Path of Exile 2 developers are making urgent changes to the game following a wave of player dissatisfaction that has landed the title in “Mostly Negative” territory on Steam. Players have been vocal about their frustrations with the game’s slow, punishing gameplay that conflicts with fast enemies and large maps.
The core issue stems from a basic disconnect between developer vision and player expectations.
While Grinding Gear Games aimed to create a more methodical, tactical combat experience with Souls-like elements, players found themselves overwhelmed by enemies while lacking adequate movement speed and defensive options.
We've just released the first new sets of Skill Effects for Path of Exile 2! There's also the Honour Guard Armour Set, Spear and Buckler Skins, as well as other miscellaneous goodies like Tracking Scrolls! Check some of them out in the video below:https://t.co/5ka8KSge7t pic.twitter.com/ZrtWja0opz
— Path of Exile (@pathofexile) April 11, 2025
“It’s dark souls meets vampire survivors. You’re the souls character, you die in a few hits and can’t move fast,” wrote one player, capturing the frustration many have experienced. The sentiment reflects how the game’s design clashes with what made the original Path of Exile popular—its fast-paced, loot-driven gameplay.
The emergency changes focus on three main areas: increasing character movement speed, rebalancing enemy difficulty, and improving the reward structure. Players had complained that the risk-reward balance was completely off, with punishing combat providing little satisfaction in return.
Path of Exile 2 entered the ARPG scene during a competitive period, with Diablo 4 and Last Epoch vying for player attention. Despite being in Early Access, players expected a more polished experience, particularly given Grinding Gear Games’ reputation for community engagement and responsiveness.
As the week wraps up, we've pulled together a list of changes we're targeting for deployment in a patch mid next week. We've been busy making improvements to Path of Exile 2—here’s what’s on the way.https://t.co/47bcgz1U2W pic.twitter.com/vSBiQ4NtcB
— Path of Exile (@pathofexile) April 11, 2025
The game’s longer campaign has also drawn criticism. Unlike its predecessor, PoE2 requires significant time investment before reaching the endgame content that many players enjoy. Combined with the challenging gameplay, this has led to fatigue as players must repeatedly trudge through difficult content with each new character.
From mostly negative to mostly fixed?
Developers have been actively communicating with content creators and the community to realign their vision.
These mid-season changes demonstrate their commitment to addressing player concerns, though some wonder if the foundational design philosophy can be adjusted without completely overhauling the game.
The studio faces the challenge of satisfying its established fanbase while attempting to evolve the series. Path of Exile‘s complex skill system and deep mechanics have always been its hallmark, but the sequel’s attempt to slow down the pace has clearly struck a nerve with players who enjoyed “screen-deleting” hordes of monsters.
