Path of Exile's lead producer Chris Wilson has posted a lengthy update on the state of development, where he discussed the company's already cramped schedule, and how some player comments make the team feel as if they have to crunch.
Wilson acknowledged that some players are very unhappy over "a number of topics" and that Grinding Gear Games (GGG) weren't clear on how they plan to solve them. So, he made it pretty clear.
"We fully acknowledge that [Synthesis] is not our best league and is not up to the quality standards that Path of Exile players should expect from us", Wilson wrote.
However, GGG are simultaneously handling Path of Exile 3.7.0 development, the 4.0.0 mega-expansion, ExileCon, South Korean launch, console features and all the bugs in between, and that means they have to pick their battles.
Wilson said that Path of Exile's current issues can be handled in two ways, first of which is assembling a specialised team that simultaneously disrupts seven projects. The second is to decide later, which sometimes makes more sense.
"A big topic in the gaming industry recently is development crunch. Some studios make their teams work 14 hour days to pack every patch full of the most fixes and improvements possible. Sometimes when we read our own Patch Notes threads and community feedback, we feel that we are being asked to do the same", Wilson wrote.
There's been plenty of talk about crunch lately, with the public taking notice on and even the mighty Epic have recently of this.
"I will not run this company that way. While there's inevitably a bit of optional paid overtime near league releases, the vast majority of a Path of Exile development cycle has great work/life balance. This is necessary to keep our developers happy and healthy for the long-term", Wilson said.
GGG
In the same , Wilson said Path of Exile 3.7.0 is shaping up great. "When we reveal 3.7.0 in three weeks, you'll see that its league has a focus on repeatable fun, and the combat revamp has a lot of focus on improving the fundamentals of Path of Exile's gameplay", he said.
Collection of Path of Exile screenshots and promotional pictures
- Image: 1 / 7
