Path of Exile 2 has been rated Steam Deck Verified, Grinding Gear Games confirmed. The studio announced the rating in a Steam post, and PCGamesN reported that the classification comes from Valve shortly before the action RPG's 1.0 release.
The studio framed the rating as a way to play the game away from a desktop, on the move or from a couch. Players can reach it on the handheld now by buying an Early Access Key, Grinding Gear Games said, or wait until the game becomes free to play on December 11 PST.
What 1.0 changes
The full launch closes out Path of Exile 2's main campaign and adds the Duelist class, which introduces swords to the game, PCGamesN reported. It also ends the paid early access period: the game moves to a free-to-play model, and the studio's Steam post said the Duelist will be playable from that point.
PCGamesN noted that the game supports pausing and has controller support, both of which matter on a handheld, and that players can leave more involved crafting for a keyboard and mouse session by storing items in a stash.
After a long early access
Path of Exile 2 entered early access as a paid product and has been revised repeatedly since, including an endgame overhaul shipped in May as part of the Return of the Ancients update, according to PCGamesN. The outlet also reported that Grinding Gear Games said in late July that it had resolved persistent performance problems, following testing that included running simulations and sending a PC to Nvidia's engineers.
Grinding Gear Games also confirmed that pre-registrations for the game have passed one million, PCGamesN reported, unlocking two of five milestone rewards that go to everyone who signs up by release day. The rewards unlocked so far are a portal effect and a Scourgeborn boar pet, and registering requires only an email address, with or without an existing account.
An early access key currently starts at $29.99 or 23.93 pounds and includes a bundle of in-game currency that can be spent on extra stash tabs or cosmetics, PCGamesN said. The studio has stated that those purchases do not affect gameplay.
