Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt, which represents the game’s first major update since its early access release last year, has hit a rough patch. As players dove into the game last Friday, they were met with a ludicrous level of difficulty. Even the weakest monsters took an unreasonable amount of time to defeat during the campaign’s initial stages, and the new Huntress class left many players unimpressed. Reddit was flooded with posts carrying titles like “This game feels like a massive waste of time” and “Game feels miserable.” It didn’t take long for popular streamers to abandon the game in frustration.
In an effort to address the backlash, developer Grinding Gear Games rolled out a series of small patches aimed at leveling the playing field a bit. Some monsters saw their health reduced, and skills that were underperforming, such as those involving skeletal minions, received a much-needed boost. Still, a significant chunk of the player base remains unconvinced that these tweaks can solve the game’s overall lack of satisfaction.
Grinding Gear Games has also released a post to tackle the broader issues with the patch, outlining planned changes for the upcoming weeks. The primary focus is on revamping the campaign’s pace, which currently needs to be replayed for every new season — a point of frustration for many. Even with some changes already implemented, players are still finding it hard to muster the patience to grind their way to the endgame dungeons.
“We absolutely intended to nerf elements that were trivializing the endgame experience before players even geared up properly,” said game director Johnathan Rogers during a conversation with streamer Zizaran.
His colleague, Mark Roberts, added some candid remarks: “There were some clear missteps, to put it bluntly,” he admitted, pointing to the underpowered skills that were rapidly corrected. “We’re moving quickly and trying things out; if they don’t work, we just roll them back.”
The challenges in balancing Path of Exile 2 are distinct compared to the first game, as Rogers explained. “The aim for PoE 2 is more precise because we want combat to be more engaging. That means the margin for error is smaller, so getting the balance just right is crucial.”
Rogers further elaborated on how PoE 1 tends to reward longtime players who’ve invested countless hours into mastering its mechanics. In contrast, PoE 2 aims to eliminate that barrier but achieving this balance has proven difficult. The intention is to create combat reminiscent of a Soulslike game—challenging and deliberate.
Both developers are committed to exploring various solutions, trying to avoid the opposite extreme where players breeze through dungeons in just a few hours.
“If we reach a point where even skilled players never encounter a challenge, the game might not be enjoyable in the long run,” Rogers warned.
