Path of Exile 2 Early Access unlock times

On December 6, 2024By Littum

Path of Exile 2 is the long-awaited follow-up to the Diablo-esque free-to-play from Grinding Gear Games. Originally conceived as a new story campaign for the original Path of Exile, GGG’s habit of cramming a mind-numbing amount of mechanics, systems, and embedded skill trees into their software made the upcoming expansion a full sequel.

After suffering a few delays since its 2019 announcement, Path of Exile 2 is set for early access on December 6, letting the exiles play through its first two story acts with six of the final twelve character classes. After burning through the story content, players can test the builds they’ve made with the revamped skill gem system in PoE 2’s endgame. After all, someone has to beat the booty out of all those skeletons.

Here are the launch times for Path of Exile 2 so you know exactly when you’ll be able to start comparing item decals.

When is Path of Exile 2 Early Access launching?

Path of Exile 2 launches in early access at 2pm EST / 7pm GMT on December 6th. It makes for a comfortable morning launch at 08:00 NZDT for players in GGG’s hometown of Auckland, New Zealand. Nice to start your day with a fresh coffee and a sprawling passive skill tree.

Here are the Path of Exile 2 Early Access unlock times for different global time zones:

11 a.m. PST, December 6 (Los Angeles)
14:00 EST (New York)
19.00 GMT (London)
6.00, December 7 (Sydney)
8am, 7 December (Auckland)

Is there preloading for Path of Exile 2 early access?

Yes, you can start installing Path of Exile 2 before launch, but only through the standalone client that can be downloaded from PoE 2 website.

Unfortunately, there is no early installation on Steam. However, if you purchased a PoE 2 Early Access Supporter Pack via Steam, you can still preload if you log into the PoE 2 website and download the standalone client. If you eventually want to switch to a Steam installation, you’ll need to download it again, but you can use the same PoE 2 account regardless of where you installed the game.

Is Path of Exile 2 free to play?

Not in early access. While PoE 2 will eventually follow in the first game’s free-to-play footsteps, playing Path of Exile 2 in Early Access requires the purchase of an Early Access Supporter Pack. The cheapest costs $30 / £24 and includes 300 points to spend on PoE’s various microtransactions, while the more expensive options include progressively more extensive cosmetic offers.

You can grab PoE 2 supporter packs with early access Steamor from GGG directly on PoE 2 website.