Path of Exile 2’s Grim Class Select Turns Choice into a Sacrifice — And Players Are Buying In

Why This Caught My Attention

Path of Exile 2 launched into early access with nearly 600,000 players piling in at once, but it wasn’t the CCU number that grabbed me-it was the opening choice. Instead of a sterile class menu, you’re marched before a gallows lined with six condemned souls. Each one is a playable class with a history, a crime, and a reason they’re about to meet the rope unless you intervene. It’s a small touch, but it immediately reframes character selection as a decision with weight. That’s very Grinding Gear Games: making a seemingly simple action carry long-term consequences, and letting the tone do as much heavy lifting as the tooltips.

Key Takeaways

• The class select is diegetic: you choose who to save at the gallows, learning their backstory as you decide.
• Early access launched strong, peaking at nearly 600,000 concurrent players.
• The choice sets narrative tone and playstyle expectations from the jump.
• Early access will evolve; expect balance shifts and more content at full release.

Breaking Down the Announcement

Here’s the pitch: Path of Exile 2 is out in early access with a striking, story-forward approach to picking your class. Instead of a list of archetypes, you confront six prisoners-stand-ins for the series’ familiar roles like the Marauder, Ranger, Witch, Duelist, Templar, and Shadow. As you cycle through them, you’re effectively hearing why each one ended up with a noose around their neck. Pick one, and you’re cutting them loose to become your avatar in Wraeclast’s miserable, monster-haunted world.

It’s a clever way to fold character select into the fiction. You don’t just “roll a Witch”; you pardon someone with a past. That resonates with a game built on hard choices-socketing the right gems, trading power now for power later, and living with a build that reflects who you chose to be. And judging by the near-600k surge at launch, players weren’t turned off by the grim opener—they were pulled in.

The Real Story Behind the Gallows

Character selection rarely matters beyond minute one, but in Path of Exile 2 it sets the table. The gallows is thematic glue: this is a world where survival comes at a price, and that price often looks like sacrifice. It subtly primes you to think in trade-offs, which is exactly how PoE’s buildcraft works. If you’ve played the first game for any length of time, you know the loop—sacrifice early comfort to chase a long-term spike, commit to an identity and deal with the consequences when the bosses start asking hard questions.

It also avoids the usual disconnect between lore and UI. We’ve seen more developers try diegetic approaches—menus that exist in the world rather than outside it—but few action RPGs risk anchoring your first click to something this bleak. It’s not just edgy for its own sake; it tells you what kind of story you’re walking into and anchors your class choice in character rather than raw stat porn.

Why This Matters to Players Right Now

Early access is always a bargain with the devil: you get in early, but you live through the tweaks, nerfs, and “oops, this boss was undertuned” patches. For a series as notoriously intricate as Path of Exile, that means two things. One, if you love discovering builds before the meta fossilizes, this is your moment. Two, if you hate your favorite setup getting kneecapped, you might want to hang back until full release delivers the broader content pass and balance calm.

• New players: the gallows scene is a strong nudge to pick by fantasy first, not spreadsheets. If “convict-turned-ice-witch” sounds like you, don’t overthink it—learn the systems as you go.
• Returning exiles: expect reworked systems and a different early cadence. The opening choice is about tone, but the meat will still be in gems, gear progression, and endgame mapping when the dust settles.
• Everyone: early access churn is real. Builds that sing today could be off-key next week. Enjoy the experimentation while it lasts.

What about monetization and long-term support? Grinding Gear’s model has historically leaned on cosmetics and convenience, and the studio has earned a reputation for robust post-launch cadence. The real question isn’t “Will they add content?” but “Will the new systems hit that sweet spot where player expression meets clarity?” The gallows intro suggests a deliberate push toward readability and meaning—choices that feel human, not just optimal.

Context: A Sequel With Something to Prove

Path of Exile 2 hasn’t dropped into a vacuum. The ARPG space is buzzing—players have options, and patience for grind without payoff is thin. PoE’s identity has always been depth first, polish later. The gallows choice is a signal that GGG wants to keep the edge but sharpen the storytelling. It’s memorable, instantly shareable, and crucially, it teaches you how to think about the game before you’ve clicked your first gem socket.

Will a great character select carry the endgame? Of course not. The endurance test will be the campaign’s variety, the boss roster, the feel of combat, and whether the build system offers fresh, viable paths without requiring a second monitor full of spreadsheets. But as an opening statement, this one actually says something—and that’s rare in a genre addicted to numbers-first thinking.

TL;DR

Path of Exile 2’s early access debut pairs a huge player surge with a smart, diegetic class select at the gallows that gives your first choice real weight. It’s stylish, on-brand, and a promising sign for a sequel that needs to balance depth with clarity. If you love discovery, jump in now; if you crave stability, wait for the full release pass.