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Path of Exile devs want it to be easier for new players, but still won’t let you skip its 20-hour campaign every league—at least not yet: ‘It feels very wrong to me’
Path of Exile's developers are making accessibility improvements for newcomers but have firmly rejected long-standing requests to bypass the game's lengthy campaign structure. Players begin each seasonal league facing a mandatory 10-act storyline that typically requires 20 hours or more to complete, functioning as an extended tutorial before they can engage with the endgame content where most of the game's depth lies. Veteran players can accelerate through this sequence in just 5–6 hours, highlighting the disparity between experienced and new players.
Game designer Christopher Laferriere and director Mark Roberts told media outlets that campaign skipping remains off the table, with Roberts suggesting the requirement would feel conceptually misaligned with the game's design philosophy. The developers acknowledge the frustration but show no signs of reconsidering, despite this being one of the most consistent criticisms from both new and returning players attempting to engage with Path of Exile and its sequel.
In short
- Path of Exile developers are improving new-player experience but will not allow skipping the mandatory 20-hour campaign each league
- Every new player must complete 10 acts before accessing endgame content, taking most players 20+ hours versus veterans' 5–6 hours
- Despite years of repeated player requests, developers maintain that skipping would feel fundamentally wrong to the game's design
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
New players face a genuine barrier when a 20-hour tutorial delays access to the actual game, particularly frustrating in seasonal leagues where veterans must repeat the campaign. Allowing players to skip the campaign after character creation respects player agency and differs little from accessibility features elsewhere; those seeking the full narrative experience could still choose the campaign, whilst others could engage with the core endgame systems immediately. This flexibility could meaningfully improve player retention without compromising the experience for those who prefer the intended path.
The case against
The campaign is integral to Path of Exile's design rather than extraneous tutorial content—it provides essential worldbuilding, narrative grounding, and calibrated mechanical education that prepares players for endgame complexity. Allowing skips risks overwhelming newcomers with systems they've not learned to understand and fractures the shared progression experience that sustains a live-service community. The developers' commitment to design coherence and their intended vision carries genuine merit, even if it temporarily frustrates some players seeking immediate gratification.
Explained simply
Path of Exile is a free-to-play role-playing video game where players participate in seasonal events called "leagues". Each time a new league begins, all players—even those who have played for years—must complete a 10-act campaign, a story-driven section that typically requires 20 hours or more for newcomers to finish. This campaign functions as an extended tutorial, blocking access to the endgame content where the game's main depth and appeal lies.
Experienced players can rush through the campaign in just 5 or 6 hours, but for those attempting it for the first time, or for veterans replaying it for the tenth time, the lengthy narrative sequence becomes a significant barrier to enjoyment. For new players, this stretch before reaching the engaging part can be discouraging, whilst returning players face considerable repetition every time a new seasonal league launches. Campaign skipping has become one of the most consistently requested features from the community for these reasons.
The game's developers have acknowledged this frustration but rejected all proposals to allow bypassing the campaign. Directors and designers have stated that removing this requirement feels conceptually misaligned with how the game is designed and structured. Whilst they continue making other accessibility improvements for newcomers, they show no signs of reconsidering this particular decision despite years of repeated player feedback.