A sequel date, four weeks after Covens
Path of Exile 2 free-to-play now has a date: 11 December 2026, given in PST. Grinding Gear Games said so in its ExileCon 2026 announcements post, and it’s the same keynote that set the original game’s next expansion for 13 November.
That puts the studio’s two games four weeks apart. Covens of Umbra in Path of Exile 1 lands first, and the sequel’s free-to-play launch follows before the year is out. We think that’s smart scheduling: one keynote, two reasons for an ARPG player to reinstall within a single month, and neither launch stepping on the other.
What GGG says December brings
The post is short and packed. In GGG’s words, you can “explore the complete Campaign with the new Acts 5 and 6” and get the following:
- Two new classes, Shadow and Duelist
- A new endgame storyline
- The Conquerors of Wraeclast Challenge League, where you “siege your enemies”
- “Massive balance changes, and much more”
Acts 5 and 6 are the headline for anyone who’s been waiting on a finished campaign, and the new endgame storyline is the second. A Challenge League named after the Conquerors of Wraeclast is an obvious hook for people who already know the endgame. The post gives no detail on any of it, so the balance changes in particular are a promise rather than a patch note.
What the announcement leaves open
There’s no launch hour in the post, only the date and the PST label. It also doesn’t name platforms for the sequel: the “all available platforms” line is attached to Covens, not to Path of Exile 2. GGG does link a sign-up for exclusive rewards alongside the December announcement.
If you’re mapping out the end of the year, December is shaping up as a busy month, and our upcoming PC games list is the place to track it. For the wider picture of what’s worth your time, there’s our best PC games of 2026 guide.
Next stop is 13 November for Covens, then 11 December for the sequel. We’d like a first look at Shadow and Duelist before then, because the classes will say more about where Path of Exile 2 is heading than any date.
