Beta/PvP - Templar - Duelist - Witch - Announcement

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

View two new gameplay videos at:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9bAe96bMik

www.youtube.com/grindinggear

A HD trailer is available at http://s3.amazonaws.com/pathofexile-video/templar/templar_720p_5882kbps.avi

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Action RPG Path of Exile Unveils Templar Class and Beta Date

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – 8 July 2011 – A new trailer for dark indie action RPG Path of Exile has unveiled the Templar class, as well as hints as to how the land of Wraeclast became so devastated.

Path of Exile has been in development for four years by New Zealand indie studio Grinding Gear Games. Select members of the game’s online community at www.pathofexile.com will be given access to a closed beta of the game in August. 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 Templar favours both strength and intelligence attributes and skills – a valuable combination as he seeks to uncover the mysteries of the corrupted continent where players have been exiled.

The Templar can also be seen using several new skills such as Spark, a spell that launches lightning bolts that rebound off obstacles. The Sweep skill allows him to spin around, knocking enemies back with his mace or staff. When equipped with a shield, he can use Shield Charge to smash his way through hordes of foes, dealing a crippling stun to his eventual target. The Templar also has easy access to both Endurance and Power Charges, which, once charged up, spin around the player and grant extra endurance and damage respectively.

“In battle, the Templar can play as a traditional melee character or a hybrid battlemage, able to endure substantial damage while slaying monsters with spells” says Chris Wilson, Grinding Gear Games’ co-founder. “By dealing some of his damage with strong melee weapons and the rest with a barrage of spells, he offers many new combat options over the traditional warrior or spellcaster classes.”

Grinding Gear Games will also be demonstrating Path of Exile and distributing copies of the beta 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

View the trailer at www.youtube.com/grindinggear

A HD trailer is available at http://s3.amazonaws.com/pathofexile-video/templar/templar_720p_5882kbps.avi

High-res screenshots are available from www.grindinggear.com/templar

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Path of Exile’s Second Act Trailer Reveals New Class and Combo Charges
Hybrid classes, combo charges, flasks with magic properties and more added to anticipated indie online action RPG.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – 8 April 2011 – Anticipated indie action RPG Path of Exile has lifted the lid on the free-to-play hardcore RPG’s second act, a densely forested land that houses warring bandit factions. These in-fighting groups provide the ideal opportunity for Path of Exile’s latest character class, the melee expert Duelist, to display his strength and dexterity.

Path of Exile has been in development for four years by Grinding Gear Games, an independent studio of hardcore RPG fans based in Auckland, New Zealand. The game will be free-to-play online with ‘ethical’ aesthetic micro-transactions and a novel system of skill gems. A beta release is scheduled for August.

The Duelist is the game’s first hybrid class, which favours both strength and dexterity attributes and skills. The Duelist can deal out substantial damage and move quickly in and out of combat.

The new trailer shows the Duelist accepting a challenge from one of the forest’s bandit lords to wipe out his rivals. Unlike other characters banished to the devastated land of Wraeclast, the Duelist sees exile as a chance to prove his swordsmanship.

The trailer also reveals new combo mechanics which add further depth to the game’s combat action. Certain skills grant charges, which spin around the player. Strength skills grant endurance charges, dexterity skills grant frenzy charges and intelligence skills grant power charges. In combat, these charges bestow abilities and protections or can be discharged for a one-off devastating attack.

“The charges were designed to make combat more interesting and tactical,” says Chris Wilson, Grinding Gear Games’ Founder. “They’re a core part of Path of Exile’s combat system and they are supported by other mechanics in the game in particular ways. For instance, there will be plenty of items and passive skills that add to or modify your charge abilities.”

For example, the Duelist could build up both his green dexterity-based frenzy charges and red strength-based endurance charges. While he is on a killing streak, frenzy charges will continue to accumulate and the Duelist will attack faster, until he chooses to discharge them with a skill such as “Flicker Strike” which teleports him to attack multiple enemies one after the other – an additional strike for each frenzy charge.

If the Duelist uses the “Enduring Cry” skill he will gain endurance charges and hence resistance to damage, based on how many monsters surround him. When the action gets too intense, he can discharge his endurance charges with the “Immortal Call” skill, ideal for breaking the stun-lock from a horde of enemies attacking him.

Path of Exile will also feature a novel flasks system for healing.

“The potion system is broken in many RPGs,” says Wilson. “The flask system is our way of addressing the ‘potion spam’ you often see in action RPGs where players fill their inventory with potions and use them every few seconds in combat. That’s not fun and doesn’t make sense.”

Instead of potions, Path of Exile will feature a system of refillable flasks that have magic properties just like other equipment. Flasks lose charges as you drink from them, but partially recharge each time you kill a monster. Some flasks have properties that provide protection, heal faster, share healing or give buffs that make them useful for more than healing alone.

“We don’t have any pure support classes, so in Path of Exile everybody must be able to heal themselves. Having to kill more monsters to heal drives the player forward. Finding flasks with specific properties becomes an essential part of your character’s development.”

Path of Exile is scheduled for a large-scale closed public beta around August. To be considered to take part in the 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

View the trailer at www.youtube.com/grindinggear

HD trailers are available from www.pathofexile.com/video/

High-res screenshots are available from www.grindinggear.com/duelist/

To request media interviews or more information please contact:

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Path of Exile unveils Witch Class
Grinding Gear Games’ Free-to-Play Online Action RPG Coming in 2011

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – 20 December 2010 – Independent games studio Grinding Gear Games today unveiled the third playable character class - the Witch - and new areas and skills from Path of Exile, their upcoming online action Role-Playing Game (RPG).

The magic-using Witch can hurl fireballs and freeze enemies in place, as well as draw upon occult forces to raise zombies or detonate nearby dead corpses, amongst other skills. The powerful but volatile Witch was exiled to Wraeclast for good reason - when cornered by street thugs she fought back violently with her devastating magic. Everyone in that part of town was instantly killed, or worse. The Witch must now learn to control her powers as she explores the post-apocalyptic continent.

A new trailer focusing on the Witch also shows previously unseen areas of the corrupted land of Wraeclast. In the video the Witch moves from the coast through an abandoned prison into a cliff-side cave system which leads to a confrontation with the Merveil, the Siren, at the end of the game’s first act.

The final game will have six character classes, randomized loot, randomized levels, hundreds of skills and hundreds of enemy opponents.

“The game is designed to be incredibly flexible, and the number of possible character builds is virtually limitless. Anyone playing any class can use any of the skill gems, items and weapons they find in Path of Exile. Nothing is wasted,” said Chris Wilson, Grinding Gear Games’ Founder.

“Players will have a lot of fun experimenting with different combinations. Although they are generally rewarded for choosing abilities and items relevant to their class’ strengths, some of the best combinations could involve using off-class concepts in interesting ways.”

This character building flexibility will lead to diverse and challenging Player vs Player combat (PvP), which is optional in the game. Path of Exile will feature a variety of leagues including Hardcore, Attrition and Cut-Throat modes which have customised game rules, challenges, limited durations and valuable rewards.

The dark fantasy RPG will be free-to-play with players able to purchase in-game perks, such as extra animations, clothing and special effects. However, players will not be able to buy abilities or experience – ensuring a competitive and level playing field.

Path of Exile has been in development for four years by Grinding Gear Games, an independent studio of hardcore RPG fans based in Auckland, New Zealand.

• Six character classes
• Dozens of unique monsters
• Complex randomized item system
• Free to download and play on persistent servers
• Freedom to use every skill and item with any class
• Dynamic skill system
• Competitive online PvP play
• Randomized indoors and outdoors levels
• Liven things up with in-game perks

High-res screenshots are available from www.grindinggear.com/witch/

View the trailer on at www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gTzQ735vB8

An HD (78MB) trailer is available from s3.amazonaws.com/pathofexile-video/Path_of_Exile_Witch_Trailer_720p_5579kbps.avi

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Path of Exile Puts the Dark Back into Dark PC Fantasy Role-Playing Games
Grinding Gear Games Announces Free-to-Play Online Action RPG Coming in Early 2011

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – September 1, 2010 – Independent games studio Grinding Gear Games today announced Path of Exile, a free-to-play PC online action Role-Playing Game (RPG) set in a dark fantasy world. The game will be available in early 2011.

Playing as one of six character classes, players find themselves banished for their past misdeeds to the dark fantasy world of Wraeclast. There, they will encounter hundreds of species of opponents laden with loot and mysterious artefacts as they explore the abandoned continent.

Players will be able to purchase in-game perks, such as extra victory animations, clothing and special effects. To protect the integrity of the game for all players, Grinding Gear Games has decided not to sell abilities or experience points – ensuring a level-playing field for everyone in game.

“We listened to the fan communities of several popular online action RPGs as we designed Path of Exile and are focused on replayability, depth and accessibility,” said Chris Wilson, Grinding Gear Games’ Founder. “We’ve designed the game that we would want to play ourselves, and we know hardcore Diablo, Titan Quest and Dungeon Siege players will find the style familiar and addictive.”

Wilson believes there has been a shortage of dark fantasy worlds in recent RPGs. “While the art style is a return to the classic dark fantasy that many hardcore players grew up with, we’re confident the difficulty curve is accessible enough for anyone. There are no rainbows and unicorns in our game, but there is plenty of blood and rare items to collect.”

With an open-ended and flexible skill and item system, randomised items and random dungeons, the game promises three acts of visceral combat gameplay, with additional expansions already planned.

Path of Exile has been in development for three years by Grinding Gear Games, a independent studio of hardcore RPG fans based in Auckland, New Zealand, the land that brought you the Lord of the Rings movies. The team comes from around the world with many team members meeting each other online through their passion for RPGs.

• Six character classes
• Dozens of unique monsters
• Complex randomized item system
• Free to download and play on persistent servers
• Freedom to use every skill and item with any class
• Dynamic skill system
• Competitive online PvP play
• Randomized indoors and outdoors levels
• Liven things up with in-game perks
• Coming early 2011

Grinding Gear Games will be attending Penny Arcade Expo, 3-5 September in Seattle. We will not be publicly exhibiting but are available for media previews and interviews.

To request media interviews or more information please contact:

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