Grinding Gear Games is scrambling to implement urgent adjustments to Path of Exile 2 following widespread criticism of the Dawn of the Hunt update. The recent nerf-heavy changes have sparked such discontent that recent Steam reviews have dropped to "mostly negative."
Content Expansion Met With Criticism
The Dawn of the Hunt update introduced several major features including the new Huntress class - a spear-and-buckler specialist blending melee and ranged combat - along with five new ascension classes: Ritualist, Amazon, Smith of Kitava, Tactician, and Lich. Alongside this expansion came significant mechanical overhauls, over 100 new unique items, and expanded crafting systems.
Instead of celebration, however, the update has drawn complaints that developers have slowed gameplay to a "total slog," prompting GGG to issue multiple emergency fixes.
Community Feedback Highlights Issues
The top Steam review summarizes player frustrations:
"Boss fights drag on unnecessarily, most skills feel underpowered, and the game has become unbearably slow. Stability issues compound these problems. After 5,000 hours in PoE1 - my favorite game ever - I currently can't recommend this version."
Other players echo these concerns, lamenting reduced loot drops, forced combat styles, oversized maps, and movement speed issues that developers initially overlooked.
Emergency Patch Notes (0.2.0e)
GGG's upcoming April 11 patch includes numerous adjustments:
Monster Speed Changes
- Removed interrupt mechanics from various human enemies' attack patterns
- Disabled Haste Aura on already-fast monsters
Act-Specific Adjustments
- Werewolf/Tendril Prowlers: Reduced pursuit aggression
- Hungering Stalkers: -12% life/damage
- Reduced monster density in problematic areas
Boss Fight Tweaks
- Viper Napuatzi: Streamlined chaos rain mechanics
- Uxmal: Reduced teleportation frequency
Quality-of-Life Improvements
- Revamped minion revive timers
- Expanded crafting rune availability
- Added early-game rune access
Future Updates Planned
Additional changes coming post-weekend include:
- Charm system overhaul (more slots, better effects)
- New stash tab affinities
- Atlas bookmarking system
These emergency changes represent GGG's attempt to course-correct after the controversial update. With Path of Exile 2's massive launch success now tempered by gameplay concerns, the development team faces the challenge of balancing their vision with community expectations.
