Path of Exile 2 is an enormous game, one that even in Early Access rivals the length of the original Path of Exile's main story. Part of this is the intentionally slower progression and larger maps (and lower Currency drop rate), which are key differences in the experience of playing both games.

Path of Exile 2 Best Stash Tabs PoE 2 Stash Premium MTX Microtransaction-1
Path of Exile 2: Best Stash Tabs to Buy

In Path of Exile 2 Stash Tabs can be used to organize and sort the massive PoE 2 inventory more effectively.

One thing that remains the same between Path of Exile 1 and Path of Exile 2 is the Max Level. In PoE 2, Max Level can only be reached after you beat both the Normal and Cruel campaigns, which each have certain Level milestones associated with them that players should reach before continuing to the next leveling tier.

Path of Exile 2: Max Level

Path of Exile 2 Sorceress concept artwork 2x1 crop
A 2:1 aspect ratio crop of Path of Exile 2 Sorceress concept artwork.

The Max Level in Path of Exile 2 is the same as it was in Path of Exile, but it's not going to be quite as easy to get there. At a max level of Lvl 100, Path of Exile 2 players have a long way to go to maximize their builds with all available Passive Skill Points.

Getting to the Path of Exile 2 Max Level of 100 is not something you should expect to accomplish by the time you beat the main campaign, including the repeated campaign in Cruel Difficulty. In fact, it's only possible to reach Level 100 by grinding the endgame Atlas, and as you level up, the amount of XP required to level increases exponentially.

Path of Exile 2 Upgrade Quality Weapon Armor Currencies
Path of Exile 2: How To Upgrade Armor & Weapon Quality

In Path of Exile 2, Armor Quality and Weapon Quality is an upgradable stat that improves the other base stats of that piece of gear.

Path of Exile 2 Leveling Progression & Milestones

There are essentially three separate campaign and gameplay brackets in Path of Exile 2: Normal Acts 1 to 3, Cruel Acts 1 to 3, and finally the endgame. Though your level is not capped during the Normal or Cruel campaigns, it's a good idea to reach certain level milestones before continuing to the next tier of content.

  • Normal Acts 1 to 3: Level 1 to Level 45
  • Cruel Acts 1 to 3: Level 45 to Level 65
  • Endgame & Atlas: Level 65 to Level 100

According to developers, players are intended to finish the Normal campaign at about Level 45 or above, while Cruel difficulty will bring players to Level 65 by the time they finish. From there on out, the only way to get to Max Level Path of Exile 2 players have is to grind out the Atlas.

This endgame system lets players uncover and adventure through an infinitely-generating, interconnected map of zones, where each location can hold special events like Breach and Delirium events. It's a very different experience from the campaign, but getting to the PoE 2 Max Level won't feel too repetitive because of the sheer variety of content available in the endgame.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Path of Exile II Tag Page Cover Art
Path of Exile II
Display card tags widget Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget
9 /10
Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget
Released
December 6, 2024
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

ESRB
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Nudity, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Language, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
Developer(s)
Grinding Gear Games
Engine
Proprietary Engine
Franchise
Path of Exile
Genre(s)
Action RPG, Hack and Slash, MMORPG
Path of Exile 2 Cover