Grinding Gear Games co-founder and Path of Exile director, Jonathan Rogers, has issued an apology to fans regarding the delay of update 3.26 for the original Path of Exile.  The studio's focus on the development and release of Path of Exile 2 has impacted their ability to maintain the development schedule for the first game.

Path of Exile 2's journey has been extensive, evolving from a planned update into a full-fledged sequel. While its early access launch delivered a visually and mechanically enhanced experience, its ongoing development requires significant attention.  Grinding Gear Games is committed to addressing player feedback and refining the game based on early access experiences.

Path of Exile 2 possesses the potential to enhance existing endgame activities, a path the developers should explore.  The need to refine PoE 2's endgame is a key factor in the reallocation of resources.

In a video address, Jonathan Rogers apologized for the postponement of update 3.26, linking its release to PoE 2's patch 0.2.0.  He acknowledged the studio's commitment to supporting PoE 1 with continued expansions while admitting the challenges of balancing development between the two titles.

Initially targeting an October release for update 3.26 following Path of Exile: Settlers of Kalguur in July 2024, the timeline shifted with the arrival of PoE 2's early access. This led to an internal goal of a February release, which, while not officially announced, generated community anticipation and subsequent disappointment as the date approached.

The influx of feedback and necessary adjustments following PoE 2's early access further strained the team's capacity to work on PoE 1.  Rogers admitted, "We still have a lot to learn about how to run two games simultaneously."

Prioritizing the stabilization of PoE 2, GGG has decided to focus efforts on update 3.26 only after PoE 2 patch 0.2.0 is deployed.  Despite this delay, Rogers reassured PoE 1 players of the studio's commitment to delivering the update, confirming that pre-production is gradually commencing.