Developers of Path of Exile 2 Respond to Their Most Problematic Update

Path of Exile 2’s much-anticipated update, Dawn of the Hunt, rolled out its first significant patch since entering early access last year, but instead of triumph, it seems to have sparked chaos among its players. As soon as adventurers logged in last Friday to check out the new features, they were met with an unexpectedly steep hike in difficulty. Fighting off even the weakest monsters became a grueling task, and the newly introduced Huntress class didn’t live up to expectations. The game’s subreddit quickly filled with dissatisfied comments, with users venting through titles like “This game feels like a massive waste of time” and “Game feels miserable.” Even prominent streamers expressed their frustration by quitting mid-stream.

In a move to quell the dissatisfaction, Grinding Gear Games quickly rolled out a series of patches aimed at easing the player experience. Health points on monsters were shaved down, and improvements were made to underwhelming skills, particularly those involving skeletal minions. However, many players argue these tweaks fall short, leaving much of the game still feeling stingy in its rewards.

The developers have addressed these concerns by assuring players that improvements are on the way, particularly focusing on the campaign’s pacing, which players must grind through with the arrival of each new season. Some adjustments have been implemented, but many gamers are still finding it hard to muster the patience necessary to venture through to the enticing endgame dungeons.

Jonathan Rogers, the game director, explained in a chat with streamer Zizaran that the intention wasn’t to discourage players but to tone down elements making the endgame too easy before players even acquire their gear. Mark Roberts, another game director, admitted candidly to some blatant missteps, particularly regarding the skills that received emergency patches. “We’re testing things out, and if they’re not working, we’re not shy to backtrack,” he elaborated.

Rogers elaborated that designing Path of Exile 2 came with its challenges because the precision needed to hit the right gameplay balance is more demanding than in its predecessor, PoE 1. The aim was to create more compelling combat that mirrors the challenging yet rewarding nature of a Souls-like experience; the game was intended to be tough.

Both Rogers and Roberts emphasized their commitment to making further improvements but are cautious about swinging the pendulum too far. Their goal isn’t to make the game so breezy that players race through dungeons effortlessly. “If we reach a point where a skilled player never encounters a true challenge,” Rogers noted, “then we’ve strayed from creating a game that’s engaging in the long run.”