"Work on Path of Exile 1 3.26 Paused Until Path of Exile 2 0.2.0 Release, Dev Apologizes"

The developers of *Path of Exile* have issued a heartfelt apology to longtime fans of the original game following the postponement of its latest update. Grinding Gear Games (GGG), the studio behind the popular action RPG series, had assured players that *Path of Exile 1* would continue receiving updates throughout the development and early access launch of *Path of Exile 2*—a promise now complicated by unforeseen delays.

Originally slated for release in late October ahead of *Path of Exile 2*'s launch, then pushed back to mid-February 2025, the 3.26 update for *Path of Exile 1* has been placed on hold indefinitely. The development team responsible for maintaining *Path of Exile 1* was redirected to assist with critical issues in *Path of Exile 2*, including performance bugs, balance concerns, and endgame content optimization.

In a candid video message, Jonathan Rogers, Game Director of *Path of Exile 2* and co-founder of GGG, admitted that the team underestimated the complexity of managing two live games simultaneously. Initially, they believed the *Path of Exile 1* team could temporarily shift focus to stabilize *Path of Exile 2* and still return in time for the 3.26 release. That assumption, however, proved incorrect.

"We were fooling ourselves,"

Rogers acknowledged, reflecting on the growing number of urgent fixes needed for *Path of Exile 2*. Not only did the game suffer a brief launch delay, but it also experienced technical instability and class imbalance shortly after going live. With *Path of Exile 2* requiring full attention, pulling veteran developers off the project to resume work on *Path of Exile 1* simply wasn’t feasible.

"How could I justify taking some of the most experienced developers we have off PoE2 when it’s on fire?"

he added, emphasizing the difficult decisions the team faced during this transition period.

Which Path of Exile 2 Class Are You Enjoying Most?

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As a result, the *Path of Exile 1* development team remains fully dedicated to *Path of Exile 2* until version 0.2.0 is released—and possibly a few weeks beyond that. At the moment, *Path of Exile 2* is operating at version 0.1.1, and Rogers made it clear that no official timeline can be given for the resumption of *Path of Exile 1* updates just yet.

"I’m really sorry for how this went down,"

Rogers said, acknowledging the disappointment from the community. “Honestly, I should have predicted the outcome of shifting the *Path of Exile 1* team away from their project. I probably should have resisted doing it. But at every stage I kept thinking, we still have time… and then we didn’t.”

He concluded by admitting that GGG is still learning how to manage dual-game development effectively and that overconfidence played a role in the current situation. However, he reassured fans that the team has a clear vision for what they want to deliver with the 3.26 update once they’re able to return to it.

Despite the rocky start, *Path of Exile 2* launched successfully on December 6, 2024, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. It quickly gained traction among players, earning its place as the 15th most-played game on Steam—a testament to the franchise's enduring popularity.

For those diving into *Path of Exile 2* Early Access, helpful guides are available to get started, including recommendations on which class to choose, along with detailed build guides for the Mercenary and Sorceress classes. Additionally, tips on acquiring more Spirit, trading mechanics, and mastering ascension paths are all accessible to help players optimize their gameplay experience.