Grinding Gear Games (GGG), the developers behind Path of Exile 2, have announced further emergency adjustments to the action role-playing game following a strong community backlash against the Dawn of the Hunt update. This update, which introduced significant nerfs, has led to a sharp decline in Steam user reviews, pushing them to 'mostly negative' territory.
The Dawn of the Hunt expansion, launched earlier this month, introduced the new Huntress class, a Spear and Buckler user adept in both melee and ranged combat. It also added five new ascension classes: the Ritualist, Amazon, Smith of Kitava, Tactician, and Lich. Alongside these, the update brought mechanical overhauls, over one hundred new unique items, and significantly expanded crafting options. However, the community felt that these changes slowed the game's pace excessively, turning it into a "total slog."
The most helpful review on Steam in the last 30 days reflects the community's frustration, pointing out that boss fights are excessively long, most skills deal insufficient damage, and overall gameplay feels "incredibly awful." Another review suggests the game is only suitable for "masochists who enjoy being punished for little to no reward." Players have highlighted issues with large area sizes, slow movement, and forced combo gameplay, which they feel contradicts the freedom that should be a hallmark of an ARPG.
In response, GGG has released a list of changes in the upcoming 0.2.0e patch, scheduled for April 11. The patch aims to address various gameplay issues and improve the overall experience. Here are the key changes:
Path of Exile 2 Update 0.2.0e Patch Notes:
------------------------------------------Monster Speed Changes
GGG has addressed the issue of players feeling overwhelmed by monsters through specific adjustments across different acts. They have also made general changes such as removing interrupt events from certain monsters to prevent relentless attacks and reducing the appearance of the Haste Aura modifier on already fast monsters.
Act 1
Changes include Werewolf and Tendril Prowlers entering a walking stance post-attack, reduced stats for Hungering Stalkers, and decreased numbers of Bloom Serpents and Venomous Crabs. Cultists in Freythorn and Blood Cretins have also seen adjustments to their behavior and effects.
Act 2
Boulder Ants in Titan Valley have been replaced by Risen Maraketh, and the Faridun's interrupt events on attacks have been removed.
Act 3
Diretusk Boars and Antlion Chargers now push players to the side rather than along, adjustments to the Lost City's monster composition, and significant changes to Azak Bog's monster types. An issue with Slitherspitter's poison spray has also been fixed.
Boss Changes
Adjustments to Viper Napuatzi and Uxmal aim to make these encounters less challenging and more enjoyable. Xyclucian's arena has been modified for better visibility of effects.
Player Minion Changes
Minion revive timers have been adjusted to prevent long delays, and changes to Bind Spectre and Tame Beast gems allow for better management and mobility of tamed beasts.
Other Player Balance
Additional balance changes include broadening the Rally support skill and fixing issues with certain skills and ascendancy effects.
Crafting Changes
All mods have been added to runes for caster weapons, and a new Blank rune option has been introduced at Renly's shop in the Burning Village.
Performance Improvements
Optimizations have been made to ground foliage in many areas to improve performance.
0.2.0E Deployment Timeline
The patch will be deployed at around 10AM NZT, with additional changes planned for a future update.
Charm Changes
Charm slots on belts now depend on the belt's level and area, with a cap that can be rerolled using a Divine Orb. Charms themselves have been improved for better protection and rewards.
Stash Tab Affinities
New affinities have been added 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 and accessible through icons or a list view.
The question now for Path of Exile 2 players is whether these changes will be sufficient to address the community's concerns and restore the game's positive reception. Despite the backlash, Path of Exile 2 has been a successful release for GGG, though it has faced challenges in managing the large player base and balancing development with Path of Exile 1.
