Quick answer
Yes, Path of Exile 2 is free to play from December 11, 2026 (PST). Today it is not. Until then, the standard way in is an Early Access Supporter Pack, $29.99 on Steam ($30 on pathofexile.com), which includes an Early Access key and 300 points of store credit. Grinding Gear Games' own Steam page puts it plainly: "Once the game is out of Early Access, Path of Exile 2 will be free-to-play."
The short verdict:
- Buy now if you'll play 15+ hours before December 11 (our rule of thumb), you'd spend money on stash tabs anyway, or you want to learn crafting and trading before a fresh economy opens.
- Wait if you're unsure you'll like the genre, you only want the finished campaign and the Duelist, or you have under a week of free time before launch.
One deadline matters more than the launch date. On October 23, 2026, GGG announced the current Early Access packs are "leaving the store forever in a few weeks", so the cosmetics inside them have a much shorter shelf life than the paywall itself.
Starting fresh on December 11 and don't want to grind six Acts? Get boosted to maps on launch week, or stock up on currency for the new economy.
- PoE2 Leveling Boost — skip the campaign and reach maps sooner
- PoE2 Currency (all orbs) — Divine · Exalted · Chaos
PoE2 - Divine & Exalted Orbs
Skip the grind — get Divine & Exalted Orbs
Is Path of Exile 2 free to play right now?
No. As of October 28, 2026, Path of Exile 2 is still in paid Early Access, which began on December 6, 2024. There is no free trial. The only ways in without buying a pack yourself are narrow ones:
- Veteran PoE1 spenders get it automatically. GGG's Early Access terms say that if you've "purchased a top-tier supporter pack in the past or have spent $480 USD or more in lifetime purchases in Path of Exile on a single platform, you'll automatically have access to Path of Exile 2." Check your account before you buy anything.
- A friend's spare key. The Thaumaturge of the Vaal pack and above include an extra Early Access key that the buyer can give away.
For everyone else, the free route opens with the 1.0 launch.
Here's what the official sources say:
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Is PoE2 free right now? | No — Early Access requires a Supporter Pack | Steam store page |
| When does it become free? | December 11, 2026 PST | Steam: "Path of Exile 2 is leaving Early Access on December 11 2026 PST." |
| Cheapest way in today | Early Access Supporter Pack: $29.99 on Steam US (€27.75 Steam EU), $30 on pathofexile.com | Steam store / GGG shop |
| What the cheapest pack includes | Early Access key + 300 points + extended digital soundtrack | pathofexile.com shop |
| Platforms at 1.0 | PC (Steam, Epic, standalone client), PS5, Xbox Series X/S | GGG / Steam |
The 1.0 launch adds the final two campaign acts (six in total), the Duelist as the ninth class, and opens the game free-to-play. If you're tracking the launch itself, our PoE2 Duelist 1.0 release date guide covers what GGG has actually confirmed about the new class, and the ExileCon 2026 guide covers the November 7–8 event in Auckland, where more 1.0 details are expected.
What do you actually get for $29.99 now?
A lot of players frame this as "paying $30 for something that's free in six weeks." That isn't quite the right maths, because the base pack is mostly store credit.
According to the official shop listing, the Early Access packs break down like this:
| Pack | Points included | Extras |
|---|---|---|
| Early Access Supporter Pack ($30 GGG / $29.99 Steam) | 300 | Early Access key, soundtrack |
| Lord of Ogham | 600 | Armour pack, back attachment, pets, portal effect, weapon skin, hideout decoration |
| King of the Faridun | 1,000 | Everything above + Dreadnought Hideout, spear and bow skins, level-up effect |
| Thaumaturge of the Vaal | 1,600 | Everything above + one extra Early Access key for a friend, plus a T-shirt (or 160 points instead) |
Two details buyers miss:
- The points and cosmetics are account-wide. GGG's October 23 notice says each pack "includes microtransactions that can be used in both Path of Exile 1 and Path of Exile 2." The 300 points don't vanish on December 11. One exception: PlayStation. Purchases made on PlayStation can't be used on other platforms, and purchases made elsewhere can't be used on PlayStation, so buy on the platform you'll actually play on.
- The key is named for both phases. The shop lists the item as "Path of Exile 2 Early Access or Path of Exile 2 Key". GGG hasn't said what that key does after launch day, so value the pack for its points and cosmetics, not the key.
So the real question isn't "$30 vs free". It's "would I spend 300 points in this game anyway?" For almost every player who reaches the endgame, the answer is yes.
Is PoE2 really free, or will you end up paying anyway?
The game is genuinely free: campaign, endgame, every class and every skill, with no energy system and no pay-to-win items in the shop. What you pay for is convenience, mainly stash space.
A new account starts with 4 regular stash tabs. That's enough for the campaign and early maps, but crafting and trading pile up fast. In today's r/PathOfExile2 thread asking whether to buy now or wait, the most common pushback was that PoE2 is "never really free" once you're serious, because sooner or later you buy tabs. Several players made the same point from the other side: buy Early Access now and the 300 points cover the tabs you'd have bought anyway, so the early access itself is effectively free.
If you do go that route, spend by priority: Currency tab first, then a Merchant's tab for selling. Our PoE2 stash tabs guide ranks every tab and tells you which ones to skip.
Should you buy Path of Exile 2 Early Access now or wait?
Use this decision table. Find the row that sounds most like you.
| Your situation | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You'll play 15+ hours before Dec 11 (our rule of thumb) | Buy now | Six weeks of play, and the 300 points carry into 1.0 |
| You want to be a crafter or trader | Buy now | Crafting knowledge is the edge in a fresh economy, and you need the hours |
| You'd buy stash tabs anyway | Buy now | The pack is points first; access is close to a free bonus |
| You want the Lord of Ogham / King of the Faridun cosmetics | Buy now | The packs leave the store in weeks and won't come back |
| You've never played an ARPG and might bounce | Wait | 1.0 costs nothing to try; no money at risk |
| You only care about the full six-act story | Wait | Acts 5 and 6 only arrive with 1.0 |
| You want to play the Duelist | Wait (or buy for practice) | The Duelist isn't playable until Dec 11 |
| You have under a week of free time before launch | Wait | You won't get your $29.99 of value out of Early Access |
Our call: if you're asking the question at all, you're probably interested enough to play. For most readers, buying now is the better deal, because you'd likely spend the $29.99 on tabs later anyway, and six weeks of practice makes your 1.0 launch much smoother. The exception is a genuine newcomer who isn't sure they'll enjoy a game this deep. For them, waiting costs nothing.
A free middle path players kept recommending: try Path of Exile 1 first. It's already free-to-play, uses the same account and the same points, and teaches the core loop of loot, crafting and trade before you commit to anything.
Does Early Access progress carry over to 1.0?
This is the part most "buy now" advice skips. Your account carries over: points, cosmetics and supporter rewards. Your characters and items don't join the new 1.0 economy.
GGG's Early Access FAQ is direct about it: "none of your characters will be wiped, they will just go to a league called Early Access (so they will never be in Standard)." In other words:
- Kept: your account, points, every microtransaction, supporter titles and frames.
- Kept but walled off: your Early Access characters, gear and currency, in their own Early Access league.
- Not carried into 1.0: any of that gear or currency. Everyone starts the 1.0 launch on the same fresh economy.
That's why buying now is about knowledge, not loot. The Divines you farm in Forbidden Rites won't buy anything on December 11, but knowing which bases to pick up, which currency spikes in week one and how the trade market works pays off right away. We cover what happens to your stash in detail in what happens to your currency and characters at 1.0 and the PoE2 character wipe and transfer guide.
PoE2 - Power Leveling
Skip the grind — get Power Leveling
When do the Early Access Supporter Packs leave the store?
GGG hasn't given an exact date. The official notice, posted by Natalia_GGG on October 23, 2026, says:
"It's been almost two years since we released the Early Access Supporter Packs, and it's almost time for them to go. They'll be leaving the store forever in a few weeks, to be replaced by a set of five new packs."
What that means in practice:
- "A few weeks" from October 23 points to sometime in November or early December. Don't assume you can buy on December 10.
- The five replacement packs haven't been detailed yet. Expect them to be the 1.0 supporter packs, not another paid entry ticket, since the game will be free.
- Upgrades within the series still work while the packs are listed, so if you already own the base pack and want a higher tier, do it before the delisting.
- GGG offers a payment plan that reserves a pack for up to three months if you email support@grindinggear.com in advance. That's the only official way to lock in a pack you can't pay for in full before it's pulled.
If the exclusive cosmetics don't matter to you, none of this is urgent. On December 11 you can download the game for free and buy points whenever you like.
What should you do before December 11 if you wait?
Waiting doesn't mean doing nothing. Players who arrive on launch day prepared get ahead of the rush:
- Sign up for GGG's free 1.0 launch rewards. The Steam page invites players to "sign up to receive the latest release news and updates, as well as unlock exclusive milestone rewards on the road to launch." It costs nothing.
- Wishlist it on your platform and get the client ready. Launch-day download and login queues are normal for a big GGG release, so don't leave setup until the servers open.
- Watch ExileCon on November 7–8 (NZT). It's the last big reveal before launch, and the likeliest place for news about the 1.0 endgame and what comes after it.
- Learn the basics in Path of Exile 1 if you're new to the series. It's free, and the crafting and trade fundamentals carry over.
- Plan your first week's currency. The opening days of a fresh economy are when early Divines are worth the most. Our PoE2 1.0 league start currency guide lays out what to farm and buy first.
How do you skip the slow start on launch day?
A free-to-play launch is likely to mean a flood of new players hitting the campaign at once. Everyone starts on a fresh economy, and in past Path of Exile league starts the first week has usually been the most valuable time to be in maps: early Divines tend to buy more, and the players already mapping help set the prices. Treat that as a pattern, not a promise.
The bottleneck is the campaign. With Acts 5 and 6 added, 1.0 has the full six-act story, so expect getting a fresh character to maps to take longer than it does in Early Access. If you've played the story before, or just want to reach the endgame while prices are at their best, boosting through it is the fastest way to turn launch week into currency.
Want to be mapping while everyone else is still in Act 3? Skip the campaign grind on launch week or start the fresh economy with currency in your stash.
- PoE2 Leveling Boost — campaign done by pro players, you start at maps
- PoE2 Divine Orbs — fast, secure delivery
FAQ
Is Path of Exile 2 free to play now? No. As of October 28, 2026, PoE2 is still in paid Early Access, and you need an Early Access Supporter Pack (from $29.99) to play, unless you've spent $480 or more on Path of Exile 1 on a single platform or bought a top-tier PoE1 supporter pack, in which case access is already on your account. It becomes free-to-play on December 11, 2026 (PST), when version 1.0 launches.
When does Path of Exile 2 become free to play? On December 11, 2026, Pacific time. GGG's Steam page says "Path of Exile 2 is leaving Early Access on December 11 2026 PST" and that "Once the game is out of Early Access, Path of Exile 2 will be free-to-play." In Asia and Oceania, launch may land on December 12 local time.
Is it worth buying PoE2 Early Access with 1.0 so close? For most players who'll play before launch, yes. The $29.99 pack includes 300 points that stay on your account for both PoE1 and PoE2, and most endgame players spend that much on stash tabs anyway. If you're unsure you'll enjoy the game, wait: 1.0 costs nothing to try.
Do Early Access characters carry over to 1.0? Not into the new economy. GGG's FAQ says your characters won't be wiped but "will just go to a league called Early Access (so they will never be in Standard)." Your points and cosmetics carry over; your characters, gear and currency stay in that separate league.
How many stash tabs do free-to-play players get? A new account starts with 4 regular stash tabs. That's enough for the campaign and early endgame, but most players who craft or trade buy a Currency tab and a Merchant's tab with points.
Do PoE2 Early Access packs work in Path of Exile 1? Yes. GGG says each Early Access Supporter Pack includes microtransactions usable in both games, and points are shared across your account. The exception is PlayStation: purchases made there stay on PlayStation, and purchases made elsewhere can't be used there.
Will the Early Access Supporter Packs come back? No. GGG's October 23, 2026 notice says they're "leaving the store forever in a few weeks", to be replaced by five new packs.
Can I play the Duelist if I buy Early Access now? No. The Duelist ships with the 1.0 launch on December 11, 2026. Buying now gets you the eight classes in the current Forbidden Rites event league.
