Known for his Youtube content focussing on efficiency and blazingly fast blasting of maps on his stream, community streamer Grimro took a moment to talk to us about his experiences in and outside of Path of Exile. Check it out!
Hi Grimro, thank you for taking part in the interview! Please introduce yourself.
Yo what is up Grim here, I’m a Path of Exile Streamer and Youtuber best known for currency making and Path of Exile science content. What is Science content you might ask? If the community has a question about anything in the game about a new mechanic or how rare an item is off a boss, I’m your man and I’m keen to grind out the answers.
When did you first get into Path of Exile?
I first got into Path of Exile after watching one of my favorite streamers Kripparrian pick up the game in the early beta phase back when there were only 2 acts!
At the time Hardcore was the primary way to play and if you werent playing it you werent really playing Path of Exile. It’s fair to say I got completely blasted in hardcore and quickly put the game down in favour of just enjoying streams and content.
I dabbled in Softcore Path of Exile here and there but only really found myself playing seriously in the Essence league after the release of the Atlas of Worlds. This is what I would consider my true start.
What one thing caught your attention in the beginning and what one thing kept you coming back?
The thing that initially got me into Path of Exile alongside so many others was the expansive skill tree and skill gem system. What got me back for round two and really invested in Essence league was absolutely the Atlas of Worlds though.
The reason I keep coming back to Path of Exile is the fresh leagues and economy we get every three months. The week leading up to a league start, planning out your build, progression and various strategies alongside your friends all culminating in a launch day of insane gaming successes, failures and new discoveries is truly something I haven’t found anywhere else.
Are there any highlights from your time playing Path of Exile that stand out in your memory?
My fondest Path of Exile memory is of the Ritual league when player power and what you could do in the game was at its absolute highest (maybe a little too high). The combination of Full power Harvest crafting alongside some truly absurd skills and ways to scale them allowed for you to build characters nothing like anyone had seen before.
Flying through 100% Delirium Canyon maps on Self Poison Cold Blade Vortex with 800%+ movement speed while my computer ran the game at approximately 2 frames per second due to all the monsters and effects going off was truly something I’ll never forget. In fact I’m smiling typing this right now.
Do you have a favourite build?
This may surprise some people who follow my content… but my favorite build without a doubt is Deadeye Tornado Shot, of which I’ve played as my main build in more leagues than I can remember. Tornado Shot isn’t always the best build in any given league but in my opinion it’s always the most comfy to play due to the fact it generally hits all the monsters on the screen no matter where you aim it! Historically it’s a skill that gets nerfed frequently, let's hope that doesn’t happen again any time soon!
Which expansion has been your favourite so far?
My Favorite Path of Exile Expansion is a toss up between Echoes of the Atlas and Legacy League.
Echoes of the Atlas (Ritual League) was excellent as it took the concept of the Atlas of Worlds and expanded your ability to customize and interact with it greatly, creating a tonne of new ways to play.
Legacy League was in many ways similar to Echoes of the Atlas but at a much earlier stage of games development, so it felt quite ahead of its time in what it offered especially when compared to other leagues at the time. The league allowed you to select empowered versions of past league mechanics to run on each of your maps via league stones but also featured Ancient Reliquary Keys!
The Reliquary Keys opened a secret vault containing a chance at a pre-nerf version of some of the most powerful uniques in the game like pre-nerf Vessel of Vinktar which allowed you to instantly leech life from lightning damage (very overpowered). What really made the league fun is that the pre-nerf versions of uniques were incredibly rare but very powerful. It felt like I always had a goal to grind for and an upgrade to reach for in the Legacy League.
What's one thing every Path of Exile player should hear?
“Still Sane Exile?” - Zana Master Cartographer.
P.S. When is Zana coming back?
When did you first start streaming? How did you get into it?
I first started streaming during the Legion league in 2019. The main reason I found myself streaming was people kept asking me to in my Youtube comments and Discord server so I figured I’d give it a shot!
What were you doing before you started streaming?
Before I started content creation I worked as a business analyst at a large Australian company. Before that while I was going through my uni years I worked as a cleaner cleaning supermarkets which is actually a much tougher job than it sounds. If you’re interested, the hardest thing to clean by far was the bakery.
What hobbies or interests do you have outside of streaming?
Right now outside of content creation and gaming my hobbies include working on and developing my own Indie game for the PC and teaching myself how to draw. Pretty compelling stuff if you can get into it!
How has your life changed from before you were streaming until now? What role has streaming played in that transition?
Content creation as a whole has been something I’ve been doing full time for a little over a year now and it’s definitely much harder than I expected. Having the power to work whenever you want and make whatever you want is very freeing and a big change from what I used to do but also very difficult to manage.
The role streaming plays for me is a tool to connect with my community, hang out, gather ideas and extend my reach when it counts (like on league start).
Honestly I’m still getting the hang of things and I tend to be pretty loosey-goosey with my schedule but I think I’m starting to figure it out!
Is there anything you'd like to see more of in the streaming community?
Specifically in the Path of Exile streaming community I’d personally love to see more entertainment based content. Path of Exile is a super serious game and a lot of the content made around it is very educational or competitive. Fun, light-hearted content whether it’s a whacky build or a crazy crafting gamble are some of the most fun for me to watch.
Do you have any advice for people who are looking to make their own career out of streaming?
I’m certainly no streaming or content creation guru but I’ve seen my fair share of Path of Exile content creators rise through the ranks so I’ll share what I’ve seen work.
Unless you’re a God gamer intending to make a name for yourself by winning racing events or getting to level 100 first I’d recommend starting on Youtube first and building a following there through solid, well-edited, informative or entertaining content.
Releasing a hot league starter, or end game build is a pretty sure fire way to get people interested in what you have to say or are doing in the game and I’ve seen plenty of people transition that into a successful streaming career. Jungroan (OP Hipster Meme Builds) and Palsteron (EA Ballista) are the two freshest in my mind.
Are there any up and coming streamers that you'd like to shine a spotlight on?
Certainly, I’ll take the time to shout out my friend and fellow content creator crouching_tuna. He makes some seriously strong and interesting builds and is best known for his takes on Lightning Strike and more recently Blade Vortex. Definitely check him out if you haven’t already!
Do you plan to come to New Zealand for Exilecon? If so, is there anything outside of Exilecon that you're keen on checking out?
Absolutely, I wouldn’t miss it! Well not a second time that is… I really regret not attending the first one so I made it a point to be there for the second one!
As I’ve already been to New Zealand for a holiday before, I'll be spending my time outside of Exilecon hanging out with other creators and friends attending the convention and hopefully finding some good places to eat some delicious food.
Thank you so much for participating in the interview! If you'd like to follow Grimro, you can do so on Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch.
The seasonal winter microtransactions are now available in the store for a limited time! A selection of seven snowy cosmetic effects, including a helmet, a character effect, fireworks, pets and hideout decorations will help to set a festive mood for the upcoming holidays!
The Demonic Arctic Reindeer Pet, Yeti Mask, Polar Bear Cub, Snowman Hideout Decoration, Ice Sculpture Hideout Decoration, Frigid Character Effect, and Frigid Fireworks will only be available in the store until January 8th (NZT) and won't return until the next December/January holiday period! Check them out by watching the videos below, or press M in-game to open the store and get yours.
If you're looking to get some points, consider checking out our new Sanctum Supporter Packs or the current Core Supporter Packs, which are leaving the store very soon. Thank you so much for your support!
The upcoming 3.20.1 content update includes some new items obtainable in The Forbidden Sanctum, so today we're providing the Item Filter information you need to get ready for this update.
If you're not sure what to do with this information, don't worry too much! We'll update Path of Exile's built-in item filter alongside the 3.20.1 update.
Next week we're planning to deploy the 3.20.1 update which improves the current Kirac's Vault pass, introduces new Sanctum content (including Unique Relics and their special rewards), and the 2023 Core Supporter Packs. Find out more in this news post.
Improved Kirac's Vault Pass
We launched this league's Kirac Vault Pass a few days ago, with nine exclusive unique item skins. In 3.20.1, we're adding five more microtransactions to the pass, in the form of these additional mystery boxes from Path of Exile's past: Warlord, Polaris, Twilight, Harmony and Sin/Innocence.
If you've already bought your pass, it'll be automatically updated to include the new mystery boxes that can be unlocked, when 3.20.1 releases next week.
Unique Relics and New Rewards
The 3.20.1 update introduces the concept of Unique Relics. Every time you defeat the final form of the Sanctum Boss, she'll drop a Unique Relic which challenges you to complete an entire run of The Forbidden Sanctum at area level 80+ under special rules. If you're able to complete such a run, you'll be rewarded in new and special ways. However, the Unique Relic will be destroyed regardless of the outcome of your run, so if you fail to complete it, you'll forfeit your potential rewards.
We'll go into more detail about Unique Relics and their rewards in the patch notes next week, but for the time being, here's a teaser of one of the possible rewards you can earn:
Other Improvements to Sanctum
We're making Sanctum more multiplayer-friendly in 3.20.1 by changing it so that party members get to store a Sanctum room for later when the map owner runs their Sanctum room for the area.
The patch also contains a variety of other smaller improvements, such as having the Resolve Bar flash when your Resolve changes, and adding notifications for which specifics Afflictions have been removed by Accursed Pacts or Radiant Fountains.
New Core Packs Available Soon
The 2023 series of Core Supporter Packs will be released next week! This means it's your last chance to get the 2022 set of Imperator, Nullifier, Annihilator, Ravager, and Incinerator Core Supporter Packs. If you don't want to miss out, get yours in-game by pressing M to open the store.
The Forbidden Sanctum opened its doors last weekend and the community have been discovering lots of new things! Check out today's post which rounds-up some new items, Divination Cards and a few community highlights!
New Unique Items
We would first like to show off two new Unique items designed by a couple winners from the Sentinel Boss Kill Event.
While both of their creators have already shown off their creations on their social media, we wanted to highlight them to the community!
Annihilation's Approach are a pair of Unique Boots that were designed by imexile, and drops from the Uber Searing Exarch. While it provides juicy bonuses, you'll need to find a way to mitigate its burning downside!
Nimis is a Unique Ring designed by Jungroan, and drops from the Uber Eater of Worlds. It makes your projectiles return to you after their flight, but it makes them go in random directions too.
The next three uniques are Sanctum League exclusive uniques and have already been discovered by the community!
The Balance of Terror is a Unique Jewel that can roll a plethora of mods based on Hexes that you cast. Think of it as a Watcher's Eye, but for Hexes!
Sandstorm Visage makes your Base Critical Strike Chance of Spells match the Critical Strike Chance of your main hand weapon, but makes it so you can't critically strike with attacks. Great for hand-casting spells, but maybe not so much for Cast on Crit builds!
Finally, The Winds of Fate is a new Unique Staff that gives a huge damage boost, but caps your Maximum Critical Strike Chance at 50% and makes your non-critical strikes deal no damage. You'll need to find the right balance (or combination of mechanics) to take advantage of it.
The next unique item drops from the Uber Maven fight and has a similar theme to the Starforge and Voidforge Unique Swords.
Echoforge's stat ranges are quite high, so you'll either need to be very lucky or sink a lot of Divine Orbs to get a good roll! Echoforge has the following stat ranges:
Adds (600-650) to (750-800) Chaos Damage
16% reduced Attack Speed to 16% increased Attack Speed
-200 to 200 to Maximum Life
40% reduced Area of Effect for Attacks to 40% increased Area of Effect for Attacks
The last Unique that's been discovered by the community was designed by a supporter.
The supporter wanted its visual design to match Shavronne's Wrappings and makes increases and reductions to your Cast Speed apply to your Attack Speed as well!
New Divination Cards
Outside the Divination Cards that we teased before launch, more cards that were released in The Forbidden Sanctum have been found! If you haven't seen them yet, check them out below!
The Forbidden Sanctum
A lot of Streamers and content creators have been exploring the secrets and mysteries of The Forbidden Sanctum. A few people have conquered the final boss that awaits you at the end too! We've added in some highlights below of some cool Sanctum runs and encounters.
If you do not want to be spoiled on The Forbidden Sanctum's content or lore, please be warned that the videos below contain spoilers!
We have released a new version of Kirac's Vault Pass that contains unique item skin rewards that are exclusive to this league! Each of these rewards visually interacts with gameplay in some way and will leave the store forever when the Sanctum League ends. After purchasing the pass, you can earn its rewards in the Atlas endgame by completing map objectives. Check out the Kirac's Vault Pass in-game by clicking on the icon in the top-left of your Atlas or by pressing M to open the store!
We've just released the Sanctum Mystery Box, a new mystery box without duplicate microtransactions! Each of the microtransactions in this mystery box has visual behaviour that interacts with your gameplay.
There are 14 microtransactions that you can find in the Sanctum Mystery Box. Each of these microtransactions has a varying number of thematic variations, and you'll never receive a duplicate copy of a variation that you have already opened. For example, if you open the Sulphurous Gargoyle Wings variant of the Gargoyle Wings, you may later receive the Pitch-black variant, but you'll never get a duplicate Sulphurous one.
Path of Exile: The Forbidden Sanctum launches soon! In this news post, we've gathered all the information you need to know about what happens on launch day and how to start downloading early.
The realm goes down and patching begins at: 8am PST The servers go live at: 11am PST
If you're unsure what the above times will be in your local time, please refer to the countdown on the front page of pathofexile.com. Three hours before the end of the countdown, the realm will go down and patching will begin shortly after. When the countdown ends, the servers will be live and you'll be able to join the Sanctum League!
The patch size for the update will be around 4-5GB on Steam.
Path of Exile: The Forbidden Sanctum will launch on consoles at 3pm PST. Downtime will begin for deployment at approximately 12pm PST.
If you're looking for some extra character slots for the launch, we're running a sale on these right now! This is also your last chance to get Kalandra Mystery Boxes! It will leave the store when our next Mystery Box becomes available! Keep in mind that if you haven't taken advantage of it yet, it's still possible to get one free Kalandra Mystery Box when you spend any amount of points in the store. NOTE: this is only possible once per account. Additional purchases do not grant additional mystery boxes. If you need some extra points, we recommend checking out the Sanctum and Core Supporter Packs.
In case you still haven't decided which build to play with, check out the Class subsections on the forum for suggestions from the community. Many of our community streamers are also providing build guides on YouTube!
When The Forbidden Sanctum expansion launches, the Kalandra Supporter Packs will leave the store forever, so this is your last chance to purchase them before they are gone! You can find them in the shop by pressing M in-game. The Kalandra Supporter Packs will be leaving the store at: 11am PST.
We can't wait to see your latest adventures through Wraeclast. We'll see you at launch!