The latest update for Path of Exile 2, dubbed Dawn of the Hunt, was eagerly awaited by its player community. However, since its early access launch last year, this has been the game’s first significant overhaul, and unfortunately, it hasn’t gone as planned. Last Friday, when gamers dived in to experience the new content, they quickly found themselves frustrated. Even the weakest monsters seemed to take an eternity to defeat, and the newly introduced Huntress class left a lot to be desired. This led to an outburst of negative feedback on platforms like Reddit, with threads popping up venting grievances like, “This game feels like a massive waste of time,” and “Game feels miserable.” Some well-known streamers even dropped the game in frustration.
Trying to address these complaints, Grinding Gear Games rolled out a series of minor updates. They dialed down the health of some monsters and boosted a few previously underwhelming skills, such as those involving skeletal minions. Despite these tweaks, many players still aren’t convinced the game has become any less unrewarding.
The developers acknowledged these wider issues in a public statement, telling fans about the adjustments they plan in the coming weeks. They particularly focused on how the campaign feels sluggish and noted that players have to start from scratch with each new season. While a few changes have been implemented, gamers still find it hard to push through to the more thrilling endgame content.
During a chat with streamer Zizaran, game director Jonathan Rogers explained, “Our main aim was to tone down aspects that made the endgame feel trivial before you even acquired the necessary gear.” Mark Roberts, another game director, openly admitted, “We did mess up with some underpowered skills, and quickly fixed them.” Roberts shared that while they often try experimental changes, they are always open to rolling back if something doesn’t work.
Rogers went on to highlight the challenge of fine-tuning PoE 2 in contrast with its predecessor. He noted, “The margin for balance in PoE 2 is tighter. We want combat to be more engaging, which challenges us to nail the balance.” The goal was to make the gameplay intentionally tricky, akin to what you’d experience in combat-heavy games like those from the Souls series.
The team is actively exploring various solutions to make improvements without swinging too far in the opposite direction, where the game might lose its challenge. As Rogers put it, “If skilled players never encounter any difficulty, it won’t be a game that holds interest in the long run.”
While adjustments are being made, fans and developers both hope for a more satisfying and rewarding journey ahead in Path of Exile 2.
