COSM-GAME Path of Exile
Path of Exile is a free-to-play action RPG developed and published by Grinding Gear Games. Players take control of an Exile banished to the continent of Wraeclast, choosing one of seven character classes and a further Ascendancy specialization to build a unique combination of skills and equipment. Progression centers on completing a story campaign and then moving into the Atlas of Worlds, an expansive endgame map system built around loot, crafting, and character build optimization. Its defining gameplay centers on an unusually deep, item-based skill and crafting system, where socketed skill gems, currency orbs, and a sprawling passive skill tree let players customize builds to an extent rarely matched in the genre.
Game summary
On this page
Latest update
The current content update is 3.29, Path of Exile: Curse of the Allflame, which launched on July 24, 2026. The update introduced the Curse of the Allflame Challenge League, in which players locate sunken Charts, dive to the ocean floor aboard the ship the Sovereign, and link explored areas into larger Voyages for escalating rewards. Alongside the league, Grinding Gear Games made Mercenaries of Trarthus a permanent core feature, reworked the Abyss, Legion, and Talisman systems, added a new Luminary Ascendancy for the Scion, and overhauled how equipment socket colors are generated. Follow-up patches 3.29.0b and 3.29.1 subsequently adjusted league drop rates, Voyage rewards, and a range of Mercenary and Abyss balance issues.
Release date and status
Path of Exile is fully released and has been continuously live since its original Windows launch on October 23, 2013. The game later expanded to additional platforms, with an Xbox One version arriving in August 2017, a PlayStation 4 version in March 2019, and a native macOS client in September 2020; it also added native and backward-compatible support for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game receives a new major content update and Challenge League roughly every few months, alongside smaller balance and bug-fix patches between those releases.
| Global release | Oct 23, 2013 |
| Original launch platforms | |
| Global status | Released |
| Pricing model | Free-to-play·In-app purchases |
| Availability | Official clientSteamEpic Games StorePlayStation StoreXbox StoreWorldwide |
Platforms and availability
On PC, Path of Exile can be played through Steam, the Epic Games Store, or Grinding Gear Games' own standalone client. A native Mac client is also available. On consoles, the game is available through the PlayStation Store on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, and through the Xbox Store on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles, where it runs through backward compatibility. Progress and purchases are not shared between the different console ecosystems, since the game does not support crossplay or cross-progression across platform families.
Gameplay and setting
Path of Exile is built around a strong online item economy and deep character customization. Players pick one of seven base classes and progress along a large shared passive skill tree, socketing tradable skill and support gems into their gear to build unique combinations of offense and defense. After completing the story campaign across ten acts, players move into the endgame Atlas of Worlds, a web of randomized Maps layered with long-running mechanics such as Delve, Heist, Betrayal, Legion, Abyss, Breach, Ritual, Expedition, Sanctum, Ultimatum, Harvest, and Kingsmarch, several of which stack together on a single Map for compounding loot and difficulty. The setting is Wraeclast, a dark, ruin-scarred continent to which the nation of Oriath exiles its criminals and dissidents, and the game's gritty, low-fantasy art direction and challenging combat run throughout both the campaign and endgame.
Trailer, screenshots, and media
The featured trailer introduces the Curse of the Allflame expansion, showing the corsair captain Valerie and a diver descending into the sunken depths of Wraeclast, while the accompanying images show official expansion artwork and the reworked Reliquarian Ascendancy passive tree.
Developer and publisher
Path of Exile is developed and published by Grinding Gear Games, a studio founded in 2006 and based in West Auckland, New Zealand. The studio has continued to update and expand the original Path of Exile in parallel with developing its sequel, Path of Exile 2.
| Developer | Grinding Gear Games |
| Publisher | Grinding Gear Games |
| Official website | Path of Exile |
Download and availability
Path of Exile can be downloaded and played free of charge through Steam, the Epic Games Store, or Grinding Gear Games' own standalone launcher on PC, with a native client also available for Mac. Console players can obtain the game through the PlayStation Store or the Xbox Store on their respective platforms.
System / Device Requirements
Path of Exile has official minimum and recommended specifications on PC and Mac. The console versions use fixed hardware, with the platform-specific access requirements shown below.
| PC specification | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| CPU | Quad core 2.6GHz x86-compatible | Quad core 3.2GHz x64-compatible |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti or ATI Radeon HD 7850 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or ATI Radeon RX560 |
| DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
| Storage | 40 GB available space | 40 GB available space (solid state storage recommended) |
| Internet connection | Required (online-only game) | Required (online-only game) |
| Mac specification | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | 10.13 | 10.15 |
| Chip / CPU | 2.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 | 2.6GHz hex-core Intel Core i7 |
| Memory | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| GPU | Radeon Pro 450 | Radeon Pro 555X |
| Storage | 40 GB available space | 40 GB available space (solid state storage recommended) |
| Internet connection | Required (online-only game) | Required (online-only game) |
| PlayStation 4 specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Supported hardware | PlayStation 4 |
| Minimum save size | 15 GB (per official PlayStation listing) |
| PlayStation Plus | Required for online multiplayer, per the official PlayStation listing |
| Internet connection | Required (online-only game) |
- Value
- PlayStation 4
- Value
- 15 GB (per official PlayStation listing)
- Value
- Required for online multiplayer, per the official PlayStation listing
- Value
- Required (online-only game)
| PlayStation 5 specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Supported hardware | PlayStation 5 (native client) |
| Internet connection | Required (online-only game) |
- Value
- PlayStation 5 (native client)
- Value
- Required (online-only game)
| Xbox One specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Supported hardware | Xbox One |
| Internet connection | Required (online-only game) |
- Value
- Xbox One
- Value
- Required (online-only game)
| Xbox Series X/S specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Supported hardware | Xbox Series X/S (plays via backward compatibility with the Xbox One version) |
| Internet connection | Required (online-only game) |
- Value
- Xbox Series X/S (plays via backward compatibility with the Xbox One version)
- Value
- Required (online-only game)