Path of Exile 2 Developers Discuss Their Most Challenging Update

Path of Exile 2 arrived last year with much fanfare, but its first major update, Dawn of the Hunt, has unfortunately turned into a fiasco. When players dove in last Friday, they quickly discovered that the game had become punishingly hard. Even the weakest monsters seemed to be made of stone, and the new Huntress class didn’t quite pack the punch players were hoping for. Reddit became a hotspot of frustration with titles like “This game feels like a massive waste of time” and “Game feels miserable” echoing throughout the community, while many popular streamers just couldn’t deal with it any longer and abandoned their playthroughs.

Grinding Gear Games, the developer behind Path of Exile, scrambled to pacify the upset fans with a series of small patches aiming to even out the odds. They toned down the enemy’s vigor and enhanced some of the weaker skills, like those involving skeletal minions. Yet, this wasn’t enough for many players who still felt the game failed to reward their efforts adequately.

Acknowledging the turmoil, Grinding Gear Games provided an update on their blog to address these widespread concerns. The post detailed plans for future adjustments, particularly targeting the campaign’s sluggish pace, which players are forced to slog through every time a new season rolls out. Although some adjustments have been made, gamers still find it tough to muster the patience required to reach the endgame dungeons.

In a candid conversation with streamer Zizaran, game director Johnathan Rogers admitted, “We intended to tone down elements that were making the endgame too easy before players had even equipped their gear and such.” Mark Roberts, another game director, chimed in, acknowledging their errors and quickly addressing the underwhelming skills. “We’re firing from the hip quite a bit here,” he said, highlighting their experimental approach—try something out, and if it fails, pull it back.

Rogers further elaborated on the challenges of making PoE 2, emphasizing how the new combat system demands more precision, making the target for success even smaller compared to PoE 1. PoE 1 had rewarded those with endless hours to master its mechanics, but PoE 2 aims to change that dynamics. The vision for the sequel is to deliver a challenging experience with combat reminiscent of a Soulslike, which inherently means difficulty is part of the recipe.

While developers are investigating ways to alleviate some of the players’ issues, they want to stay clear of the game becoming too lenient. They want to avoid a situation where experienced players can skim through the dungeons with ease. “If we get to a point where skilled players never face a challenge, it’s no longer going to be fun in the long haul,” remarked Rogers, indicating the delicate balance they are striving to maintain.