How long will Path of Exile 2 campaign take to beat?
Path of Exile 2 is only a few days away from its announced Early Access release, and players have been pondering how long it will take them to reach the endgame. The campaign awaits everyone, and according to the developers, players can look forward to spending close to 30-35 hours in the acts.
Campaigns are a staple feature in most ARPGs, as the developers use the de-facto story mode to explain crucial mechanics, gameplay features, and underlying systems for all their players.
The campaign acts have long been a tentpole aspect of Path of Exile's league start. With the release of Path of Exile 2 on the horizon, fans are curious about the length of the campaign.
This article discusses the expected time to beat Path of Exile 2's campaign, as per the devs.
How lengthy is Path of Exile 2's campaign?
The answer to this is based on the experience of a beginner. According to the details shared in the latest GGG Live event, the developers estimate a new player will take somewhat around 25 hours of playtime, to experience all that Path of Exile 2's first three campaign acts have to offer.
Speaking of which, Path of Exile 2's campaign will differ greatly between Early Access and full release. In the same live event, Game Director Jonathan Rogers explained that for the sake of Early Access's endgame, the studio decided to skip polishing up acts four, five, and six.
Instead, Early Access will feature the first three acts on a normal and, subsequently, harder difficulty, emulating the missing three acts. They dubbed this the Cruel mode. This mode of the first three acts is temporary and will be removed with the title's full release.
The Cruel mode is described as a sort of New Game+ feature, but players will take considerably less time clearing it, because of their character progression and clear speed.
The developers estimate that players will finish the first three acts around level 45, which will take somewhat north of 25 hours. For argument's sake, if the Cruel acts take half the time of the normal ones, that puts another 12-13 hours on the clock. In total, a new player can look at close to 37 to 40 hours of gameplay in the campaign alone, should they wish to explore every nook and cranny.
Grinding Gear Games have mentioned that they expect veterans to clear the content much quicker, due to their pre-existing knowledge of the game's mechanics. They expect players to end the Cruel acts around level 65, after which, the endgame is expected to continue infinitely.
It should be noted that these hours are not set in stone, at all. The Ascension Trials in Acts 2 and onward have unique rewards to obtain, which depending on the demand and character power provided by said rewards, can significantly extend the time spent in the campaigns.
All in all, players should expect a significant time investment toward Path of Exile 2 in the future.
Check out our other articles on Path of Exile 2
- Path of Exile 2: All classes and ascensions available in Early Access
- Path of Exile 2 Atlas system, explained
- Will Path of Exile 2 have crossplay and cross-save?
- Path of Exile 2 platforms: Will Early Access be on consoles?
- Path of Exile 2’s new Skill Gem system, explained
- Path of Exile 2: All returning League mechanics confirmed so far
- Path of Exile 2 platforms: Will Early Access be on consoles?
- Does Path of Exile 2 have co-op features?