Grinding Gear Games has issued an apology to Path of Exile 1 players following the indefinite postponement of the 3.26 update. The developer had initially promised continued updates for the ten-year-old action RPG, even after the launch of Path of Exile 2. However, the 3.26 update, originally slated for late October 2024, then mid-February 2025, has been delayed indefinitely.
The delay stems from the unexpected challenges encountered during Path of Exile 2's development. In a video message, Game Director Jonathan Rogers explained that the Path of Exile 1 team was reassigned to assist with Path of Exile 2's endgame development before its December launch. While the intention was to return to the 3.26 update in mid-February, unforeseen issues with Path of Exile 2, including crashes and balance problems, necessitated the team's continued focus on the sequel.
Rogers acknowledged the studio's miscalculation, stating that they were "fooling ourselves" about the timeline. He emphasized the urgency of addressing Path of Exile 2's problems, making it impossible to justify reassigning the experienced developers. Path of Exile 2 itself faced a short delay and required immediate attention to various issues.
AnswerSee ResultsCurrently, the Path of Exile 1 team remains focused on Path of Exile 2, with work expected to continue until at least the release of Path of Exile 2 version 0.2.0, and possibly a few weeks beyond. Rogers expressed regret for the handling of the situation, admitting overconfidence and a need to refine their studio's structure for managing concurrent game development. While a release date for the 3.26 update remains unconfirmed, he assured players that a solid plan for its implementation is in place.
Path of Exile 2 launched in early access on December 6th, 2024, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, achieving significant success and becoming one of Steam's most-played games ever. Guides for class selection, builds (including Mercenary and Sorceress), Spirit acquisition, trading, and ascension are readily available to help players navigate the game.
