Grinding Gear Games (GGG), the developer behind Path of Exile 2, has introduced further emergency updates to the action role-playing game in response to the widespread dissatisfaction with the Dawn of the Hunt expansion. This update, released earlier this month, introduced the new Huntress class, which specializes in hybrid melee and ranged combat with a Spear and Buckler, alongside five new ascension classes: the Ritualist, Amazon, Smith of Kitava, Tactician, and Lich. Additionally, the expansion brought over a hundred new unique items and significantly expanded crafting options. Despite these additions, the community's reaction has been overwhelmingly negative, with Steam user reviews dropping to 'mostly negative' due to significant gameplay slowdowns that players have described as a "total slog."
The most critical review on Steam over the last 30 days encapsulates the community's frustrations, highlighting that boss fights are excessively long, skills are underpowered, and the game's overall stability is questionable. Other players have echoed these sentiments, describing the game as punishing with little reward and criticizing the forced combo gameplay and large map sizes that exacerbate the slow movement.
In response to the backlash, GGG has already made a series of adjustments, and now, with the upcoming 0.2.0e update scheduled for April 11, they are set to implement further changes. These changes aim to address the core issues raised by the community, but the question remains whether they will be substantial enough to restore player satisfaction and reverse the negative feedback trend.
Path of Exile 2 has enjoyed a successful launch, struggling initially to handle the influx of players. However, this success has also brought challenges that have affected the development of Path of Exile 1, which still holds a dedicated player base.
Path of Exile 2 Update 0.2.0e Patch Notes
Monster Speed Changes
To address the overwhelming nature of monster encounters, GGG is implementing various adjustments across different acts. Notably, human monsters like Cultists in Freythorn, Faridun, and Tribal Humans in Act Three will no longer interrupt their melee attacks as frequently, allowing players more time to engage and use skills effectively. Additionally, the Haste Aura modifier will no longer be applied to already fast monsters.
**Act 1:** Werewolf and Tendril Prowlers will transition to a walking stance post-attack, reducing their speed unless players move far away. Hungering Stalkers have reduced life and damage to compensate for their speed. The number of Bloom Serpents and Venomous Crabs has been decreased, and Blood Cretins' blood pools have a shorter duration.
**Act 2:** Boulder Ants in Titan Valley are replaced by Risen Maraketh to reduce irritating monster movement. Faridun also see the removal of interrupt events during attacks.
**Act 3:** Diretusk Boar and Antlion Charger's charges will push players sideways rather than along with them. Adjustments to the Lost City and Azak Bog reduce the number of ranged and elite monsters. An issue with Slitherspitter's poison spray dealing incorrect damage type has been fixed.
GGG acknowledges further issues with monster density in some areas, promising fixes in future updates.
Boss Changes
Viper Napuatzi's fight sees reduced Chaos Rain effects for better visibility and gameplay. Uxmal's fight is streamlined with fewer location changes, no Energy Shield recharge in the air, and less frequent Flame Breath. Xyclucian's arena is cleared of ground foliage to enhance effect visibility.
Player Minion Changes
Minion revive timers are now more forgiving, reducing the reset time with each successive minion death. Disenchanting certain gems now allows for their reuse, and tamed beasts can navigate through player-sized gaps.
Other Player Balance
Rally support can now be used with any melee attack, not just Strikes or Slams. Glory from specific skills is no longer consumed if the player is interrupted, and a bug with the Ritualist ascendancy's Blood Boils has been fixed.
Crafting Changes
All caster weapon mods are now available on runes, and Renly's abandoned shop in the Burning Village offers a Blank rune that can be forged into any elemental rune. Fixed locations for Artificers Orb drops have been added throughout the campaign.
Performance Improvements
Optimizations to ground foliage in various areas aim to enhance performance.
0.2.0E Deployment Timeline
The 0.2.0e patch is set to deploy at around 10AM NZT, with additional changes planned for the post-weekend patch. These include:
Charm Changes
Charm slots on belts will now be granted by implicit mods, with the number of slots depending on the belt's level. Unique belts can have up to three slots, and several charm mechanics have been improved for better protection and rewards.
Stash Tab Affinities
New affinities for Socketables, Fragments, Breach, Expedition, and Ritual items will be added to stash tabs, with Charms now able to be stored in Flask tabs or any tab with Flask affinity.
Atlas Bookmarks
Players can now bookmark locations on their atlas for easy navigation, with up to 16 bookmarks available, accessible through icons or a list view.
These updates reflect GGG's commitment to addressing player feedback and improving the Path of Exile 2 experience. Whether these changes will be enough to turn around the current sentiment remains to be seen, but they represent a significant effort to enhance gameplay and player satisfaction.
