Summary
With the recent release of newPath of Exile 2footage and information surrounding the game’s core mechanics, players were quick to spot the similarities and the differences withDiablo 4, whose stellar reception started crumbling with the launch of its first season. Grinding Gear Games is well aware of the ups and downs of seasonal content and the live-service model as a whole, as it’s the foundation of the originalPath of Exileas well as something that’s coming with its sequel, although it’s unclear in what capacity just yet.Diablo 4’s Season of the Malignant highlighted underlying problems with the game and its balance, and with the hype train now riding forPath of Exile 2, some are already calling it the “Diablo 4killer.”
This concept is not new to video games, especially live-service ones, and one of the biggest examples to this day isDestiny 2. Bungie’s space-magic looter-shooter didn’t start with a seasonal model but rather leaned into it further down the line, and since then there have been multiple so-calledDestiny 2killers- yet, the game is still here, and it’s likely the same will happen withDiablo 4andPath of Exile 2.
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Path of Exile 2 and Diablo 4 Don’t Have to be in Brutal Competition With One Another
The fact thatDestiny 2is still around is not a testament to the failures of all the games that should have been the end of it, but the fact that there’s enough room in the gaming industry for multiple success stories - live service or not. Most likely,Diablo 4andPath of Exile 2will find themselves in the same boat, even in the face of their differences. On paper,Path of Exile 2might seem like it’s toppingDiablo 4at every turn with a deeper customization process and a campaign that promises over a hundred unique bosses.
Path of Exile 2’s classes might have an advantage overDiablo 4too, considering the former has a whopping total of 12 with three Ascendancy classes each, whereas the latter only has five. Nevertheless, there’s no indication just yet of how the title will handle its endgame sections and seasonal content, which historically takes the form of “Leagues” that run for three months, introducing a brand-new gameplay loop and exclusive rewards.
The problem with Blizzard’s approach, as lamented by players, is thatDiablo 4’s battle passis quite lacking in its offering, and the seasonal additions are not compelling enough. However, if the originalPath of Exileis anything to go by, the sequel will face the same issue asDiablo 4’s Eternal and seasonal characters, with the latter being the only way to experience future seasons. As such, it’s hard to seePath of Exile 2as a clear “winner” between the two games from the get-go, especially becauseDiablo 4will still have its own perks - not to mention that it will likely get an expansion by the time GGG’s ARPG even starts its beta.
In fact,Path of Exile 2’s closed betawill launch in June 2024, and that’s still a ways off. Ultimately, there are and will be even more pros and cons to playing eitherDiablo 4orPath of Exile 2, and that doesn’t mean there’s room for only one of them. In fact, they could even influence one another with new updates and even their mistakes. This shows that not only they can happily coexist, but they can even survive and thrive over longer spans of time by being on the market at the exact same time.
Path of Exile 2is in development.
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