Between Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred, Last Epoch, and the upcoming launch of Path of Exile 2 – it’s a brilliant time for ARPGs. The genre is so diverse right now that we’re spoiled for choice, with each entry trying something new and setting itself apart from the rest. Having so much choice does mean that new releases need to give us ample reason to try them out, though, and this is exactly what the upcoming Greek mythology ARPG Titan Quest 2 is doing. Developer Grimlore Games has promised TQ2 will never have loot boxes or pay-to-win elements, and hopes that being open with prospective players earns their trust.
Just like its 2006 predecessor, Titan Quest 2 turns ancient mythology into a tense ARPG. You’ll face off against monsters, gods, and legends of the Aegean thanks to Nemesis spiraling out of control – but at least you won’t come up against loot boxes and pay-to-win systems. TQ2 could very well be one of the best games like Diablo, and the team’s willingness to communicate ahead of launch is a solid start.
“With Titan Quest 2, we intend to take a bit of a different approach than with most projects before,” Grimlore Games writes. “We want to involve the community in a typical Steam Early Access manner. Our reasoning: we want Titan Quest 2 to stand its own ground within the ARPG genre and we are convinced that there is only one way to pull it off: swarm intelligence.
“When the first Titan Quest originally released in 2006, it was the alternative to Diablo 2 and not many others in the ARPG genre. In 2024, the situation looks a little different. Apart from the still ongoing Diablo franchise, there are numerous other contestants out there.”
When it comes to Diablo’s competition, Grimlore is entirely correct. Blizzard’s Diablo 4 doesn’t dominate the ARPG space like it could have done a decade ago, with the likes of Path of Exile and Last Epoch carving out their own space. To stand tall against the competition, Grimlore Games has four promises for launch and beyond.
Grimlore’s biggest promise is that Titan Quest 2 will have no lootboxes – the studio says it has “no need to explain further in our opinion.” Grimlore Games also promises that there will be no pay-to-win elements in the game either.
“We do despise this with a passion,” the studio says. “There will never ever be any monetization mechanic in the game, urging you to spend money on any gameplay-related item to give anybody an advantage.”
Grimlore Games does add that the team wants to continue supporting Titan Quest 2 after launch with expansions and potentially purchasable cosmetics, but that this will never be in the form of in-game consumables. This means TQ2 won’t have XP boosters, or any kind of buffs and bonuses that you can buy outside the game itself.
Lastly, Grimlore Games adds that both online and offline modes will be available at launch. “You can play the way you want to play the game. When we launch into early access in the winter of 2025, we will however not yet have online multiplayer (four-player co-op) implemented. This will be among the first two updates once we launch into Steam Early Access.”
Ahead of the release, Grimlore Games has outlined what Titan Quest 2’s masteries class system means for customization, while detailing the ARPG’s exploration mechanics as well. So if you can’t wait for the Diablo alternative, I highly recommend you catch up on what the game has planned.
Titan Quest 2 is launching in Steam Early Access sometime this winter season. You can wishlist the game right here.
We’ve also got all the best free Steam games and best RPGs you can try out while waiting for Titan Quest 2, even if it won’t be long.
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