Grinding Gear, the developers of Path of Exile, have announced today that players interested in trying out the game will be able to do so for free this weekend. The studio will be hosting an open beta for their multiplayer action-RPG for all to try out.
Typically, the only way to gain access to the beta weekends is to pay for a $10 key, which includes $10 worth of in-game currency for players to purchase items with. The studio will be waving the requirement this one time to stress test the servers from 5pm Pacific on Friday until 11:59pm on Sunday.
Those interested in testing the game should head on over to the event website and download the client and preload it before the event begins.
Unlike the game’s competitors Diablo 3 and Torchlight 2, Path of Exile will run under a free-to-play model while monetizing things like storage upgrades, vanity items, pets, special animations and a host of items with additional modifiers and effects. Everyone else will be able to play for free without too much of a penalty–they just won’t be able to stand out in a crowd.