Grinding Gear Games (GGG), the developers behind Path of Exile 2, have issued further emergency changes to the action role-playing game in response to the backlash over the Dawn of the Hunt update. The update, released earlier this month, introduced the new Huntress class, five new ascension classes (Ritualist, Amazon, Smith of Kitava, Tactician, and Lich), over one hundred new unique items, and significantly expanded crafting options. However, it also resulted in a wave of negative feedback from the community, causing Steam user reviews to drop to 'mostly negative' due to the game's significantly slowed pace.
The Dawn of the Hunt update was intended to be a major milestone for Path of Exile 2, but players felt that the game had become a "total slog." Community feedback highlighted issues such as overly long boss fights, skills that dealt minimal damage, and overall slow gameplay. Additional complaints focused on the large map sizes, slow movement, and the forced combo gameplay that restricted player build freedom.
In response, GGG has announced the 0.2.0e update, set to launch on April 11, aiming to address these concerns. Key changes include adjustments to monster speed and behavior to reduce player overwhelm, modifications to boss fights for better visibility and reduced difficulty, and improvements to player minions and crafting systems. The update also introduces performance enhancements and new features like charm slots on belts and stash tab affinities.
The critical question for the Path of Exile 2 community is whether these changes will be sufficient to turn the tide of negative sentiment and restore the game's positive reception. Despite the challenges, Path of Exile 2's launch was highly successful, although the influx of players has also impacted the development of the original Path of Exile game.
Path of Exile 2 Update 0.2.0e Patch Notes:
------------------------------------------Monster Speed Changes:
GGG has made numerous adjustments to monster behavior to address player feedback about being overwhelmed. Key changes include:
- Removal of interrupt events on human monsters' melee attacks to prevent relentless pursuit.
- Removal of the Haste Aura modifier from already fast monsters.
- Specific changes to monster behavior in Acts 1, 2, and 3, including reduced life and damage for Hungering Stalkers and fewer challenging monsters in certain areas.
Boss Changes:
Adjustments have been made to several boss fights to improve player experience:
- Viper Napuatzi's Chaos Rains have been reduced in number and size, with improved visibility of drop locations.
- Changes to Uxmal's fight mechanics, including fewer location changes and less frequent use of Flame Breath.
- Improved visibility of Xyclucian's effects by removing ground foliage in the arena.
Player Minion Changes:
Minion revive timers have been adjusted to mitigate long wait times, and improvements have been made to the functionality of Bind Spectre and Tame Beast gems.
Other Player Balance:
Additional balance changes include the expansion of Rally support to all melee attacks and fixes to certain skill interactions.
Crafting Changes:
New mods have been added to runes for caster weapons, and a new Blank rune option has been introduced at Renly's abandoned shop.
Performance Improvements:
Optimizations have been made to ground foliage in various areas to improve game performance.
0.2.0E Deployment Timeline:
The 0.2.0e update will be deployed at around 10AM NZT, with additional changes planned for a later patch.
Charm Changes:
Charm slots on belts are now granted by implicit mods, with the number of slots varying based on the belt's level. Several charm mods have been enhanced for better player protection and rewards.
Stash Tab Affinities:
New stash tab affinities have been introduced for various item categories, and charms can now be stored in the Flask stash tab or any tab with the Flask affinity.
Atlas Bookmarks:
Players can now bookmark locations on their atlas for easy navigation, with up to 16 bookmarks available.
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