Game Director Reveals Path of Exile 2 Draws Inspiration from Elden Ring and Civilization 5

During a recent discussion, Jonathan Rogers, the game director for Path of Exile 2, shared that the game draws inspiration from a wide array of other games. Notably, games like Elden Ring and other titles from the action genre have influenced the boss fights, while Civilization V has shaped the end-game map design.

This information came to light in an end-game presentation, which was further detailed in a press roundtable discussion. The conversation sparked after a demonstration of a story boss fight where the player battles a massive construct with numerous unique attacks and distinct phases. When questioned about the broader influences during the press interview, Rogers had quite a bit to share.

He candidly admitted, “Honestly, pinpointing just one game would be quite challenging because we draw inspiration from all over the place. For instance, regarding the in-game map, I told the artists I wanted it to resemble Civilization V! Normally, you wouldn’t expect an action RPG to be influenced by something like that. We really pull ideas from everywhere, making it hard to even compile a comprehensive list.”

Addressing influences from recent action titles, Rogers noted, “Of course, recent action games, like Elden Ring, played a role, particularly since they align with the combat elements we are exploring. Although I play every genre of video games—not just ARPGs—I must say, single-player action games are probably my favorite genre, albeit a bit unexpectedly.”

He continued, expressing his passion for these games: “That’s really where my heart lies, so I draw a lot of inspiration from them in terms of boss design and similar aspects. We aim to make the bosses in PoE 2 world-class by action game standards. They’re packed with intriguing mechanics, a range of abilities, and designing a boss like that is no small feat. In PoE 2, we also have to account for actions like dodge rolling. Balancing being an action game and a stat-driven game simultaneously is quite a challenge.”

Our preview of Path of Exile 2 highlighted the game’s impressive boss design, which is definitely worth exploring if you’re curious. Path of Exile 2 is scheduled for release on December 6 for both PC and console.