A few days ago, Grinding Gear Games revealed the exciting new additions heading to Path of Exile 2 during their livestream event. The upcoming Dawn of the Hunt update, set to launch next week, promises to bring a slew of fresh content and improvements. While it might not have everyone thrilled, there’s no denying the substantial size of this update. From the introduction of the Huntress class to five new Ascendancies, and over one hundred Unique Items and Support Gems, there’s plenty to delve into. For players trying to decide whether to dive back into Path of Exile 2, the decision might be tricky, as the 0.2.0 update has its highs and lows, especially concerning spear skills.
The Huntress pays homage to Diablo 2’s Amazon, especially with her new Lightning spear skill, making her akin to the famed “Javazon.” However, initially, spear skills may face some challenges. GGG hasn’t fully disclosed all spear skills yet, and adjustments in numbers, Support Gems, balance tweaks in the passive tree, and Unique Items could alter their effectiveness. GGG aims to make these spear skills feel rewarding through combo use, though it remains to be seen how players will receive them.
Path of Exile 2’s combat style, marked by its deliberately paced gameplay and strategic boss fights, offers a refreshing change from the original game’s hectic pace. Yet, this philosophy poses challenges in the endgame. GGG plans to tweak player power and monsters to balance the experience, which could shift things significantly with Dawn of the Hunt or in future updates. Despite these changes, players may still prefer to rely on a limited skill set for tackling monster packs in the endgame.
Should this be the case, the numerous skills intended to synergize in combos could feel underwhelming. Currently, staff skills are the most combo-reliant, but only a few see widespread use. The spear is crafted to be the most combo-centric weapon yet, meaning that unless the endgame evolves significantly, spear skills might struggle to shine. They could work well during the campaign, but the endgame presents a different kind of challenge.
The meta in Path of Exile 2 discourages players from chaining skills due to the speed and aggressiveness of monsters. This might shift to some degree in Dawn of the Hunt. However, optimism should be tempered, as the community hasn’t fully embraced the notion of combos yet. Swapping between monster packs to maximize spear skills could end up being frustrating. That said, there might be standout builds that allow some spear skills to shine without constant switching. For instance, the Huntress’ Ritualist Ascendancy in PoE 2 features impressive nodes that could enhance spear skills in endgame builds. Even if these skills miss the mark initially, GGG is likely to listen to community feedback and make necessary adjustments. While players should remain hopeful and observant, it’s clear that combos in Path of Exile 2 haven’t universally thrived so far.
