Path of Exile 2 can shoot itself in the foot with its ending approach

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Summary

  • Endgame Path of Exile 2 changes the game's slow-paced ARPG premise to emphasize stealth and tough boss fights.

  • The current endgame design is challenged by powerful player builds and fast monsters, making strategic encounters difficult.

  • To deal with late-game challenges, developers must balance enemy modifiers to match monster speed with players and adjust overly safe builds.

WITH Path of Exile 2 After launching in early access on December 6, 2024, many players were able to get into the final part of the action RPG, test several classes and skills, explore various intricacies of game mechanics, and more. During 2025 and before its full release, there is most likely a lot left for the game, and it's just as likely that many things can change over time. Path of Exile 2 the best version of yourself that you can be. While the game overall came out in great shape for its Early Access release, it already has some clear pain points, one of which is how its approach to the end game completely pushes the premise of a slower, more methodical ARPG.

One could argue that Path of Exile 2 it has several soul-like elements and even features like death that removes all loot from the screen when all monsters appear. The fact that Path of Exile 2 The focus on dodge rolls and tough boss fights is perhaps the most telling sign that the new GGG title is aiming for a different gameplay loop compared to the first game, but the current ending design could quickly change that.

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Path of Exile 2's focus on survivability hinders its ending

Path of Exile 2Slow and difficult fights are part of the game's identity, as they have always been at the forefront of marketing materials, with even the developers of GGG struggling to beat and die from bosses. With early access came a much larger audience than GGG's tests could ever play, with around 400,000 to 500,000 daily players on Steam alone. It follows that some parts of the game for players who are not new or otherwise just getting started with their first characters can already be downplayed – including those same tough boss fights where dodging and learning attack patterns were theoretically mandatory.

This is because players quickly found some of the best builds Path of Exile 2to the point where some were nervous because they were simply out of tune compared to most others. But while players are “breaking” the game with the best items and skills and crafting Path of Exile 2 Essentially simpler than intended, the current ending design makes monsters potentially very aggressive, fast, and dangerous in close quarters with death effects and one-shots. The game is designed to be slower and give players time to strategize encounters, but the best way to survive the ending is to do the opposite.

Endgame Path of Exile 2 is history repeating itself

Path of Exile - Map of the Atlas Region

As such, the current best builds in the game include skills like Lightning Arrow, Spark, Gas Arrow and the like, which can quite easily clear the screen relatively quickly and from the safety of being in range. This prevents the monsters from rushing towards the players, as many modifiers make them much faster and act much faster than the players, meaning that the intended slower and methodical approach can't exactly work. Path of Exile 2The game's endgame essentially retraces the same steps as its predecessor, where power creeps and builds that clear the screen easily and safely are much more rewarding.

How Path of Exile 2 can change the pace of the game

The implication of this is that GGG is at a crossroads as he can leave things as they are, make changes to enemy modifiers to make monsters more responsive to player speed, or tackle safe and strong builds so players can't clear the screen from afar. The latter would most likely be received poorly, as Path of Exile 2Nerfing skills has already sparked a debate about free respects, and the first one wouldn't really solve the problem. However, the solution to removing modifiers that speed up monsters, thereby allowing for the more methodical fights that the campaign brings, can only help, but not drastically reshape, the current meta.

It's not clear how GGG can get out of this pickle, but it may be problematic to remake the current ending as parts of it affect other aspects of the game. For example, there are modifiers that make enemies much faster Path of Exile 2's Trial of Chaos as well. Fans will have to wait and see if there are any changes, but the campaign experience (likely up until the brutal Act 1 or 2) could quickly change to Path of Exile 1 standards in terms of gameplay.

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