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

Grinding Gear Games (GGG), the developer behind Path of Exile 2, has responded to the community's backlash against the Dawn of the Hunt update with a series of emergency changes. The update, released earlier this month, introduced the new Huntress class along with five ascension classes: the Ritualist, Amazon, Smith of Kitava, Tactician, and Lich. It also brought mechanical overhauls, over one hundred new unique items, and expanded crafting options. Despite these additions, the community's response has been overwhelmingly negative, causing Steam user reviews to drop to 'mostly negative' due to the game's perceived slowdown.

Players have voiced their frustrations, with one of the 'most helpful' reviews on Steam highlighting the elongated boss fights, minimal skill damage, and overall sluggish gameplay. Another review sarcastically suggested that the game might appeal to those who enjoy being punished with little reward. The community has criticized the larger map sizes, slow movement, and the forced combo gameplay that contrasts with the freedom typically associated with action role-playing games (ARPGs).

In response to the criticism, GGG has already implemented changes and is set to release patch 0.2.0e on April 11. This update aims to address various issues, including monster behavior, boss mechanics, player minion functionality, and crafting options. Key changes include adjustments to monster speed and density, modifications to boss fights to reduce frustration, and enhancements to player minions and crafting systems. These changes are part of GGG's efforts to restore a positive experience for players, who have been vocal about their disappointment with the current state of the game.

Despite the successful launch of Path of Exile 2, which saw an overwhelming number of players, the update's reception has impacted the development of the original Path of Exile, which still enjoys a dedicated fanbase. The question remains whether these new changes will be sufficient to address the community's concerns and bring the game back to a favorable standing among its players.

Path of Exile 2 Update 0.2.0e Patch Notes

Monster Speed Changes

GGG has made several adjustments to monster behavior to reduce player overwhelm. Changes have been made act by act, with general modifications including the removal of interrupt events on fast-attacking human monsters and the elimination of the Haste Aura modifier on already fast monsters.

Act 1

• Werewolf and Tendril Prowlers now enter a walking stance post-melee, only running if the player moves away.
• Hungering Stalkers have reduced Life and Damage to balance their high speed.
• Reduced numbers of Bloom Serpents and Venomous Crabs.
• Cultists in Freythorn no longer interrupt their attacks and walk after melee actions.
• Blood Cretins' Blood Pools duration reduced and area of effect fixed.
• Reduced density of challenging monsters in Ogham Manor.

Act 2

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

Act 3

• Diretusk Boar and Antlion Charger now push players to the side during charges.
• Adjusted Lost City and Azak Bog monster compositions to reduce ranged and elite monsters.
• Fixed Slitherspitter's poison spray damage type in Venom Crypts.

GGG also noted an issue with inconsistent monster spawn density, which will be addressed in a future patch.

Boss Changes

• Viper Napuatzi's Chaos Rains reduced in number and size, with faster cleanup for better visibility.
• Uxmal's fight adjusted to reduce location changes, disable Energy Shield recharge in air, and less frequent Flame Breath usage.
• Xyclucian's arena cleared of ground foliage for better effect visibility.

Player Minion Changes

• Revive timers for minions now increase less with each successive death, mitigating long waits.
• Disenchanting Bind Spectre or Tame Beast gems now unbinds them for reuse.
• Tamed beasts can now navigate through player-sized gaps.

Other Player Balance

• Rally support now applicable to any Melee Attack.
• Glory no longer consumed if the player is interrupted during skill use.
• Fixed a bug with Ritualist's Blood Boils not propagating on monster death.

Crafting Changes

• New mods added to runes for caster weapons.
• Renly's shop now offers a Blank rune for elemental rune forging.
• Fixed locations for Artificers Orb drops added to the campaign.

Performance Improvements

• Ground foliage optimized for better performance in various areas.

0.2.0E Deployment Timeline

The 0.2.0e patch will be deployed around 10AM NZT, with additional changes planned for post-weekend deployment.

Charm Changes

• Charm slots on belts now determined by implicit mods based on area level, with a cap on slots.
• Several charm issues fixed to protect players from activating hits.
• Charm mods enhanced for better rewards.

Stash Tab Affinities

• New affinities added for Socketables, Fragments, Breach, Expedition, and Ritual items.
• Charms can now be stored in Flask stash tabs or any tab with Flask affinity.

Atlas Bookmarks

• Players can now bookmark locations on the atlas for easy navigation, with up to 16 bookmarks available.