Even if you haven’t had the chance to dive into Path of Exile yourself, you’ve probably heard about its famously massive passive skill tree. But there’s another reputation the game has earned among its fans: it’s one of those rare free-to-play titles that doesn’t exploit its players.
Path of Exile is frequently held up as a prime example of how free-to-play can be done right. It offers optional gameplay enhancements and cosmetics for purchase, yet these don’t detract from the core experience or compromise it in any significant way.
Still, knowing all that doesn’t prevent some raised eyebrows when you look at the pricing for the Path of Exile 2 supporter packs. These start at a relatively modest $30 but can skyrocket up to a staggering $480. Sure, some of these bundles include tangible items, but even without those, what’s left is priced well beyond what typical free-to-play games usually ask from their players.
The value of these bundles is entirely in the hands of Grinding Gear Games, and they wouldn’t have set those prices if they weren’t confident the packages would sell. Over the years, the developer has fine-tuned its monetization strategy with the original Path of Exile, and some of those bundles were also on the pricier side. Clearly, there’s a market for it.
An interesting point to note is the reward system GGG has in place for their loyal players. Anyone who has spent $480 or more on Path of Exile microtransactions will earn an early access key for the sequel. It might sound like a steep figure, but considering the game’s been around for ten years—that’s an entire decade!—many players may have already reached that amount without even realizing it. Broken down, that’s just $48 a year or a mere $4 a month—hardly a significant spend when you think about it.
At first glance, it may not seem like much, but it’s a nice nod to those who have already invested heavily in the game. Path of Exile isn’t going anywhere, so these players can continue enjoying what they’ve accumulated over time while getting a head start on the new game without additional costs. It rewards those devoted players and presents GGG with a fresh opportunity for player retention. Isn’t that a win-win?
In the end, this strategy is not just a smart move by GGG but also reinforces their reputation for upholding a fair free-to-play model. When you look back at the studio’s monetization choices for Path of Exile over the years, it’s clear they often take steps they weren’t obligated to—right where GGG wants to position itself.
This approach could serve as a valuable lesson for other developers who might prioritize profits over their player base.
