PoE 2 Devs Rush More Fixes After 'Mostly Negative' Steam Reviews

Grinding Gear Games, the developers behind Path of Exile 2, have rolled out additional emergency updates in response to the overwhelming community backlash against the Dawn of the Hunt update. This update, launched earlier this month, introduced the new Huntress class, specializing in hybrid melee and ranged combat using a Spear and Buckler. It also included five new ascension classes: the Ritualist, Amazon, Smith of Kitava, Tactician, and Lich, alongside over one hundred new unique items and expanded crafting options. Despite these additions, the update was met with criticism due to extensive nerfs that slowed down the game's pace, leading to a drop in Steam user reviews to 'mostly negative.'

Players expressed frustration over the elongated boss fights and reduced effectiveness of skills, which they felt turned the game into a "total slog." One of the 'most helpful' reviews on Steam highlighted the prolonged boss encounters and the sluggish gameplay, emphasizing the game's stability issues. Another review criticized the forced combo gameplay and the nerfed loot system, which made the game less rewarding and enjoyable.

In response, GGG has outlined a series of changes in the upcoming 0.2.0e update, set to be released on April 11. These changes aim to address the community's concerns and improve the overall gaming experience. Here are the key updates included in the 0.2.0e patch:

Path of Exile 2 Update 0.2.0e Patch Notes

Monster Speed Changes

GGG has tackled the issue of players feeling overwhelmed by fast monsters with targeted adjustments across different acts. General changes include removing interrupt events for human monsters like Cultists, Faridun, and Tribal Humans, which previously allowed them to relentlessly pursue players. The Haste Aura modifier has also been removed from already fast monsters.

Act 1

Adjustments in Act 1 include modifying the behavior of Werewolf Prowlers and Tendril Prowlers to walk after melee actions unless players move a certain distance away. Hungering Stalkers have reduced life and damage, and the number of Bloom Serpents and Venomous Crabs has been decreased. Cultists in Freythorn no longer have interrupt events on their attacks, and their movement behavior has been altered to walk after melee actions.

Act 2

In Act 2, Boulder Ants in Titan Valley have been replaced with Risen Maraketh to reduce the number of monsters with irritating movement, and Faridun's interrupt events have been removed.

Act 3

Act 3 changes include modifications to Diretusk Boar and Antlion Charger's charge mechanics to push players to the side rather than along with them. Adjustments to the Lost City and Azak Bog monster compositions aim to reduce the number of ranged and elite monsters. An issue with Slitherspitter's poison spray in Venom Crypts has been fixed to deal physical damage instead of chaos damage.

Boss Changes

For boss encounters, Viper Napuatzi's Chaos Rains have been reduced in size and number, with improved visual clarity. Uxmal's fight has been streamlined by reducing his location changes, removing his ability to recharge Energy Shield while airborne, and lessening the frequency of his Flame Breath. Xyclucian's arena has been cleared of ground foliage to enhance visibility of his effects.

Player Minion Changes

Minion revive timers have been adjusted to mitigate the issue of repeated resets when multiple minions die. Disenchanting Bind Spectre or Tame Beast gems now unbinds them for reuse, and tamed beasts can navigate through gaps accessible to players.

Other Player Balance

Additional player balance changes include expanding the Rally support to any Melee Attack and fixing issues with Glory consumption and Ritualist's Blood Boils propagation.

Crafting Changes

Crafting options have been expanded with the addition of mods to runes for caster weapons. Renly's shop in the Burning Village now offers a Blank rune that can be forged into any elemental rune, and fixed locations for Artificers Orb drops have been added throughout the campaign.

Performance Improvements

Performance has been optimized with improvements to ground foliage rendering.

0.2.0E Deployment Timeline

The 0.2.0e patch will be deployed at around 10AM NZT, with more changes planned for release after the weekend.

Charm Changes

Charm functionality is being enhanced with charm slots on belts now determined by implicit mods based on the area level. Unique belts can have up to three charm slots, and several charm effects have been improved to better protect players from hits.

Stash Tab Affinities

New Stash Tab Affinities have been introduced for various item categories, including Socketables, Fragments, Breach, Expedition, and Ritual items. Charms can now be stored in the Flask stash tab or any tab with the Flask affinity.

Atlas Bookmarks

Players can now bookmark locations on their atlas for easy navigation, with up to 16 bookmarks available at a time. These bookmarks can be accessed through icons around the screen or a list in the legend.

While these changes aim to address the current issues, the community's response to the 0.2.0e update will determine if they are sufficient to restore player satisfaction. Path of Exile 2's initial success was marred by these challenges, which also impacted the development of Path of Exile 1, a game with a dedicated fanbase. GGG's ongoing efforts to refine the game demonstrate their commitment to improving the player experience.