Path of Exile 2 made quite a splash with its first major update, “Dawn of the Hunt,” since debuting in early access last year, but not in the way the developers had hoped. From the moment players logged in last Friday, they were met with a startling rise in difficulty that seemed almost laughably steep. Even in the early stages, taking down weaker adversaries became a tedious affair, and the freshly introduced Huntress class left much to be desired. Disgruntled players took to Reddit, launching threads with titles like “This game feels like a massive waste of time” and “Game feels miserable,” while several well-known streamers opted to abandon ship mid-game.
Facing the outpouring of frustration, Grinding Gear Games swiftly rolled out a series of small patches aimed at leveling the playing field. Adjustments included reducing monster health and boosting weaker skills like those of the skeletal minions. However, for many in the community, these tweaks fell short of addressing the core issue: the gameplay just wasn’t offering the right rewards.
The developers further communicated with players through a post that delved into broader issues with the patch and outlined upcoming changes. The primary focus seemed to be on the campaign’s sluggish pace, which players are required to revisit with each new season. Though some fixes have already been implemented, there remains a palpable struggle among players to push through to the more challenging endgame dungeons.
In a candid chat with streamer Zizaran on Tuesday, game director Jonathan Rogers remarked, “I can absolutely tell you that our goal here was to nerf the things that were trivializing the endgame before you’ve even managed to get your items and stuff like that.” His colleague, Mark Roberts, wasn’t shy about admitting to the team’s missteps, particularly concerning the underpowered skills addressed in the hotfixes. “There were some blatant oversights, to put it bluntly,” he confessed. “We’re kind of winging it at times—let’s throw something in, gauge the response, and if it flops, we’ll reverse course.”
Speaking on the evolving dynamics of Path of Exile 2 compared to its predecessor, Rogers noted, “The bar is set higher with PoE 2. For combat to be more engaging, there’s less room for error; balance becomes critical.” He explained the ambition to create a game experience that rewards skill rather than the hours sunk into mastering its predecessor’s intricate systems. While the game aims for that demanding, dodge-roll-centric combat reminiscent of a Soulslike, striking the perfect difficulty balance remains a challenge.
Both Rogers and Roberts acknowledge that while they’re investigating potential adjustments, there’s a delicate line to tread. They want to avoid a scenario where players breeze through dungeons effortlessly. “If the game gets to a point where even adept players never encounter a challenge, it won’t have lasting appeal,” Rogers concluded.
