Path of Exile 2 Devs Rush to Fix Issues Amid 'Mostly Negative' Steam Reviews

Path of Exile 2 developer Grinding Gear Games (GGG) has responded to the community backlash following the Dawn of the Hunt update by implementing further emergency changes. The update, which launched earlier this month, introduced the new Huntress class and five new ascension classes: the Ritualist, Amazon, Smith of Kitava, Tactician, and Lich, along with over 100 new unique items and expanded crafting options. However, the community's reaction was overwhelmingly negative due to significant gameplay nerfs that slowed the game's pace, resulting in 'mostly negative' reviews on Steam.

Players expressed frustration over prolonged boss fights, ineffective skills, and reduced loot quality, among other issues. The update was criticized for forcing players into specific gameplay styles and for its large map sizes and slow movement speeds. Despite the game's successful launch and high player numbers, these changes have impacted not only Path of Exile 2 but also the development of the original Path of Exile.

In response, GGG has released patch notes for update 0.2.0e, set to deploy on April 11, which address many of the community's concerns:

Monster Speed Changes:

• Removed interrupt events from many human monsters to prevent relentless attacks.
• Adjusted the Haste Aura modifier to not appear on already fast monsters.
• Modified monster behavior in Acts 1, 2, and 3 to reduce overwhelming encounters.

Act 1 Changes:

• Adjusted Werewolf and Tendril Prowlers to walk after melee actions.
• Reduced Hungering Stalkers' life and damage.
• Decreased the number of Bloom Serpents and Venomous Crabs.
• Modified Cultists' behavior in Freythorn.
• Shortened Blood Cretins' Blood Pool duration and adjusted its area of effect.
• Reduced challenging monster density in Ogham Manor.

Act 2 Changes:

• Replaced Boulder Ants with Risen Maraketh in Titan Valley.
• Removed interrupt events from Faridun's attacks.

Act 3 Changes:

• Adjusted Diretusk Boar and Antlion Charger behavior.
• Modified Lost City monster composition.
• Made significant adjustments to Azak Bog's monster composition.
• Fixed Slitherspitter's poison spray damage type in Venom Crypts.

Boss Changes:

• Reduced Chaos Rains in the Viper Napuatzi fight.
• Modified Uxmal's behavior to reduce location changes and prevent Energy Shield recharge in the air.
• Adjusted Xyclucian's arena to improve effect visibility.

Player Minion Changes:

• Adjusted minion revive timers to prevent long delays.
• Allowed disenchanting of Bind Spectre and Tame Beast gems.
• Enabled Tamed Beasts to fit through player-sized gaps.

Other Player Balance:

• Expanded Rally support to all Melee Attacks.
• Fixed Glory consumption issue.
• Addressed a bug with Ritualist's Blood Boils.

Crafting Changes:

• Added mods to runes for caster weapons.
• Introduced a Blank rune in Renly's shop in the Burning Village.
• Increased Artificers Orb drops.

Performance Improvements:

• Optimized ground foliage in various areas.

0.2.0E Deployment Timeline:

• The patch will be deployed at around 10AM NZT on April 11.

Further changes are planned post-weekend, including enhancements to the charm system, Stash Tab Affinities, and the addition of Atlas Bookmarks for easier navigation.

These updates aim to address the community's concerns and improve the overall gameplay experience. Whether these changes will be sufficient to restore player satisfaction remains to be seen, but GGG's commitment to continuous improvement is evident.