Path of Exile 2’s Recent Strategies Overlook the Bigger Picture

After launching to impressive early access acclaim last December, Path of Exile 2 is now facing some heat from the community due to its recent “Dawn of the Hunt” update. This patch has sparked controversy among devoted players for a range of reasons, including adjustments to player power levels and shifts in design philosophy that are affecting the ARPG experience. Among the patch notes, longtime players bristled at the excessive nerfs applied across most builds, items, and skills—not just the standout ones like Spark Archmage. The end result? The new patch has made gameplay feel significantly less enjoyable, even after Grinding Gear Games (GGG) implemented some modifications. It seems that GGG’s current strategy might be addressing the wrong concerns.

Since rolling out the 0.2.0 update, GGG has been scrambling to fix issues, releasing hotfixes and patches to tackle a range of problems from game-crashing bugs to gameplay hurdles like player damage and minion durability. Despite these efforts, players have raised several other issues, and GGG has acknowledged the overall status of the game in a post on their official forum to outline their current focus. However, there’s a nagging feeling that GGG might be focusing their efforts in the wrong direction.

Let’s delve into some examples, like the forum discussion on the Huntress character. Path of Exile 2’s spear skills seem underwhelming due to their design, which relies heavily on combo usage in a genre where combat is typically fast-paced. GGG is attempting to slow combat down to make it more thoughtful, but struggles against the reality of fast and deadly monsters. They’ve introduced a new spear skill that culls enemies and grants a Frenzy Charge as a parry alternative, yet a core issue still lingers—spear skills require these charges to be effective, locking them behind unnecessary mechanics.

Specific spear skills see a boost when Frenzy Charges are used, but the underlying problem is that players lack sufficient means to generate these charges. The dependency on combos for effective gameplay isn’t sitting well with many veterans. Furthermore, the Huntress’s spear skills notoriously underperform, as indicated by their low base damage values.

Elsewhere, GGG touched upon complaints regarding Path of Exile 2’s sluggish campaign pace, attributing it to high monster health, player debuffs, and oversized map areas. While monster health has been adjusted to be less of a barrier since the update’s release, players are still grappling with too low damage output and overly large maps. Some locations, like Azak Bog or Matlan Waterways, remain problematic in size and complexity, necessitating backtracking and hindering player movement without addressing these concerns.

Ultimately, the current vision for Path of Exile 2 seems misaligned with what the game offers. GGG envisions slower combat but hasn’t adjusted monster speed or damage to match. Similarly, limited movement abilities clash with a campaign that requires significant time investment, turning completion into a tedious task. While GGG is listening to player feedback, their priorities don’t seem to match those of the fanbase, risking a disconnect between expectations and what’s delivered. This misalignment might pose bigger challenges down the road if left unresolved.