Dawn of the Hunt was supposed to be a defining moment for Path of Exile 2—but instead, it raised uncomfortable questions: Why is Path of Exile 2’s major update failing to resonate with players, and what does that reveal about GGG’s current direction? Let’s take a closer look at what was added—and why the community’s response has been so mixed.
🗡️ New Class: Huntress
The Huntress is the newest addition to Path of Exile 2‘s roster. She wields spears and bucklers, offering a unique blend of melee and ranged combat that emphasizes mobility and precision.
She features two Ascendancies:
- Amazon – Based on traditional Azmeri combat techniques, focused on agility and martial prowess.
- Ritualist – Leverages sacrificial rituals to fuel powerful abilities.
If you are interested in gameplay, Mathil released a video sharing his thoughts on the class and his Huntress build.
🧙 Additional Ascendancy Classes
Other new ascendancies expand existing archetypes:
- Smith of Kitava (Warrior) – A melee class that forges weapons mid-combat.
- Tactician (Mercenary) – Supports allies with tactical advantages.
- Lich (Witch) – Masters chaos damage and curses.
These classes offer fresh ways to play—but they’ve also introduced some serious balance concerns, which we’ll get into later.
🏰 Endgame and System Reworks
The endgame has been overhauled with:
- Revamped corruption mechanics
- New unique maps and Rogue Exile encounters
- Tower system adjustments
- Azmerian Wisps that empower enemies for bigger rewards
🔧 Crafting System Overhaul
Crafting has been expanded with:
- A Recombination system, allowing players to merge items with select modifiers
- Fracturing Orbs and Corrupted Essences for deeper gear customization
🎁 More Content
Content additions include:
- Over 100 new Unique Items and Support Gems
- Eight new endgame maps with tough mechanics and bosses
💬 Mixed Player Reception
The update isn’t lacking in ambition—but how has it landed with the player base?
👍 The Good
- The Huntress class and new Ascendancies have received praise for their creativity and visual design.
- Crafting and endgame content offer players fresh incentives to explore builds and test gear systems.
👎 The Bad
That’s where the good news ends. Many players feel that the core combat experience has taken a nosedive.
One player, glitche#2433, summed up the sentiment shared across Reddit, forums, and Discord:
“This new PoE2 patch is absolutely miserable. Every build feels like it got kneecapped—nothing does damage anymore. It now takes five full minutes to kill a single white trash mob in normal difficulty. That’s not challenging, that’s boring.
The pacing is completely off. Combat feels like I’m dragging a wet sock through mud. And when I die, it’s not ‘oh wow, I got outplayed,’ it’s ‘there’s no way I’m doing that again.’ Why? Because everything respawns, the maps are massive, and the enemies move at Mach 3 while my character crawls like they’ve got a herniated disc.
This isn’t difficulty. This is tedium, frustration, and design that punishes you for trying to have fun. Bring back the fun, or you’re going to watch players vanish like your patch notes nerfed joy itself.”
Yikes. That’s not an outlier opinion either—streamers are also feeling the pain.
🖥️ The Streamer Struggle
Watching streamers try to enjoy the update has been rough. Most seemed to be enduring the game rather than enjoying it, trudging through the early game in hopes of reaching a more rewarding endgame. A major bug that disconnected players repeatedly didn’t help. In their defense, GGG has been patching the game by fixing bugs and adjusting mob health to resolve some of the issues.
It begs the question: why was this patch released in this state?
🐘 The Elephant in the Room: Ownership and Direction
Let’s address something I’ve brought up before.
A common refrain from fans has been, “I support GGG to make the game they want to make.”
That would be a fine sentiment—if it were still their company.
In March 2024, GGG was fully acquired by Sixjoy, a Tencent subsidiary. Since that acquisition, the direction of the game has shifted. Decisions made post-sale don’t reflect the identity of the “old-school GGG” that many longtime players supported.
This is not just about PoE1 players being resistant to change. Many accepted that PoE2 would be a different experience. The problem is PoE2, on its own merits, is simply not fun to play right now.
🤔 Where Do We Go From Here?
GGG needs to answer some tough questions—and they’re overdue.
- What is Path of Exile 2 actually supposed to be?
- Why weren’t they upfront about the game’s direction before launch?
- Who is making the final decisions—and are they connected to the community anymore?
A more honest rollout might have reduced sales early on, but it would’ve spared a lot of frustration from players and developers. Now, both groups are in a tough spot: the community is disappointed, and the devs are dealing with negative feedback and unclear leadership.
And speaking of leadership…
🧑💼 The Silence from the Top
Chris Wilson, long considered the face of GGG, has been notably absent. While he has every right to step away—and I wish him well—he didn’t say goodbye. That lack of communication has left players uneasy and adds to the sense that no one is at the wheel.
Meanwhile, PoE1 has been left to languish without meaningful updates, and PoE2 is now floundering. Both games are in a bad place. It’s not “hate” to ask what happened and how things will be fixed. It’s a fair question, especially after years of support and goodwill from the community.
🎤 What’s Next?
On April 8, streamer Zizaran will be interviewing GGG. He’s promised to ask the tough questions. Let’s hope GGG is ready to give honest answers.
