After four intense years of development, Grinding Gear Games has announced that its free-to-play online action RPG, Path of Exile, is headed to closed beta on August 10th, 2011. With the announcement, the developer also unveiled plans for various PvP options to encourage competitive gameplay.

The closed beta version of the game will include the first two acts of gameplay and five character classes. Additional content will be unlocked as testing progresses. And there is even a little good news in the press release for any Diablo III fans jaded by Blizzard's recent real-money auction house announcement.

“Your character’s build really matters in Path of Exile. The game’s deep itemization, innovative flask system and emphasis on skill combos will encourage players to plan character builds carefully so they can compete with the realm’s best players,” says producer Chris Wilson. “We won’t be selling any form of power in the game, only aesthetic improvements, so if you’re fighting someone you know they earned their place the hard way.” 

Path of Exile will utilize a random level generator to make PvP arenas dynamic environments with a number of modes. You can sign up for the closed beta on the official Path of Exile website.

Follow along after the break for a look at the Templar class and official press release with more game and PvP details.

Action RPG Path of Exile Launches Closed Beta Next Week, Details Hardcore PvP Combat

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – 3 August 2011 – After four years of development, the indie studio Grinding Gear Games has announced that their online action RPG, Path of Exile, will enter ‘closed beta’ on August 10th.  They have also unveiled plans for a range of Player vs. Player combat options designed to encourage a competitive online playing field.

With the closed beta, members of the game’s online community at www.PathOfExile.com will be periodically selected at random and granted access to the game’s beta. Players will be added continuously to stress test the game’s servers, as the game is played entirely online to facilitate a secure item-based economy. The beta version of the game includes the first two acts of gameplay and five character classes at first, with more content added frequently.

Path of Exile has also been designed to provide a fair, competitive playing field for Player vs. Player combat, in addition to cooperative play.

“Your character’s build really matters in Path of Exile.  The game’s deep itemization, innovative flask system and emphasis on skill combos will encourage players to plan character builds carefully so they can compete with the realm’s best players,” says producer Chris Wilson.  “We won’t be selling any form of power in the game, only aesthetic improvements, so if you’re fighting someone you know they earned their place the hard way.”  

Taking advantage of Path of Exile’s advanced random level generation, the PvP arenas will be dynamic environments with dangerous threats and hostile opponents of their own. The PvP modes available range from duels to large scale team combat in a variety of scenarios with different level caps.  Organized tournaments are planned in future.

Players in the optional “cut-throat” leagues will get to experience a more horrific form of PvP – the ability for players to invade their instances and kill them, taking all their items.  “Of course, only a hyper-competitive player would ever choose to play in this league in the first place,” says Wilson.

Accounts rather than individual characters earn PvP rating in each mode and are scored on ladders with seasonal prizes awarded.

Grinding Gear Games will also be demonstrating Path of Exile and distributing copies of the beta to the public at PAX Prime in Seattle from 26-28 August.

To be considered to take part in the closed beta, sign up for an account at www.PathOfExile.com.

Key features of ‘Path of Exile’:

·         Completely free to download and play

·         A persistent online world capable of supporting hundreds of thousands of players

·         A dark and gritty game world rendered from a fixed 3D perspective

·         Randomly generated levels and items for extreme replayability

·         Online ranking and ladders for every game mode

·         Visceral combat with dozens of combinable skills

·         Battle in PVP tournaments for worldwide recognition

·         Dynamic skill system

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