Path of Exile is a dark fantasy action role-playing game series from the New Zealand studio Grinding Gear Games. The first game, released in 2013, drops the player onto the shores of Wraeclast as an exiled criminal and builds its world from ruined empires, forbidden magic and things that should have stayed buried. It is best known for an enormous, freely respec-unfriendly passive skill tree, a socket-and-link gem system for building skills, and a currency economy that trades in orbs rather than gold. Regular expansions have kept the game growing for years.

A sequel, Path of Exile 2, followed in 2024, continuing the series’ tradition of grim landscapes and brutally deep character building. Both games are free to play, funded by cosmetic and convenience purchases rather than power, and both are played online with other exiles. The series has earned a reputation for complexity, for dark atmosphere, and for rewarding players who are willing to learn its systems the hard way.