Summary
Path of Exile 2 faces controversies with loot, difficulty, and nerfs, impacting player satisfaction. GGG aims to balance nerfs in Path of Exile 2 to maintain game balance without killing popular builds. Respeccing after nerfs in Path of Exile 2 may be costly, prompting a need to rethink GGG's approach.
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Ever since it came out in early access, Path of Exile 2 has enjoyed quite a lot of success and time in the limelight, rapidly becoming one of the best action RPGs in the history of the genre. This doesn't mean it's been all roses for Grinding Gear Games' title, however, and it has already faced a couple of controversies regarding its loot and difficulty. Many players were not satisfied with the pace of Path of Exile 2's endgame or even the leveling experience, requiring dodge rolls and extra attention to avoid enemy attacks. However, another issue is quickly arising - nerfs.
While GGG stated that it will try not to nerf popular builds or skills, it also made clear that some big outliers will have to be looked into in some way in order to maintain the game's balance overall. Some Path of Exile 2 skills have already been nerfed in power to some extent, and while it may be a healthy approach for GGG to have, it needs to strike a balance between nerfs and killing builds entirely. This is something that Helldivers 2 learned the hard way, and it's important that Path of Exile 2 doesn't make the same mistake.
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Helldivers 2 and Path of Exile 2 Risk Being in The Same Boat
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How Path of Exile 2 Handles Nerfs May Carve a Different Path Than Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2 and Path of Exile 2 are extremely different games, but they are comparable in the sense of community voice and how builds (or loadouts) can be a key component of the gameplay experience. In the case of Path of Exile 2's builds, they are composed of many elements that range from one's class and skill selection to the passive tree. Just like its predecessor, GGG's new action RPG emphasizes the use of the passive tree to enhance one's build and stretch what their character can do even further.
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However, this hinges on the assumption that builds work in a given way. Though Path of Exile 2 allows players to respec passive points, this can be very expensive very quickly, making it very difficult to make good builds that resist the test of time. Still, there are plenty of good builds in the game, but GGG's early access nerfs are already being felt by fans for two key reasons. For starters, very rarely players are happy with nerfs and would rather have buffs for underperforming aspects of the game. In Path of Exile 2, this can be even more grueling if nerfs make a given build either unplayable or simply not as good, as respeccing passives can cost thousands of gold per point.
Respeccing in Path of Exile 2 After Nerfs is a Controversy Waiting to Happen
This becomes exponentially more problematic the higher the character's level, meaning that if nerfs make a given build less fun to play (or straight-up not good anymore to tackle the game's content) then it may be best to respec. However, if players haven't been saving gold in Path of Exile 2, suddenly having to spend a fortune to respec a lot of points may not be on the table. The alternative would be grinding to acquire enough gold to then respec the character, but with a nerfed build it may not be ideal.
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Why Path of Exile 2's Approach to Nerfs Should Differ From Helldivers 2's
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As such, if GGG wants or simply needs to keep nerfing skills and builds in Path of Exile 2, it should offer free passive tree respecs for those affected, so they can at least pivot to something else for free, and it would sting much less. Helldivers 2's many nerfs ended up eroding community morale, and there's an important lesson for GGG to learn there in regards to how handling nerfs can change the perception of its game. With many complaints about the game's difficulty, Path of Exile 2 could risk players review-bombing the game before it's even fully out of early access, and handling nerfs with a more player-catered approach could be a game-changer.
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Path of Exile II
Path of Exile 2 is a next generation free-to-play Action RPG created by Grinding Gear Games. Journey across the deadly continent of Wraeclast, meeting multiple immersive cultures while facing off against evil in many forms. Path of Exile 2 features twelve character classes, 240 Skill Gems, hundreds of equipment base types, a six-act campaign, more than a hundred unique boss fights, a deep endgame system and so much more. Play with your friends without losing any progress with couch co-op, cross-play and cross-progression.
Action RPG
Systems
Franchise Path of Exile
Platform(s) PC , PlayStation 5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
Developer(s) Grinding Gear Games
Publisher(s) Grinding Gear Games
Multiplayer Online Multiplayer , Online Co-Op
Engine Proprietary Engine
ESRB M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Nudity, Violence
Early Access Release December 6, 2024
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