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.

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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. Also, don't forget that you can support both Grimro and the development of Path of Exile by buying microtransactions from his Nexus page!