GRINDING GEAR GAMES & POSTRED BUILD A SCALABLE AUDIO PIPELINE FOR PATH OF EXILE II

We’re proud to support Grinding Gear Games on Path of Exile II, a beloved ARPG franchise enjoyed by millions of fans worldwide. Our collaboration began before the Early Access release and continues to grow and evolve post-launch. It’s been an incredible experience working alongside the talented GGG audio team and their fantastic Audio Director, Kane Bennett.

THE POSITIVE OUTCOMES

- Over 2,500 SFX assets and 55+ hours of dialogue-edited content were delivered on a tight schedule for the Early Access launch, enhancing GGG’s capacity for scalable, high-quality audio production,
- POSTRED aligned with GGG’s workflow to support future updates and content.
- Positive feedback from players and streamers (e.g., Asmongold) on the endgame boss sounds designed throughout the ongoing collaboration.

Kane Bennett (Audio & Narrative Director & Grinding Gear Games): “Thank you for being such awesome partners. POSTRED’s sound designers put a lot of their artistic flair into the work and players are loving it.”

SCALING UP AUDIO PRODUCTION

With Path of Exile II entering Early Access, Grinding Gear Games aimed to enhance its audio production pipeline further to meet the project's growing demands without compromising its artistic vision. POSTRED contributed by integrating into GGG’s established workflow and supporting their production of "raw, earthy, low, and gritty sounds" for the game’s soundscape.


THE COLLABORATIVE APPROACH

Working closely with GGG’s audio team and building on their creative findings—such as using Aztec death whistles for Vaal magic—POSTRED's team contributed by crafting custom instruments and props. This collaborative approach allowed us to contribute to the project’s grand scale with care and love, laying a strong foundation for future collaboration.

Beso Kacharava (supervising sound designer and founder at POSTRED): “We studied GGG’s audio vision and experimented extensively to design unique sounds while ensuring production quality and quick turnaround. We always try to bring complementary fresh ideas to the table.”


See the contribution showcase below.


OPENING CINEMATIC & CUTSCENES

Creating the opening cinematic involved a collaborative effort. Guided by GGG’s creative vision and incorporating in-game spells along with corruption sound effects to unify the stylistic palette, POSTRED enhanced these elements to develop the sound design for the cinematic. Rapid brainstorming and alterations led to a refined cinematic that was well-received by thousands of players, showcasing the effectiveness of our teamwork.

Dialogue & Music by Grinding Gear Games

Sound Design, Foley & Mix by POSTRED

Audio Director: Kane Bennett
Supervising Sound Designer: Beso Kacharava

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/858364422?h=89bb177f1c&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" width="1031" height="580" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write" title="Path of Exile II - Opening Cinematic"></iframe>

SOUND EFFECTS

Collaborating with GGG on game bosses was a gratifying experience.
Our sound design team contributed assets for the bosses, which GGG’s team integrated and fine-tuned to align with the gameplay and their vision.

This collage showcases assets delivered by POSTRED as Reaper projects and audio renders until implementation. While some assets required minimal adjustments, GGG's audio team, with their deep understanding of Path of Exile 2's engine, took the lead on final implementation and fine-tuning to ensure proper balance and cohesion within the game's dynamic environment. Reaper projects streamlined the alignment, iteration, and asset exchange process for some bosses' complex animations.

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1032226321?h=2626003542&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" width="1031" height="580" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write" title="Path of Exile II - Opening Cinematic"></iframe>


COLLABORATING ON “VAAL” SOUNDS
In Path of Exile, Vaal represents an ancient, enigmatic civilization steeped in dark rituals, sacrifice, and blood magic.

GGG's Vision:
- Dark fantasy and horror with raw, earthy textures.
- Tonal instruments like Aztec death whistles.
- Timbres that feel ancient yet otherworldly, avoiding a sci-fi feel.

Inspired by this vision, POSTRED crafted many custom instruments and utilized interesting props:

Unique Resonators: We used containers like a water cooler bottle and djembe to create textures that matched the Vaal aesthetic.

                                                                                                                                                 Recording audio through resonators.
"Lightning in a Bottle": Thunder recordings and the Plasma Drive octave fuzz module added dynamic layers to the bosses' shock skills:

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1042252874?h=bc4384a85b&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" width="400" height="580" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write" title="Path of Exile II - Opening Cinematic"></iframe>

A Swiss cowbell discovered in an antique shop added ceremonial vibes and a low, gritty, character-rich sound to the Vaal aesthetic.

DIALOGUE EDIT

POSTRED assisted GGG by covering over 55 hours of dialogue to prepare Pro Tools sessions for final editing, allowing GGG’s team to focus on creative storytelling. For player characters, NPCs and Bosses, we focused on noise reduction, gain adjustments, and EQ refinement to ensure high-quality dialogue preparation.

Collaborating with GGG’s talented audio team has been an inspiring journey. We’re honored to continue supporting their vision as the game evolves beyond Early Access.