Path of Exile co-creator rethinks live service as not always 'the future'

Grinding Gear Games co-founder Chris Wilson, who led Path of Exile until he left Grinding Gear in 2025, says he once believed the live-service model was unquestionably the future. In a recent YouTube video responding to a fan question, he describes how that conviction shaped his thinking for years.

Wilson explains that live service initially appealed because it made games free to access, offered variable monetization that scaled to players' willingness to spend, and supported a long-term relationship through constant updates. He notes Path of Exile and its sequel never pushed intrusive microtransactions, and that relaxed approach helped define what he saw as live service's strengths.

Over time, however, the model also became linked with predatory monetization and mounting player pressure. Wilson says studios sometimes make changes they don't believe in to avoid boycotts or review-bombing, while finished, complete games can escape those pressures.

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