Path of Exile 2’s “Dawn of the Hunt,” its first major update since hitting early access last year, has been nothing short of a fiasco. Players who dove in last Friday were met with a shocking increase in difficulty. What should have been straightforward encounters with weaker enemies became frustratingly prolonged battles, and the introduction of the new Huntress class seemed to fall flat. Unsurprisingly, the gaming community on Reddit erupted with threads lamenting the update, with titles like “This game feels like a massive waste of time” and “Game feels miserable.” Even well-known streamers couldn’t hide their frustration and exited the game in disappointment.
In a bid to quell the uproar, the developers at Grinding Gear Games quickly rolled out several smaller patches. These tweaks slightly reduced the health of monsters and enhanced some underwhelming skills, such as those of skeletal minions. Despite these efforts, many players remain unconvinced, feeling the game still doesn’t deliver satisfying progress or rewards.
The team at Grinding Gear Games has addressed these broader concerns in a recent blog post, outlining plans for more changes in the upcoming weeks. A major focus will be on addressing the campaign’s sluggish pace, a campaign that must be replayed with each new season. While some revisions have already taken effect, patience is waning as players struggle to make it to the thrilling endgame dungeons.
“We aimed to nerf elements that trivialized the endgame before players even had a chance to optimize their gear,” said Jonathan Rogers, the game director, during a Tuesday interview with streamer Zizaran.
Adding to the conversation, game director Mark Roberts candidly admitted, “There were some clear errors, to be blunt,” particularly referring to the underperforming skills that were rapidly patched. He described their approach as somewhat improvisational, acknowledging, “We’re trying things out, seeing what sticks, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll roll it back.”
Rogers went on to highlight a key balancing act for PoE 2 compared to its predecessor, stating, “Our aim is to make combat more engaging, but this also narrows the margin for error in balance.”
He elaborated on his perspective that PoE 1 heavily rewards those who can sink thousands of hours into mastering its intricacies. The intention with PoE 2, he explained, was to sidestep this issue while offering the intense, tactical combat akin to Soulslike games. They’re striving for a game that’s tough, yet fair.
Both developers assured players that the team is meticulously evaluating potential adjustments, aiming to prevent the game from swinging too far the other way, allowing players to breeze through content without meaningful challenge.
“If we reach a point where a proficient player constantly faces no substantial challenges, that just wouldn’t be a game that remains enjoyable in the long term,” Rogers concluded, underscoring their delicate balancing act.
