As we all know, Patch 1.0 is likely to be the largest patch in PoE 2's history, expected to be released later this year.
It's a fantastic game, but it's far from perfect, so we need to have an honest discussion about the game's issues and which must be addressed before its official release. Without resolving these problems, it will be difficult to satisfy players.
This article will detail the areas of Path of Exile 2 that need improvement before Patch 1.0 arrives.
Balance Imbalance
PoE 2 allocates too many power resources to gears, especially with a few incredibly powerful affixes. We've all experienced this - a single powerful weapon upgrade can completely transform your character. While this sounds great, it creates serious balance issues.
So, Grinding Gear Games must consider the potential for players to gain massive power spikes before balancing monster strength. Because once players reach a certain level of power, the game becomes unchallenging.
I believe there's a better way to allocate this power: invest more in Passive Skill Tree, Ascendancy classes, and systems accessible to all players, rather than just gears and affixes.
Why is this important? Because it gives GGG a more comprehensive game balance baseline. If every player gains some power from Passive Skill Tree, they'll have a general idea of what level they'll reach when building a reasonable character. Gears will then become a motivator for builds, not the deciding factor.
Ascendancy Classes
Ask yourself, what's the coolest moment in your character's progression? Many would say Ascension. Because you completed those challenging trials, chose your Ascendancy class, and your character suddenly gained new power.
Many have long anticipated Ascendancy, but I've found that some Ascendancy options simply don't provide enough of that experience.
For example, Infernalist's mechanics rely heavily on the old summon/fire system, and compared to the faster, more complex endgame environment, some gameplay feels less smooth. Also, Blood Mage's biggest problem isn't a lack of power, but rather the high design cost of its resource and life mechanics. In the current environment, the investment and return are sometimes mismatched.
I'm not asking every Ascendancy to be overpowered. I just want them to be fun. Give me choices. Give me unique interactions. Give me mechanics unique to each Ascendancy that define character building. Give me a reason to sit there staring at my Ascendancy tree and think about which option is the right one.
Melee Problem
I think there are too few melee options in Path of Exile 2. While not all melee builds are weak, they generally feel slightly weaker than ranged characters. This is because ranged characters have a significant advantage: they can stay away from monsters. This creates a huge defensive barrier and makes the gameplay smoother.
Melee builds have to be close to damage sources, and the penalties are too severe. As well as weak melee defense system makes the melee experience terrible. This needs some fundamental changes before Patch 1.0 is released.
Visual Clarity
The visuals in PoE 2 have always been chaotic, and I can tell GGG has been working on it, but without much success. Many players have complained about the clutter, saying they have no idea how they died.
The problem stems from the sheer number of skills, particle effects, and explosions appearing simultaneously on screen, along with overlapping ground effects. The sheer volume of flashy effects stacked together sometimes makes it difficult for players to even locate their characters.
The solution isn't to make everything ugly and boring, but rather to reduce the number of projectiles while increasing the power of each, or to give players better control over what they see and reduce effects that are irrelevant to their own actions.
Challenging Content
Adding more challenging content to Patch 1.0 would be a perfect fit for Path of Exile 2. Many players want challenges that require skill, not just pure damage output. Bosses like Arbiter of Ash would be excellent - because they demand skill.
I think Patch 1.0 could include more of this kind of content. More bosses, more content that players could dedicate an entire season to. Most importantly, I want something that truly makes sense to push a character's limits.
Endgame Content
GGG has clearly stated that the endgame content isn't entirely as they envisioned, and they've identified some very noticeable flaws, including a lack of direction for new players entering the endgame and a lack of consistent map layout.
The upcoming Patch 0.5.5 should address these issues. If feedback on the endgame content is poor, the developers will consider delaying the release of Patch 1.0. If players unanimously agree that the endgame content is significantly improved, it means the end of Early Access is not far off.
These are the basic issues GGG should address before Patch 1.0 for Path of Exile 2. If you have any other ideas, follow EZG Facebook and leave a comment. We also offer occasional resource giveaways to help you quickly acquire resources. Participation is simple: just tag your fans or friends in the comments.
If Patch 1.0 is released with these problems, player enthusiasm may turn into disappointment. This is by no means the first impression GGG wants to leave players.
My expectation for 1.0 is not that PoE 2 will suddenly become perfect - because a perfect game doesn't exist. I hope this game will showcase the developers' ingenuity, allowing each major system to be seamlessly integrated into the game.
