Path of Exile 2's game director has announced a significant shift in the game's update strategy, focusing less on introducing new classes in major patches. This decision stems from the complexities and unpredictability of class development, as explained by Jonathan Rogers during a recent Q&A session. Dive deeper to understand the rationale behind this move and gain insights into the current state of the game.
Path of Exile 2 New Characters Might Not Be Introduced Every Patch
You Can Expect More Ascendancies Instead
In a candid Q&A session, Path of Exile 2 Game Director Jonathan Rogers shared that the development team has decided against making new classes a focal point of future patches. He explained that while the team would love to introduce a new class with every update, the experience from the current development cycle taught them otherwise. Rogers stated, 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.
The primary issue, according to Rogers, was the tension between setting a fixed release date and ensuring a substantial amount of content. The focus on including the Huntress in the next patch led to repeated delays. He elaborated, 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.
Rogers emphasized the importance of maintaining a fixed release schedule 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.
This approach aims to deliver updates more predictably and frequently, aligning with player expectations for steady progress. Rogers noted, Players really do want to see forward progress, and they don’t want to be waiting six to nine months before they see a big update. So I think it’s important that we’re constantly giving them stuff in a reasonably timely manner, so for that reason, the classes are less predictable.
However, fans of new content need not despair. Rogers assured that each patch will include new Ascendancies, and he remains enthusiastic about adding more classes even after the Early Access phase. 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,
he affirmed.
Path of Exile 2 Dawn of the Hunt Brings More Changes to Endgame
Promising the End to Be A Lot Harder
Alongside the Huntress, the upcoming patch will introduce over 100 new skills, support gems, and unique gear tailored for midgame and endgame challenges. Grinding Gear Games (GGG) is committed to making the endgame significantly tougher. Rogers explained the need to extend the time it takes for players to reach peak power levels, ensuring the endgame remains challenging. He noted, There are certainly some things that are going to have to be nerfed because they’re completely trivializing certain mechanics. People are getting [to] the point of complete outrageousness a little bit too early.
Rogers expressed disappointment over how quickly players were able to defeat Pinnacle Bosses, citing an instance where a boss was defeated in just fourteen seconds. He envisions a scenario where the first encounter with a Pinnacle Boss is a formidable challenge, stating, 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.
Rogers concluded that the balance changes are designed to slow down the progression to ultimate power, saying, Things have kind of gotten a little bit off the rails, in terms of the ability to get power too easily there, and that’s kind of the main thing. 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 expressed satisfaction with the current difficulty level, suggesting that player perceptions may evolve over time. He pointed out 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 balanced. He stated, 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 added that if the feedback remains negative, they would have more data to adjust accordingly, but he remains hopeful that the initial concerns will dissipate as players improve their skills. Rogers concluded, 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.
