Grinding Gear Games

Grinding Gear Games (GGG) is an independent video game development studio founded in November 2006 and headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand. The studio is best known for the free-to-play action role-playing title Path of Exile, its numerous major expansions, and the upcoming sequel Path of Exile 2.

The company describes itself as a community-focused studio that builds deep, complex ARPG experiences, funding its projects through crowd-sourced and player-driven models. They are committed to ethical free-to-play monetization (no "pay-to-win"), extreme transparency with the player community, and iterative design based on player feedback.

Leadership: Chris Wilson (Co-founder & Managing Director), Jonathan Rogers (Co-founder & Technical Director), Erik Olofsson (Co-founder & Creative Director), Brian Weissman (Executive Producer).

Services: Full-cycle game development, live operations (LiveOps), community management, and global game publishing.

Tools: Proprietary in-house game engine, advanced visual effects (VFX) tools, and community-driven feedback loops.

Awards: BAFTA Award for Best Evolving Game (2020), GameSpot PC Game of the Year (2013), IGN Best PC Role-Playing Game (2013).

COVID-19 Hiring Update: The company continued to interview and hire during this period. Some roles could begin as remote positions, with the goal for employees to join in Auckland as travel restrictions eased.