Path of Exile 2 developer Grinding Gear Games (GGG) has issued additional emergency changes to the action role-playing game in response to the community's strong negative reaction to the Dawn of the Hunt update. This update, which rolled out earlier this month, introduced the new Huntress class equipped with a Spear and Buckler, specializing in hybrid melee and ranged combat. It also brought five new ascension classes: the Ritualist, Amazon, Smith of Kitava, Tactician, and Lich, alongside over a hundred new unique items and enhanced crafting options. However, the community backlash was significant, with Steam user reviews dropping to 'mostly negative' due to the game's perceived slower pace, now described as a "total slog."

The most highlighted Steam review from the past 30 days expresses dissatisfaction with the extended duration of boss fights, minimal skill damage, and overall game stability. Other reviews have echoed these sentiments, criticizing the game's large map sizes, slow movement, and forced combo gameplay, which they feel restricts player freedom and enjoyment. The loot system was also nerfed, diminishing the rewards from defeating rare monsters and bosses.

In response, GGG has outlined a series of adjustments in the upcoming 0.2.0e update, set to launch on April 11. The patch notes detail various changes to monster speed and behavior, boss mechanics, player minion mechanics, and other gameplay elements aimed at addressing the community's concerns.

Monster Speed Changes include adjustments to prevent overwhelming player encounters by modifying the behavior of specific monsters across different acts, such as reducing their speed and interrupt capabilities.

Boss Changes target specific bosses like Viper Napuatzi and Uxmal, adjusting their mechanics to reduce difficulty and improve player experience.

Player Minion Changes address revive timers and usability issues, making minion management more fluid and less punishing.

Other Player Balance tweaks, such as broadening the usability of certain skills and fixing bugs, aim to enhance player satisfaction.

Crafting Changes finalize the addition of mods to runes for caster weapons and introduce a new mechanic for acquiring elemental runes, enhancing the crafting system's depth and accessibility.

Performance Improvements focus on optimizing ground foliage to enhance game performance.

The 0.2.0E Deployment Timeline sets the patch rollout for 10AM NZT, with further changes planned for post-weekend deployment. These include significant updates to the Charm system, introducing charm slots on belts based on area level and improving charm effectiveness. Additionally, Stash Tab Affinities will be added for easier item categorization, and Atlas Bookmarks will facilitate navigation within the game.

The critical question remains whether these changes will be sufficient to restore player confidence and improve the overall reception of Path of Exile 2. Despite the initial success of the game, evidenced by high player numbers at launch, the community's feedback has been pivotal in shaping GGG's ongoing development efforts, including impacts on Path of Exile 1's development.