Right now, Path of Exile 2 has four story acts plus three short Interludes, which together carry a character to level 65, where the endgame begins. The full game will have six acts: Grinding Gear Games says the final two arrive with the 1.0 release on December 11, 2026, when the game also leaves Early Access and goes free-to-play.
Below we break down what each part of the current campaign is, how long it tends to take, how the structure has changed across Early Access, and what 1.0 changes. This guide covers the live Early Access build as of September 2026: version 0.5.5, which runs the Forbidden Rites event alongside the Runes of Aldur league, verified against official patch notes and the game’s Steam page.
How many acts Path of Exile 2 has today
The official Steam store page lists the current Early Access campaign as “Four Acts,” with 100 environments, 600 monsters and 100 bosses. The campaign runs like this:
| Part | What it is |
|---|---|
| Act 1 | The opening act, where every character starts |
| Act 2 | Includes the Trial of the Sekhemas, your first Ascendancy trial |
| Act 3 | Includes the Trial of Chaos, your second Ascendancy trial |
| Act 4 | An island-hopping act with eight islands, added in 0.3.0 |
| Interludes 1 to 3 | Three shorter side stories that bridge you to level 65 |
| Endgame | The Atlas of Worlds, which opens once the campaign is done |
The Interludes are the part that confuses new players. Grinding Gear Games’ 0.3.0 patch notes describe them as “three new temporary interludes, a set of side stories that will take you to level 65, where the Endgame begins.” The word “temporary” matters: they exist to fill the gap until the last two acts are finished.
The campaign is the same on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Cross-progression means a character who reaches Act 3 on one platform can continue on another after logging into the same account.
How long the campaign takes
Grinding Gear Games has not published an official hour count for the current four-act campaign, so treat every figure you see as an estimate. At the December 2024 Early Access launch, press reports citing game director Jonathan Rogers put the three acts that existed then at around 25 hours for a first run, with reaching the endgame taking far longer because players had to replay those acts on Cruel difficulty.
Two changes since then pull in opposite directions:
- More story. Act 4 and the three Interludes added a large chunk of new content in 0.3.0.
- No repeat run. The same update removed Cruel difficulty, so you no longer play the campaign twice to reach level 65.
The 0.5.0 patch notes trimmed it further. Grinding Gear Games reduced monster density “in the second half of the campaign,” especially in the Interludes, removed the second Dreadnaught area, rearranged Act 3 and added visual cues that tell returning players where to go.
In practice, length depends heavily on your build and your experience. Player reports describe first-time runs stretching well past a single weekend, while veterans racing a new league treat the whole campaign as a warm-up of a few hours. Bosses are the usual time sink for newcomers: an underpowered build can stall on a single fight.
What 1.0 adds on December 11
The 1.0 announcement confirms that “the final two acts will launch with the 1.0 Full Release.” The Steam page’s Early Access notes say the goal is to “double the size of the current game” by adding those two acts, more classes, more skill gems and more endgame content. So the finished game has six acts.
Other confirmed 1.0 changes:
- Free-to-play. The Early Access Supporter Pack requirement goes away on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store and the standalone client), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
- The Duelist. A new sword-wielding class arrives at 1.0. The official Forbidden Rites FAQ confirms it is not playable in 0.5.5.
- Leagues end. Both the Runes of Aldur league and the Forbidden Rites event “will end alongside” the 1.0 release, per Grinding Gear Games’ FAQ.
Grinding Gear Games has not said in its 1.0 announcement what happens to the Interludes once Acts 5 and 6 exist. Given that the developer called them temporary, expect the route to level 65 to change, but wait for the 1.0 patch notes before planning around it.
How long it takes before the endgame
The campaign is only the start. Path of Exile 2’s endgame, the Atlas of Worlds, is where most long-term players spend their time, and it is effectively open-ended: new leagues arrive with each major content update and reset the economy on fresh characters. The 0.5.0 update alone added six endgame storylines, per its patch notes.
If you are deciding whether the game is worth starting now or at 1.0, the honest trade-off is this. Starting now gets you four acts and a mature endgame, but your character will likely stay in a league that closes on December 11. Starting at 1.0 gets you the complete six-act story for free. If you want something to play with a group in the meantime, our list of the best PC co-op games of 2026 has other options, and our 15 best RPGs of 2026 covers the wider genre. For a comparison point in the same genre, see what Diablo 4 Season 15 adds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many acts does Path of Exile 2 have? Four story acts plus three Interludes in the current Early Access build. The full game has six acts, with Acts 5 and 6 arriving at 1.0.
Does Path of Exile 2 still have Cruel difficulty? No. Grinding Gear Games removed Cruel in 0.3.0 and replaced it with the Interludes, which carry you to level 65 without replaying the story.
When do Acts 5 and 6 come out? With the 1.0 full release on December 11, 2026 (PST), according to Grinding Gear Games’ official announcement.
Is Path of Exile 2 free to play? Not yet. Early Access requires a Supporter Pack, but the game becomes free-to-play at the 1.0 launch on every platform.
At what level does the endgame start? Level 65, which the Interludes are designed to get you to, per the 0.3.0 patch notes.