Grinding Gear Games (GGG), the developer behind Path of Exile 2, has recently implemented further emergency updates to address the community's backlash against the Dawn of the Hunt expansion. This update, which rolled out earlier this month, introduced the new Huntress class along with five new ascension classes: the Ritualist, Amazon, Smith of Kitava, Tactician, and Lich. Alongside these additions, the update brought a plethora of new unique items, enhanced crafting options, and significant mechanical overhauls. However, the community's response was overwhelmingly negative, primarily due to the perceived slowdown of the game's pace, leading to a drop in Steam user reviews to 'mostly negative.'
Players expressed frustration over the game's new, slower tempo, with many feeling that the game had become a "total slog." A highly-rated negative review on Steam highlighted the issues with extended boss fights, ineffective skills, and overall game stability. Another review sarcastically suggested that the game might only appeal to those who enjoy being punished with little reward. The community also criticized the larger map sizes, slower movement, and the forced combo gameplay, which they felt restricted the freedom to customize their builds.
In response to the feedback, GGG has released a series of changes with the 0.2.0e update, set to launch on April 11. These changes aim to address the core issues raised by the community, focusing on monster speed adjustments, boss mechanics, and player balance. Here's a detailed look at the patch notes:
Path of Exile 2 Update 0.2.0e Patch Notes
Monster Speed Changes
To alleviate the feeling of being overwhelmed by monsters, GGG has made targeted adjustments to various monster behaviors across different acts. General changes include the removal of interrupt events on fast-attacking human monsters like Cultists, Faridun, and Tribal Humans, which previously allowed relentless pursuit. Additionally, the Haste Aura modifier has been removed from already fast monsters.
**Act 1:** Werewolf Prowlers and Tendril Prowlers now switch to a walking stance post-melee action, only resuming running if the player moves away. Hungering Stalkers have been nerfed with 12% less life and damage. The number of Bloom Serpents and Venomous Crabs has been reduced, and Cultists in Freythorn no longer interrupt their attacks. Blood Cretins' blood pools duration has been shortened, and monster density in Ogham Manor has been adjusted.
**Act 2:** Boulder Ants in Titan Valley have been replaced with Risen Maraketh to reduce irritating monster movement. Faridun's interrupt events have been removed.
**Act 3:** Diretusk Boar and Antlion Charger's charge mechanics have been modified to push players sideways rather than forward. The Lost City and Azak Bog have seen adjustments in monster composition to reduce ranged and elite monsters. An issue with Slitherspitter's poison spray causing unintended damage has been fixed. GGG also identified and plans to address inconsistent monster spawn density in future patches.
Boss Changes
Viper Napuatzi's fight has been adjusted to reduce the number and size of Chaos Rains, improving visibility of drop locations. Uxmal's fight has been streamlined by reducing location changes, preventing Energy Shield recharge while airborne, and lessening the frequency of Flame Breath. Xyclucian's arena has been cleared of ground foliage to enhance effect visibility.
Player Minion Changes
Minion revive timers now increase less with each successive minion death, mitigating prolonged downtime. Disenchanting Bind Spectre or Tame Beast gems now unbinds them, and tamed beasts can now navigate through player-sized gaps.
Other Player Balance
Rally support is now applicable to any melee attack, not just Strikes or Slams. Glory from certain skills is no longer consumed if the player is interrupted mid-use, and a bug affecting the Ritualist's Blood Boils has been fixed.
Crafting Changes
All caster weapon runes now work on Wands and Staves, and Renly's shop in the Burning Village offers a Blank rune that can be forged into any elemental rune. Fixed locations for Artificers Orb drops have been added throughout the campaign.
Performance Improvements
Ground foliage in various areas has been optimized to enhance performance.
0.2.0E Deployment Timeline
The 0.2.0e patch will be deployed at around 10AM NZT, with additional changes planned for post-weekend deployment.
Charm Changes
Charm slots on belts are now granted by implicit mods, varying by belt level, with a cap of three slots for unique belts. Several charms have been fixed to protect from the activating hit, and charm mods have been enhanced for greater rewards.
Stash Tab Affinities
New affinities have been added for Socketables, Fragments, Breach, Expedition, and Ritual items, with Charms now storable in Flask stash tabs or tabs with Flask affinity.
Atlas Bookmarks
Players can now bookmark locations on their atlas, with up to 16 bookmarks possible, accessible via icons around the screen or a list under the legend.
The question remains whether these changes will be sufficient to quell the community's discontent and steer Path of Exile 2 back towards a positive reception. Despite the initial success and high player turnout at launch, these issues have also impacted the development of Path of Exile 1, which continues to boast a dedicated player base.
