Over 400,000 players are currently diving into the world of Path of Exile 2, as reported by Steam’s most popular games list. This surge in activity also means that countless gamers are facing brutal challenges from the game’s formidable foes, often feeling overwhelmed by its notorious difficulty—akin to navigating the treacherous landscapes of Dark Souls. However, Grinding Gear Games (GGG), the developer behind this action RPG, is aware of these struggles and aims to alleviate some frustrations with its final update for the year.
The Harsh Reality of Path of Exile 2
From the moment you step into Path of Exile 2, it becomes clear that danger lurks around every corner. Even basic enemies like skeletons hit harder than expected, and engaging multiple wolves at once feels like a heroic feat worthy of recognition. The initial hours can feel more like a survival horror experience where even nature seems to fight back; completing the campaign merely leads players into an even steeper difficulty curve.
Upcoming Changes for a Fairer Experience
While pain may still be part and parcel in PoE 2’s next patch, developers promise a more balanced gameplay experience. According to an announcement on their forums, several skills that have been underperforming will receive significant enhancements. This includes improvements for bow attacks and various spell types such as bone and chaos spells—great news for those who have felt limited in their character choices.
The Trial of Sekhemas—a roguelike dungeon essential for unlocking subclasses—will see notable adjustments as well. Previously challenging encounters up close will become less punishing due to changes in how Honour—a secondary resource akin to health—is managed during battles. Players can expect reduced Honour damage when near enemies along with fixes for bugs that previously drained this resource too quickly.
Easing Endgame Challenges
The most difficult dungeons or maps within PoE 2 are set to become less merciless too. Explosive monsters won’t be able to eliminate characters with one hit anymore; high-tier maps will no longer solely penalize elemental resistances either. One major grievance among veteran players has been sudden deaths caused by overwhelming enemy crowds leading them out empty-handed after hard-fought battles. While lives remain limited within this unforgiving universe, future deaths should feel less arbitrary.
Balancing Class Dynamics
This upcoming patch marks GGG’s second major update aimed at refining class balance across all six character types available in PoE 2. Recently released patches had left some builds devastated without prior notice—particularly those focused on freezing opponents—which forced players into costly rebuilds using precious resources like gold coins. To address these issues moving forward, GGG plans on reducing costs associated with reallocating skill points significantly.
In their own words: “Since launch we’ve unfortunately had to nerf a few skills that were far too overpowered… We aim not just at making builds unviable but rather ensuring diversity remains intact.”
Looking Ahead: What’s Next?
Full details regarding patch notes are anticipated soon; however, following its release period there may be quieter weeks ahead as many team members take time off after extensive work on updates.
Path of Exile 2 is currently accessible through early access on platforms including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC systems alike.
Student at Government College of Engineering Kolkata and an enthusiastic Journalist. Follows Topics such as Indian Politics, Gaming, Anime, etc. Click on the bell icon for more news and opinions from Srijan.