Dangerous information, Path of Exile 1 gamers. It appears as if the following main replace for the beloved ARPG has been delayed, with no launch date given. This, in line with sport director Jonathan Rogers, being largely because of the developer specializing in the launch and post-launch assist of Path of Exile 2.
In a video posted to the official Path of Exile Twitter, Rogers explains why this has occurred. The unique intent was to juggle each video games directly, however with the all-hands-on-deck method taken with Path of Exile 2 employees who would normally be engaged on the following Path of Exile 1 enlargement have been busy on the sport’s sequel.
“The perfect time to launch 326 would have been late October, earlier than the initially scheduled launch of PoE2’s early entry. However we simply did not suppose we might do it – it was simply to shut to the massive circus that was the group round PoE2’s launch. We additionally did not wish to launch it proper after PoE2 both, in order that form of dominated out December.”
“Then we’re pondering, we won’t actually launch in January as a result of Christmas, so we’re actually going to must do it in February. This wasn’t nice. It could imply seven months with no leagues, however we actually did not suppose it was attainable to do it any sooner than that.” Rogers would state that, whereas no official affirmation of this aim was acknowledged, it was conveyed over time informally so {that a} obscure understanding of this aim was circulating the neighborhood.
Nevertheless, it appears even this February aim is now out of attain, because the POE1 employees introduced over to assist with POE2 weren’t taken off the workforce forward of launch. Rogers explains. “The issue is we acquired to the center of October and the discharge of POE2 was imminent, and I will let you know what, taking folks off POE2 at that time was inconceivable. The top sport was not in a shippable state.” Rogers would go on to state that even so, the workforce believed they may nonetheless hit that February aim after POE2 launched.
“The issue is, we have been fooling ourselves. POE2 was delayed 3 weeks making the issue even worse, and instantly after the sport’s launch we needed to cope with all the issues. How might we take into consideration making a POE1 enlargement once we nonetheless had lots of of 1000’s of individuals having unhealthy experiences in POE2?”
The video concludes with an apolagy, and the revelation that the following POE1 enlargement is one thing the workforce remains to be desiring to do (and is doing pre-production on) however has no launch date. This, as you may think about, has made many POE1 followers slightly upset. Earlier than POE2’s launch, Rogers had acknowledged the workforce meant to assist each video games so long as gamers stored taking part in POE1. Although given the inevitable deal with POE2 and potential league delays in consequence, might you blame POE1 gamers for leaping ship? Particularly once they really feel a promise has been damaged? Over half a yr with no new league and new content material is a very long time on the planet of reside service.
Add on prime of this the probability that new gamers will select POE2 over POE1, it being the newer, shinier sport with extra assist. Positive, POE1 could preserve getting assist so long as there are sufficient gamers to warrant it, however whether or not or not gamers wish to hold round a sport that feels as if it is on the again burner is an issue GGG must deal with.
What do you consider all this? Would you stick round POE1 on this place? Tell us beneath.
