Comparing Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred and Path of Exile 2. Explore the differences in combat, character building, and cost to find your perfect ARPG.
In late 2025, the ARPG landscape has reached a fascinating crossroads. With Path of Exile 2 having spent a full year in Early Access and Diablo 4 launching its second major expansion, Lord of Hatred, the genre has effectively split into two distinct camps.
Here is how the two titans stack up as we look toward 2026.
The “Vibe” Check: Accessibility vs. Depth
- Diablo 4 is the summer blockbuster. It is polished, cinematic, and designed to make you feel powerful immediately. It respects your time, allowing you to smash demons for 30 minutes and see tangible progress.
- Path of Exile 2 is the 1,000-page fantasy novel. It is dense, uncompromising, and demands your full attention. It expects you to fail, learn, and master its systems. It respects your intelligence but demands your devotion.
1. Combat & Gameplay
- Diablo 4 (The Arcade Blaster): Combat remains fast, fluid, and reliant on cooldown rotations. The Lord of Hatred expansion (April 2026) doubles down on the “power fantasy,” with the returning Paladin class specializing in screen-clearing Holy Light and heavy melee impacts.
- Path of Exile 2 (The Tactical Evolution): Grinding Gear Games has slowed the pace significantly. With a universal dodge roll and WASD movement, it feels closer to a “Soulslike” ARPG. You cannot just face-tank bosses; you must manually evade telegraphed one-shot mechanics.
2. Character Building
- Diablo 4: Uses a reworked Skill Tree and the Talisman system (introduced in Lord of Hatred) to bring back set-bonus buildcraft. It remains hard to “brick” a character, making it perfect for players who want to jump in and slay without a spreadsheet.
- Path of Exile 2: Features the massive Passive Skill Tree with the new “Dual Specialization.” This allows you to have two different passive trees that swap automatically based on the weapon you use (e.g., a Sorceress swapping between Ice for CC and Lightning for DPS). It’s a dream for theory-crafters.
3. Endgame & Content (Dec 2025 Status)
- Diablo 4: The endgame now features the “Dark Citadel” co-op raid and the new Echoing Hatred gauntlet. It is a highly polished, structured loop focused on “Masterworking” your gear.
- Path of Exile 2: Still in Early Access as of late 2025 (1.0 release now targeted for Autumn 2026). It offers the Atlas of Worlds, a non-linear map system where you customize your own endgame content. The sheer volume of content is staggering, though still being balanced.
4. Monetization & Cost
- Diablo 4: High Initial Cost. Base game is approx. £60-£70 (or Game Pass), with Lord of Hatred retailing at £34.99+. It features a paid Battle Pass and a premium cosmetic shop.
- Path of Exile 2: Free (with a caveat). The full game will be Free-to-Play at 1.0. During Early Access, entry requires a Supporter Pack (approx. £24). To play seriously, you’ll likely want to spend £30-£40 on specialized Stash Tabs—a one-time “tax” for a lifetime of play.
Upgrade your setup: 👉 [SteelSeries Rival 3 Wireless Gaming Mouse] (Perfect for WASD movement in PoE 2)
Console Comfort: 👉 [Xbox Wireless Controller – Carbon Black] (Ideal for Diablo 4 couch co-op)
Gear Up: 👉 [Elgato Stream Deck MK.2]