Path of Exile 2 isn’t the Diablo 4 killer, it’s something more

pcgamesn.com:

As Path of Exile 2 rears its head for the first time in a long while at ExileCon 2023, it does so in a world where the action-RPG is more popular than ever. In the decade since its predecessor launched, these top-down, loot-driven games have grown to become some of the most popular and best RPG games. Now, alongside the likes of Diablo 4, Lost Ark, and the upcoming Last Epoch, Path of Exile 2 proves that Grinding Gear Games is still pushing the genre forward in exciting new ways.

GGG shows off its new-look sequel in a live stage demo at ExileCon, its own official Path of Exile convention in Auckland, New Zealand. PCGamesN was given the chance to watch this presentation ahead of time, and I was really impressed by what I saw. We’ve seen glimpses of Path of Exile 2 previously and it looked mostly like more of the same – which is no bad thing, given that the first PoE remains perhaps the best ARPG out there – but I was blown away by the dramatic changes on show here.

Those differences start right at the top – Path of Exile 2 will now be a separate game from the first. For those of you who haven’t been following its development closely, the original plan was that PoE2 would launch as an expansion to the first game, with players able to play both campaigns in the same client and a shared endgame.

Now, the two games will be entirely separate – PoE1 will continue on, and the pair will have their own unique mechanics, balance, endgames, and leagues. Path of Exile 2 creative director Jonathan Rogers does confirm, however, that all past and future microtransactions will carry between both games – new PoE2 cosmetics will even work in PoE1, as long as they fit on skills and items that exist in that game.

“PoE2’s scope has