Jonathan Rogers, director of Path of Exile 2, has a simple rule when it comes to scheduling major releases: other games don't factor in. Except one. In a recent interview with PoE co-creator Chris Wilson, Rogers made it clear that GTA 6 is the single release he's actively planning around as the game heads toward its 1.0 launch later this year.
The one exception to GGG's release scheduling philosophy
Rogers has historically taken a straightforward stance on launch timing. His community expects updates on GGG's own schedule, and he knows they'd push back hard if delays were blamed on rival releases. "The community would slay us if they thought that we were delaying things just because some other game had a thing coming out," he said during the interview.
Here's the thing, though: GTA 6 is a different beast entirely. Rogers acknowledged it directly, saying, "That being said, GTA 6 is a bit of a problem. If there's a release you're going to avoid, I would say that's the one."
His reasoning goes beyond simple player overlap. Rockstar's marketing spend alone is a factor. "They're going to buy out literally all the media. Anything that is possible to spend money on, I'm sure they'll be spending it on," Rogers said. Launching on the same weekend as that kind of saturation, even for a game with a loyal PC-centric audience, is a fight nobody needs.
Why the timing actually matters for PoE 2's 1.0
Path of Exile 2 is expected to exit early access before the end of this year, with Rogers confirming the Return of the Ancients expansion will be its last major update before the 1.0 release. ExileCon is scheduled for early November, which means the 1.0 window lands uncomfortably close to GTA 6's confirmed November 19 console release date.
GTA 6 won't be on PC at launch, which gives PoE 2 some breathing room since it draws almost entirely from PC players. But Rogers isn't naive about the indirect impact. Even a console-only launch for Rockstar's game dominates gaming media, social feeds, and player attention across the board.
Path of Exile 2's 1.0 release date has not been officially confirmed yet. Rogers' comments suggest the team is actively factoring GTA 6's November window into their scheduling decisions.
The David vs. Goliath angle wasn't lost on Wilson either. He jokingly pointed out that GGG has always had that underdog dynamic going against Blizzard's Diablo series, suggesting they lean into it with Rockstar too. Rogers laughed it off: "Well, yeah, that's a Goliath I don't want to take on quite frankly."
What this means for players waiting on 1.0
The practical read here is that GGG will aim to put some distance between the PoE 2 1.0 release and November 19. Whether that means launching before GTA 6 hits consoles or waiting until the dust settles in late November or December isn't clear yet. Rogers wasn't announcing a date, just signaling awareness.
For the PoE 2 faithful, the good news is that the team is clearly thinking carefully about giving the 1.0 launch the best possible conditions. After years of early access, the full release deserves its moment, and GGG seems determined not to bury it under Rockstar's marketing avalanche.
If you're planning your build for 1.0 and want to get ahead of the curve, our Path of Exile 2 class guides for the Third Edict update break down the current power rankings and what to expect as the game moves toward full release.
