Path of Exile 2 release countdown: Early Access start time and date

Path of Exile has had players slaying monsters for over a decade, and fans are just about to get their hands on a sequel with Path of Exile 2. Revealed back in 2019, the hype for this game has been growing and growing—and the Early Access release is almost ready to dig into.

Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about Path of Exile 2‘s Early Access release, including a release countdown timer and information on when the full game will be available.

Path of Exile 2 Early Access start time and date

Bringing the year to a dramatic close for ARPG fans, Path of Exile 2‘s Early Access period is set to kick off on Dec. 6, 2024 at 1pm CT. Fans will have plenty of time to explore this new addition to the franchise and get to grips with the variety of character builds on offer.

The countdown above is in Central Time, but you can find other Early Access release time conversions in the table below.

Currently, the full release date for Path of Exile 2 is a mystery. The only information we have about PoE 2‘s release is the Early Access details and a small amount of information from the game’s Steam page. When a full release date becomes available, we’ll be sure to update this page.

A pre-download forum article was posted by the community team on the official PoE forum, letting players know that the following preload options would be available to them:

• For PC players, the client for the download will become available on Dec. 5 at 5pm PT, although some downloads will likely still be required on the necessary
• For Xbox players, pre-download options are already live and launch day updates will likely be necessary
• For PlayStation players, Founder’s Pack purchases will be available 24 hours before the Early Access period begins, allowing for pre-download on the PlayStation 5

On the official Steam page, the developers noted that the game would be in Early Access for as long as it needed to be, estimating that it should be around six months. This is subject to change, of course, so it’s worth taking it with a pinch of salt.

Once the game is out of Early Access, the developer notes promise three more Acts, six more playable classes with Ascendancies, and a heaping of new items, gems, and endgame content. New bosses and monsters should be joining the fray, too.

Interestingly, the comments also note the team is planning to “double the size of the current game during Early Access and into Release,” promising an exciting future for this upcoming gem.

While many players might assume that an ARPG will be a PC-oriented title, Path of Exile 2 is also coming to consoles. The game will be on multiple platforms, including PC, MacOS, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, and couch co-op will be available.

Make sure to check back as we get into 2025, as we’ll keep this post updated with any new information about the full game release after the Early Access period.