Path of Exile 2 Dev Reveals Urgent Updates Amid 'Mostly Negative' Steam Reviews

Grinding Gear Games (GGG), the developers behind Path of Exile 2, have rolled out further emergency updates in response to widespread community backlash against the Dawn of the Hunt update. This recent expansion, launched earlier this month, introduced the new Huntress class, five new ascension classes (Ritualist, Amazon, Smith of Kitava, Tactician, and Lich), over a hundred new unique items, and enhanced crafting options. However, these additions were overshadowed by significant nerfs that drastically slowed down gameplay, leading to a surge in negative reviews on Steam, plummeting the game's rating to 'mostly negative.'

The Path of Exile community expressed frustration over the game's new pace, with many players describing it as a "total slog." The most upvoted Steam review from the past month highlighted issues such as elongated boss fights, ineffective skills, and overall game stability concerns. Another review sarcastically suggested that the game might only appeal to "masochists who enjoy being punished for little to no reward."

In response to the outcry, GGG has already implemented a series of changes and has now announced further modifications in the upcoming 0.2.0e update, scheduled for release on April 11. The key question for the Path of Exile 2 community is whether these changes will be sufficient to address the widespread dissatisfaction and restore the game's positive momentum.

Despite the backlash, Path of Exile 2 enjoyed a successful launch, struggling to accommodate the high volume of players. This success, however, has posed challenges that have also affected the ongoing development of the original Path of Exile, which continues to boast a dedicated fanbase.

Path of Exile 2 Update 0.2.0e Patch Notes

Monster Speed Changes

GGG has addressed player feedback about being overwhelmed by monsters, making specific adjustments across different acts and introducing general changes. For instance, human monsters like Cultists in Freythorn and Tribal Humans in Act Three will no longer interrupt their attacks if players move out of range, reducing relentless pursuit. Additionally, the Haste Aura modifier has been removed from fast monsters.

Act 1

• Werewolf and Tendril Prowlers now walk after melee actions, only running if players move away significantly.
• Hungering Stalkers have reduced Life and Damage to balance their speed.
• Reduced the number of Bloom Serpents and Venomous Crabs.
• Cultists in Freythorn no longer have interrupt events on attacks and walk after melee actions.
• Blood Cretins' Blood Pools have a shorter duration.
• Adjusted monster density in Ogham Manor.

Act 2

• Boulder Ants replaced with Risen Maraketh in Titan Valley.
• Faridun modified to remove interrupt events on attacks.

Act 3

• Diretusk Boar and Antlion Charger now push players sideways instead of forward during charges.
• Adjusted monster composition in The Lost City and Azak Bog to reduce ranged and elite monsters.
• Fixed Slitherspitter's poison spray damage type in Venom Crypts.

GGG also identified and will address inconsistent monster spawn density in future patches.

Boss Changes

• Viper Napuatzi's Chaos Rains reduced in size and number, with improved visual cleanup.
• Uxmal's fight mechanics adjusted to reduce location changes, energy shield recharging, and Flame Breath frequency.
• Xyclucian's arena cleared of ground foliage for better effect visibility.

Player Minion Changes

• Minion revive timers now increase progressively to mitigate repeated resets.
• Disenchanting Bind Spectre or Tame Beast gems now unbinds them for reuse.
• Tamed beasts can now navigate through gaps as players can.

Other Player Balance

• Rally support can now be used with any melee attack.
• Glory from Hammer of the Gods and Spear of Solaris no longer consumed if interrupted.
• Fixed a bug with Ritualist's Blood Boils propagation.

Crafting Changes

• Completed adding mods to runes for caster weapons.
• Renly's shop now includes a Blank rune that can be forged into any elemental rune.

Performance Improvements

• Optimized ground foliage in multiple areas for better performance.

0.2.0E Deployment Timeline

The 0.2.0e patch is set to deploy at 10AM NZT, with further changes planned post-weekend, including enhancements to the Charm system, Stash Tab Affinities, and Atlas Bookmarks. These updates aim to address ongoing issues and improve the overall gameplay experience for Path of Exile 2 players.