Path of Exile 2 Devs Implement Urgent Fixes Amid 'Mostly Negative' Steam Reviews

Path of Exile 2 developer Grinding Gear Games (GGG) has responded to the community's backlash against the Dawn of the Hunt update with a series of emergency changes. The update, which launched earlier this month, introduced the new Huntress class, five new ascension classes, over one hundred new unique items, and expanded crafting options. However, it also significantly slowed down the game's pace, leading to a surge in negative reviews on Steam, dropping the game's rating to 'mostly negative.'

The Dawn of the Hunt update added the Huntress class, a Spear and Buckler user specializing in hybrid melee and ranged combat, along with new ascension classes: the Ritualist, Amazon, Smith of Kitava, Tactician, and Lich. Despite these additions, the community felt that the game had become a "total slog" due to the slower gameplay.

In response to the criticism, GGG has released patch notes for the upcoming 0.2.0e update, set to launch on April 11. The patch aims to address several key issues raised by players, including monster speed, boss mechanics, player minion behavior, and crafting options.

Monster Speed Changes

GGG has made adjustments to monster behavior to reduce the overwhelming feeling players experienced. Changes include removing interrupt events on certain monsters' attacks, reducing the speed of some monsters, and adjusting the density of challenging monsters in various acts.

Act 1

• Werewolf Prowlers and Tendril Prowlers now walk after melee actions.
• Hungering Stalkers have reduced life and damage.
• Reduced the number of Bloom Serpents and Venomous Crabs.
• Cultists in Freythorn no longer have interrupt events on their attacks.

Act 2

• Boulder Ants in Titan Valley replaced by Risen Maraketh.
• Faridun modified to remove interrupt events on their attacks.

Act 3

• Diretusk Boar and Antlion Charger's charge mechanics adjusted.
• Adjusted monster composition in the Lost City and Azak Bog.
• Fixed Slitherspitter's poison spray damage type.

Boss Changes

• Viper Napuatzi's Chaos Rains reduced in number and size.
• Uxmal's fight mechanics adjusted to reduce location changes and Energy Shield recharge.
• Xyclucian's arena cleared of ground foliage for better visibility.

Player Minion Changes

• Minion revive timers now increase less with each successive minion death.
• Disenchanting Bind Spectre or Tame Beast gems now unbinds them.
• Tamed beasts can now fit through gaps the player can.

Other Player Balance

• Rally support now works with any Melee Attack.
• Glory no longer consumed if interrupted during use.
• Fixed a bug with Blood Boils from the Ritualist ascendancy.

Crafting Changes

• Added mods to runes for caster weapons.
• Renly's shop now offers a Blank rune that can be forged into any elemental rune.

Performance Improvements

• Optimized ground foliage in many areas for better performance.

The 0.2.0e patch will be deployed at around 10AM NZT, with additional changes planned for a later update. These include adjustments to charm slots on belts, enhancements to charm effects, the introduction of Stash Tab Affinities, and the addition of Atlas Bookmarks for easier navigation.

The question remains whether these changes will be sufficient to address the community's concerns and restore Path of Exile 2's positive reception. Despite the initial success of the game, which saw a massive influx of players at launch, the ongoing issues have also impacted the development of Path of Exile 1, which continues to have a dedicated player base.