Path of Exile First Season of Race Events Announced

We’ve been sent a press release announcing a first season of “race events” for Path of Exile, which are apparently leagues with separate characters and goals, and the main difference from the closed beta races is that they’re organised in season.

Here’s the full press release:

Path of Exile Announces First Season of Race Events
Popular series of side competition leagues begins February 23

Auckland, New Zealand–February 21, 2013–Grinding Gear Games announced the first season of race events in the popular action RPG Path of Exile. Race events are short-term leagues separate from the main game with separate characters and varying goals that test the players’ skill and luck. Season One commences on Saturday, February 23 and runs for six weeks until April 7 (New Zealand time).

Unlike the self-contained individual races held during Closed Beta, race events are now structured by seasons. There are prizes for the top-place finishers in each race, prizes achieving good results for a set of events in a season, and prizes for placing at the top of the realm overall in a given season. New custom prizes have been created for the events. “The race events were extremely popular in Closed Beta,” said Chris Wilson, producer for Grinding Gear Games. “The leagues generally reward players who can level up quickly and place in the top ranks of their character class, but there are also rewards for meeting objectives like finishing side quests or full-clearing areas first. By structuring the races into seasons, players are motivated to participate in multiple events and it gives them something meaningful to work toward over the course of several weeks.”

For additional details and the schedule of events, please visit http://www.pathofexile.com/seasons