‘Path of Exile’ Expansion Development Affected By Coronavirus Lockdown

Grinding Gear Games, the maker of “Path of Exile,” may have brought home the needed equipment to continue working on the game but that doesn’t mean it becomes easier to produce an expansion for the game on time, due to the lockdown and difficulties brought about by working from home and away from the creative team.

According to Game Rant, “Path of Exile” expansion was supposed to be released this June. However, the schedule the game follows for the regular expansion and patch releases were simply not affected by COVID-19 pandemic. Other Grinding Gear Games titles, like “Risk of Rain 2,” have also suffered from the slow development.

While it isn’t ideal, it may also be better if the expansion comes out later. Developers have set a tentative launch date for the game’s expansion on June 24, but it isn’t clear whether they can meet this deadline. Players can expect a higher-quality result from the developers due to the delay, though.

Game developers have already agreed that the coronavirus lockdown is bad for business, it may actually turning out to be good. According to a report by Channel News Asia which covered the effects of the pandemic, playing video games like the Nintendo Switch’s “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” may provide a new way for families and friends to get together while staying apart.

People who are in quarantine could get bored easily because they have nothing to do at home. That’s where game services like Steam and video streaming platform Twitch come in. Under the “new normal," these platforms have seen “record-breaking numbers” stemming from personal usage and a surge of players logging in on the platform.

While most developers have tried to make the current situation work, Ubisoft has adapted to a “stay home and wash your hands” work ethic.

The current “Path of Exile” problems may seem big, but its developers welcome it as a challenge. They are reminding fans that they can expect the same challenges and quality from past expansions even with the latest update being done entirely while staying at home.