Path of Exile Open Beta This Weekend, $700k in Revenue Already Brought In

While the majority of the following press release heralds the approach of another open beta weekend for Grinding Gear Games’ Path of Exile, the biggest news for those of us rooting for the indie action RPG is that the game has already pulled in over $700,000 in revenue due to its in-game credit system and “Diamond Supporter” pre-purchase plan. I smell success:

Indie Action RPG Path of Exile Hosts Open Beta Weekend

AUCKLAND, New Zealand 23 July 2012 Upcoming Indie Action RPG Path of Exile is opening its doors to everyone for two days with a public test this coming weekend.

Currently in a Closed Beta, Path of Exile has its own dark and highly customizable take on the Action RPG genre. It has been in development for five years by Grinding Gear Games, an independent studio of hardcore RPG fans in New Zealand.

The Path of Exile Beta servers will open for public access at 5pm PDT on Friday, July 27. Public access will end at 11:59pm PDT Sunday night, July 29. A full FAQ about the public weekend is available at www.pathofexile.com/publicweekend/.

The game has added a host of new features and content recently. The latest version adds a challenging Act Two boss fight, weapon swapping, and a new end-game system featuring Maps whose properties, risks and rewards can be modified by players. There is also a new layout for the game’s passive skill tree which features over 1300 skill nodes, allowing highly customized character builds and hybrid classes.

The game is free to play, but does not feature ‘˜pay-to-win’. A previous public weekend in May attracted 48,000 players.

While the game is currently in a Closed Beta, fans who pre-purchase at least $10 of credit for the game’s .thical microtransactions’ receive a beta key. Over USD$700,000 of credit has been pre-purchased to date, with over 50 fans buying the $1000 ‘˜Diamond Supporter’ pack.

Grinding Gear Games’ producer Chris Wilson says the news features make this weekend a great opportunity for action RPG fans.

(The Path of Exile community has been growing rapidly and always give us valuable gameplay feedback. We’re particularly looking forward to their feedback on our new end-game content.)

(Two of the most important things in action RPGs are items and the end-game. Almost everything in Path of Exile, including skills, can be itemized, traded and upgraded. We thought it would be cool to design the end-game the same way – as itemised areas that players can trade, modify and build characters around.)

The Open Weekend will also feature special events, such as two hour ladder races and competitions to clear areas first. To take part sign up at www.pathofexile.com.