PoE2 Future Updates to Shift Focus from New Classes

Path of Exile 2's game director has announced that new classes will not be the primary focus of future updates. Delve into the reasons behind this decision and gain insight 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 recent Q&A session, Path of Exile 2 Game Director Jonathan Rogers shared that players should not anticipate new classes in every upcoming patch due to the unpredictable nature of their development.

When questioned about the expectation of a new class with every patch, Rogers explained that the development team has realized that focusing on new classes can be detrimental to the overall expansion process. He 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.

He highlighted the trade-offs between having a fixed release date with variable content versus a floating release date with guaranteed content. The focus on including the Huntress in the next patch led to multiple delays. Rogers noted, 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 expressed a preference for fixed release dates over promising new classes, saying, 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.

Given their experience with the Dawn of the Hunt development, Rogers indicated that players should not expect new classes in future patches due to the unpredictability of class development. He emphasized the importance of delivering updates more frequently, stating, 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, Rogers assured that new Ascendancies will be a staple in every upcoming patch. He also expressed enthusiasm for adding more classes even after Early Access concludes, saying, 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.

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 focused on midgame and endgame content. Grinding Gear Games (GGG) aims to make bosses significantly more challenging. Rogers explained the need to extend the time it takes for players to reach overpowering levels, while still allowing them to achieve that peak. 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 shared his disappointment at how quickly players were defeating Pinnacle Bosses, describing his ideal scenario for these encounters. He said, 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.

He concluded that the balance changes are focused on slowing down the progression to ultimate power, stating, 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 been a topic of discussion among players. Some felt it was too easy, while others found it too challenging. Rogers expressed satisfaction with the campaign's difficulty and believes that player opinions may evolve over time. He noted that many complaints came from players transitioning from the previous game to the current one, leading to comparisons.

Rogers is optimistic that complaints about difficulty will decrease, saying, 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 acknowledged that if this doesn't prove true, they would have more data to guide future adjustments. Rogers observed, 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.