapon type, giving the launch a recognisable character to meet as well as more campaign to explore. Weapons work across classes, so the new sword skills also expand the tools available for other character builds. That is a welcome reason for established players to look beyond their current setup, alongside the straightforward pleasure of finally choosing a sword fighter.

The campaign currently has four acts; the full version is planned to add two more. That makes December especially attractive if you prefer to follow an adventure through to its conclusion before committing to the long haul afterwards. Wraeclast's corrupted landscapes supply the setting, while the extra acts give the release a clear destination beyond another round of balance changes. You can begin with the opening act and follow the story onwards, rather than stop where the current campaign runs out.

The final launch roster still awaits the fuller reveal. Grinding Gear Games has scheduled its 1.0 presentation at ExileCon for 6 November PST, with the broadcast beginning at 12.30pm PST. If your decision hangs on a particular class or the detailed launch changes, that is the next useful appointment. The Duelist already has his December date; the presentation gives the rest of the release room for a proper introduction.

Build the attack as well as the fighter

Character building reaches beyond choosing a face and collecting a larger sword. Skill Gems supply active abilities, while Support Gems modify how those abilities behave. Supports socket directly into the Skill Gems. That gives each attack its own set of decisions as you assemble a build, with room to develop several skills. The attraction is in the combination: finding an ability you enjoy and then adjusting the tools around it.

The passive tree adds another layer, including Dual Specialisation. Some passive points can be allocated differently for different weapon or skill sets, with the appropriate allocation engaging as you use them. Ice and lightning are one of the developer's examples. It is an appealing arrangement for players who enjoy switching tools within a character, because the tree can support the change alongside the abilities on the hotbar.

Beyond the campaign, endgame areas bring their own bosses, encounters and crafting. Special passive trees let you alter endgame mechanics and raise both the rewards and difficulty of maps. This is where the equipment hunt has somewhere to keep going. For players who enjoy tuning a character over time, the prospect is a sequence of practical choices about what to improve and which challenges to take on next.

The December start and the event running now

Existing players have Forbidden Rites, an event league introduced with September's 0.5.5 update. It began with a fresh economy, new challenges and exclusive rewards, and runs until the full release alongside Runes of Aldur. It offers a separate character start while the launch approaches. The Duelist belongs to December's release, so anyone chiefly interested in the sword class has a clear reason to wait for that opening.

Other improvements from that update, including the Trial of Chaos changes, apply across the game. Runes of Aldur content also entered the core game for Standard players. Returning players can therefore revisit an existing character to see those changes, while the event supplies its own economy and challenges. That's a useful choice for the weeks before launch: carry on with an established character or join the separate event.

There is also a launch registration promotion for new and existing players. Its rewards are cosmetics unlocked through community registration milestones, with two effects unlocked in the developer's 19 October update. Codes will start going out after the full release. Purchasing Early Access doesn't automatically enrol you; registration requires a separate email sign-up and confirmation. It is a small extra for players already planning to join the December crowd.

Path of Exile 2 suits players who enjoy working on a character as much as taking it into battle. A six-player party gives that work company, and the free launch offers an easy point to gather friends. For a different kind of shared fantasy journey, our look at Enshrouded's completed world follows exploration and rebuilding. Here, the attraction is the fighter you assemble, the equipment you find and the next map that lets you put both to work.