"Path of Exile 2 Devs Rush Emergency Updates Amid 'Mostly Negative' Steam Reviews"

Grinding Gear Games, the developers behind Path of Exile 2, have made further emergency adjustments to the action role-playing game following a significant community backlash against the Dawn of the Hunt update. This update, which was released earlier this month, introduced the new Huntress class, utilizing Spear and Buckler for hybrid melee and ranged combat, along with five new ascension classes: the Ritualist, Amazon, Smith of Kitava, Tactician, and Lich. The update also brought over a hundred new unique items and significantly expanded crafting options. However, the community's reaction was overwhelmingly negative due to the perceived slowdown in gameplay, leading to a drop in Steam user reviews to 'mostly negative.'

Every boss fight feels unnecessarily prolonged. Skills seem to inflict minimal damage, and despite the developers' intention to slow down the game, the pace has become unbearable. Stability issues further compound the problem, making the game's current state challenging to endure. "If you're a masochist who enjoys being punished for little to no reward, this game is for you," another review sharply criticizes. The update (0.2 - Dawn of the Hunt) intensified the issues from the initial release (0.1), such as overly large areas, slow movement, and a forced combo gameplay that contradicts the freedom typically enjoyed in ARPGs. The reduction in loot and crafting currencies has also been a sore point, with players feeling pigeonholed into specific playstyles. Despite the developer's initial silence on these issues, the overwhelming feedback forced a response.

In response, GGG has already outlined a series of changes and now plans to release an additional update, 0.2.0e, on April 11. The question remains whether these adjustments will be substantial enough to alleviate the ongoing complaints and restore the game's positive reception. Despite the successful launch of Path of Exile 2, which saw an influx of players that strained the game's infrastructure, these issues have also affected the development of Path of Exile 1, which continues to have a dedicated player base.

Path of Exile 2 update 0.2.0e patch notes:

Monster Speed Changes

Players have felt overwhelmed by monster speed and behavior. GGG is addressing these issues act by act, along with general changes to improve gameplay flow. Key among these is the removal of interrupt events for many human monsters, allowing players more time to engage and use skills. The Haste Aura modifier will no longer appear on already fast monsters.

Act 1

Adjustments to Werewolf Prowlers, Tendril Prowlers, and Hungering Stalkers aim to balance their speed and vulnerability. The number of Bloom Serpents and Venomous Crabs has been reduced, and Cultists in Freythorn have been modified to be less aggressive. Blood Cretins' death pools have shorter durations, and Ogham Manor's monster density has been adjusted.

Act 2

Boulder Ants in Titan Valley have been replaced with Risen Maraketh to reduce movement-based irritation. Faridun monsters have also had their interrupt events removed.

Act 3

Diretusk Boar and Antlion Charger behaviors have been tweaked to be less disruptive, and the Lost City and Azak Bog have seen changes in monster composition to reduce ranged and elite monster density. An issue with Slitherspitter's poison spray dealing unintended damage has been fixed.

GGG acknowledges an issue with inconsistent monster spawn density across different rooms, which will be addressed in a future patch.

Boss Changes

Boss encounters have been refined to enhance player experience. Viper Napuatzi's Chaos Rains have been reduced in size and number, and Uxmal's fight mechanics have been adjusted to be less frustrating. Xyclucian's arena has been cleared of ground foliage to improve visibility of his effects.

Player Minion Changes

Minion revive timers have been optimized to prevent long delays when multiple minions die. Disenchanting certain gems will now unbind them, and tamed beasts can navigate through spaces accessible to players.

Other Player Balance

Additional player balance adjustments include expanding the Rally support skill to any melee attack and fixing issues with specific skills and ascendancy abilities.

Crafting Changes

All caster weapon mods have been added to runes, and a new feature allows players to forge a Blank rune into any elemental rune at Renly's abandoned shop. The distribution of Artificers Orbs has also been adjusted.

Performance Improvements

Optimizations to ground foliage aim to enhance game performance across various areas.

0.2.0E Deployment Timeline

The update is set to deploy at around 10AM NZT, with further changes planned for post-weekend deployment.

Charm Changes

Charm functionality has been enhanced, with charm slots now added to belts based on area level. Several charm issues have been fixed, and their mods have been improved for better player rewards.

Stash Tab Affinities

New affinities for Stash Tabs have been introduced for various item categories, including Charms which can now be stored in Flask tabs or tabs with Flask affinity.

Atlas Bookmarks

Players can now bookmark locations on the atlas for easy navigation, with up to 16 bookmarks available, complete with icons and optional labels.