PoE2: Future Updates to Shift Focus from New Classes

Path of Exile 2's game director, Jonathan Rogers, has shared crucial insights on the future development of the game, particularly regarding new classes and the overall gameplay experience. Dive into the details to understand the reasoning behind these decisions and what players can expect moving forward.

Path of Exile 2 New Characters Might Not Be Introduced Every Patch

You Can Expect More Ascendancies Instead

In a recent Q&A session, Jonathan Rogers, the game director of Path of Exile 2, revealed that new classes won't be the central focus of upcoming patches. He emphasized the unpredictability of class development, stating, I would like it if every release would have a class, but I would say that we actually learned something during the production of this cycle, which is that it was a mistake to have a class as a wedge for the development of your expansion.

Rogers explained the challenges of committing to a fixed release date while ensuring a substantial amount of content. He cited the example of the Huntress class, which caused delays as they tried to meet their deadlines. We have to have the Huntress in the next patch, so therefore, the date had to float, and that meant that this expansion ended up taking a lot longer than what we had hoped, he noted.

To avoid such issues in the future, Rogers prefers setting a fixed release date over promising new classes, stating, While I’m very keen to have a class in the next expansion, I’m not going to promise that because that would mean we can’t fix the date anymore.

Rogers acknowledges that players desire timely updates and progress, which is why the development of classes has become less predictable. However, he assures fans that new Ascendancies will be a regular feature in future patches. He also expressed enthusiasm about adding more classes post-Early Access, saying, As I said, Ascendancies, we can definitely do; maybe even after release, we continue to add even more classes as I’m certainly keen to add more.

Path of Exile 2 Dawn of the Hunt Brings More Changes to Endgame

Promising the End to Be A Lot Harder

Alongside these development changes, the upcoming patch, Dawn of the Hunt, introduces over 100 new skills, support gems, and unique gear, all designed to enhance the midgame and endgame experience. A key focus of these updates is to make bosses significantly more challenging. Rogers noted the need to extend the time it takes for players to reach peak power levels, which often trivialize the endgame.

There are certainly some things that are going to have to be nerfed because they’re completely trivializing certain mechanics, Rogers explained. He highlighted the issue of players reaching outrageous power levels too quickly, stating, I think that you need to be able to get to the point of outrageousness at some point, but you don’t want it to be that you get to that point before you even finish your initial climb.

Rogers expressed disappointment over how quickly players defeated Pinnacle Bosses, with one instance where a boss was defeated in just fourteen seconds. He envisions a scenario where the first encounter with a Pinnacle Boss is a tough fight, saying, The first time you fight a Pinnacle Boss, it’s going to be a hard fight and crazy. But as you fight the boss more times and you get more items and you get to optimize your build and stuff, you can get to the point where you kill the boss in fourteen seconds. It’s just that it’s not your first experience.

He concluded that the balance changes aim to slow down the progression to ultimate power, ensuring a more rewarding experience. You should always be able to feel powerful and certainly should have that fantasy there, just not right off the bat. So that’s where a lot of our balance changes are focused.

Path of Exile 2 Game Director is Happy With Its Ruthless Difficulty

Things Aren’t Easier, You Just Got Better

The difficulty of Path of Exile 2’s campaign has sparked debate among players, with opinions split on whether it's too easy or too hard. Rogers is content with the current difficulty level and believes that player perceptions will evolve over time. He noted that many complaints stemmed from players comparing their experiences with the previous game without fully engaging with the new one.

Rogers is optimistic that as players become more familiar with the game, the difficulty will feel more manageable. I don’t think we’re gonna get nearly as many complaints about it this time, and that’s because once you know how to play, you’re going to find the experience a lot easier, he said. He also pointed out that players often mistake their improved skills for changes in game balance, stating, People are often surprised. A lot of the times what happens is that the second time people play through the game, they will talk about how they (GGG) must have changed the balance, but the actual reality is that they just got better at the game.