PoE2 Update: Best New Features - Part 1
22.11.2024 - 02:39:26
Game Guides , Path of Exile 2
Grinding Gear Games has announced that Path of Exile 2 (or simply PoE 2) now has a definitive date for its Early Access. After being delayed several times, the highly anticipated open beta for PoE’s sequel will commence on December 6!
While the company is set to go on a livestream soon, GGG disclosed a bunch of new information for Path of Exile 2 ahead of its eventual release.
If you want to know what’s in store for you, then read ahead. Here are the PoE 2 highlights:
Path of Exile 2 Early Access
Let’s start with the upcoming open beta for Path of Exile’s highly anticipated sequel. According to Jonathan Rogers, Game Director for PoE 2, the company will be selling new supporter packs that contain keys for Early Access.
The existing core supporter packs being offered in the in-game shop will be replaced by these new ones. Prices start at $30, though there are going to be some expensive options; they’ve just not been revealed yet.
Although the company did not disclose items other than the Early Access key at the time of writing, it is possible that it will offer premium points and cosmetic items with every purchase of the new supporter packs.
How do we know this? Well, if you look at “The Fall of Oriath” Supporter Pack in the original game, which was released in 2017, it gave players access to the closed beta. Additionally, players were given 250 points that they could use to purchase character skins and skill effects, as well as a unique weapon effect and a portrait frame.
If that is anything to go by, you might be able to deck out your characters with cool-looking skins when Path of Exile 2 launches its beta on December 6!
PoE 2 Best New Features
With the game just two weeks away from being available to the public, you’re probably wondering what new and exciting stuff is coming your way! So, without further ado, here are some Path of Exile 2 new features:
New Classes
Path of Exile’s highly anticipated sequel will have 12 playable classes in total. However, the upcoming Early Access beta is only going to feature half of that roster. These are the Warrior, Monk, Ranger, Witch, Sorceress, and Mercenary.
The Warrior class is a formidable melee fighter capable of smashing enemies to smithereens. His preferred weapon is a two-handed mace, but he might have access to other melee weapon types as well. He specializes in slam skills like Ground Slam and Volcanic Fissure, so if you are into these skills, then the Warrior is probably the most fitting for you!
If you have the knack of freezing enemies in place, making them ripe for the kill, then the Monk is worthy of your consideration. This Path of Exile 2 class can utilize cold skills to great effect. Despite wielding a two-handed quarterstaff, the Monk can actually execute some cool-looking kicks that provide some mobility as well.
Utilizing a bow and arrow to kill enemies from afar, the Ranger returns as one of the playable classes in PoE 2. There is limited gameplay footage available right now, but from what we can gather, it seems that the Ranger can use Lightning Arrow to zap her foes out of existence!
Are you the type of player who wants to command a legion of minions that are ready to do your bidding? Then you might like the Witch class! If you’ve played the vanilla PoE, this class is quite similar to the Necromancer ascendancy, particularly due to her ability to summon the undead, as well as harness dark energies to destroy her enemies.
If the previous class is about summoning the undead, this next one harnesses the power of the elements. The Sorceress is sort of the Elementalist ascendancy in Path of Exile 1. She can cast devastating elemental spells that can annihilate anyone who is foolish enough to stand in her way.
Lastly, the Mercenary is an entirely new class in PoE 2 that offers a “run-and-gun” playstyle. Rogers mentioned that this class is able to strafe using the WASD keys, which fans of first-person shooters will love. But more importantly, the Mercenary can wield a crossbow with various firing modes that mimic a shotgun, a machine gun, and even a grenade launcher!
Gems System Rework
Path of Exile is different compared to its counterparts. That is because the skills that you utilize when mapping or bossing actually come from gems that you insert into your gear. While you can get acquainted with this system over time, it is not the most accessible, especially since other ARPGs like Diablo 4 and Last Epoch have classes that already come with their own set of abilities.
That is about to change in PoE 2! In the game’s sequel, skill gems are now innate to your character, with nine slots at your disposal. Each slot can be fitted with any skill gem of your choosing. Besides that, some items grant new abilities as well—one of which will be discussed later in the article.
Just like in the original, support gems also play a key role in improving your build. You can link up to five support gems into a single skill gem; all without the need for PoE Currency like the now-defunct Orb of Fusing.
In the same vein, the Jeweler’s Orb is no more. How exactly do you put support gems then? Well, the skill gems themselves now come with their own sockets as shown in the image below:
The system used in the original game was quite daunting for complete beginners. GGG has made it a mission to make the sequel more intuitive and accessible, thus some UI changes have to be made as part of the gems system rework.
In PoE 2, support gems are now conveniently placed in their own UI. What’s more, there will be a new option that, when ticked, displays only the support gems that are ideal for the current build you are playing!
By now, you’re probably asking where to get the gems that you need. There is a new item called “Uncut Gem” that can drop when killing enemies. This thing has three types: Skill, Support, and Buff. An Uncut Support Gem, as the name implies, lets you create a support gem when used.
Right-clicking an Uncut Gem will direct you to a new window, which displays the various gems that you can form with it. Additionally, the said item can be utilized to improve existing skill gems, such as raising the number of sockets that it has (and possibly more).
Passive Skill Tree Changes
If you think that the gems system rework is amazing, wait until you find out the changes that GGG has made to the passive skill tree. It is a known fact that the passive skill tree is pretty intimidating, especially when you see the various interconnected nodes. However, GGG has made things a bit simpler in Path of Exile 2, though with some level of complexity intact that even the OG players can appreciate.
The small travel nodes that lead you to the more notable ones are attribute passives that can be altered to suit your needs. You see, whenever you link support gems to your skills, their attribute requirements change depending on the color of the gem being used.
Inserting a red support gem, for example, will require five STR. If you only need this much, you can click on the travel node to select the appropriate attribute. This greatly alleviates the need to put specific attributes on gear, so you can focus more on your defenses, such as armor, evasion, or energy shield.
Another impactful Path of Exile 2 update is that there are no more life nodes on the passive tree, thereby allowing you to prioritize more useful skills. This might be seen as a negative, but that is actually not the case. The removal of the life nodes is more likely compensated by increasing the HP bonuses on PoE 2 items, so there’s nothing to worry about.
Lastly, there are no more Masteries that can be allocated, which saves you a lot of points for use in other meaningful passive skills. With over 1,500 nodes to choose from, every point counts! Now, GGG may bring back Masteries in the future, but it is possible that they will only do that to unlock new build possibilities.
Dodge Roll
Grinding Gear Games is going to introduce a new mechanic in Path of Exile 2 that can potentially save you in a lot of dire situations. That new feature is called the Dodge Roll, which can be executed by tapping the spacebar. There are a few things that you need to know about it, so listen up!
First, the Dodge Roll does not have any cooldown and requires no resources to execute. This allows you to utilize the ability as many times as needed.
Second, this new mechanic enables you to move out of harm’s way, effectively dodging projectiles and melee strikes.
Third, even though you can evade attacks, the Dodge Roll does not make you invincible. You are still going to receive damage every time you are hit with an AoE skill, for example.
Aside from avoiding damaging hits, the Dodge Roll enables you to cancel animation frames as well. This is quite helpful when using skills that have pretty lengthy wind-ups.
Dual Specialization
Swapping to a completely different weapon on the fly is nothing new. In fact, you can do that in the original game right now by pressing the “X” button. However, in Path of Exile 2, weapon swapping brings a whole new set of possibilities! That is because each weapon you have equipped provides you with the ability to allocate completely different passive skills.
For example, you can specialize in a fast-attacking character that can wipe out screens of monsters with ease. Then, during boss fights, you can swap into another specialization that is a bit more tanky and is better suited for such encounters.
This new feature is a welcome improvement considering that some enemies you will come across have various defensive layers, which can only be dealt with using a particular spec.
Moreover, weapon swapping allows you to activate a distinct set of auras if you want to. These auras will automatically be turned on whenever you switch between your weapons, which is pretty cool!
Although dual specialization in PoE 2 is possible, it is worth noting that it doesn’t come without some downsides. For instance, you have to equip two specific weapon base types in order to take advantage of the skills that you want to use.
Flask Overhaul
Flasks played a huge role in vanilla Path of Exile. They not only recover your health and mana, but some of them also have practical benefits when used, such as increased movement speed, a considerable damage boost, and a heavily improved defense, among others.
Well, in PoE 2, GGG is going to implement a new flask system that, in our opinion, works much better than the original. So, what’s changed?
For starters, you now only have access to one Life Flask and Mana Flask. These will be improved as you progress, providing you with more life and mana depending on your current level. This is a much-needed change because it alleviates the need for pressing more than one recovery flask.
Additionally, it is rumored that there will be a new trinket slot in Path of Exile 2. Trinkets have the power to alter how flasks operate, likely by adding beneficial effects, such as the ones provided by Instilling and Enkindling Orbs.
Attack Block
Those who love playing melee builds will surely love this next feature. Dodge Roll certainly has its uses, but you still get damaged when you are hit by a boss slam or something similar. However, if you do not want to evade and would rather take the hit head-on, then you can utilize the new ability aptly named “Raise Shield.”
Raise Shield is one of the best new features in Path of Exile 2 because it enables you to utilize your shield to actively block attacks. For you to gain access to it, you must equip a shield that has the said ability as an implicit modifier.
It still remains to be seen how long you can block attacks using this unique skill. However, Raise Shield certainly lets you live the fantasy of playing a fighter who is never afraid to stand his ground.
Revamped Uniques
Unique items in Path of Exile brought interesting mechanics that led to the creation of awesome builds. For instance, the Frostbreath is a one-handed mace that grants power to the Glacial Hammer Berserker, including the ability to deal double damage against chilled enemies.
Recently, GGG revealed some of the existing unique items in the original game that are surely coming to PoE 2, including the Icetomb, Lochtonial Caress, and the aforementioned Frostbreath. It will be interesting to see if they come with new effects in Path of Exile’s sequel. One thing is for sure, though—all of them have received a makeover! Just check out how cool you look when these items are equipped:
Dynamic Gameplay
Path of Exile 2 is going to feel a lot different than its predecessor due to more dynamic gameplay. If you’re forgiven for spamming flasks willy-nilly in the previous game, doing the same in the sequel won’t do you any good.
For example, some flasks can give you immunity to Ignite—an elemental ailment that deals fire damage over time. However, to gain the said benefit, you now have to use your flasks shortly after you are affected by the ailment. If you’ve activated them before Ignite is inflicted, you don’t get immunity and you also lose some flask charges in the process.
In addition, each boss has its own unique mechanics. You cannot simply employ the most overpowered items and skills to pin them down with one shot. Instead, you have to study their movements, use Dodge Roll when needed, and cast your skills in a more strategic way in order to come out victorious.
What happens if you’re unable to defeat the boss? Well, the game punishes you by resetting the encounter, forcing you to fight them all over again!
To put it in another way, PoE 2 encourages you to be more thoughtful with how you play the game. Mindlessly spamming buttons and playing carelessly could result in your character’s death and you wouldn’t want that, especially in Hardcore!
WASD for Fluid Mobility
The Dodge Roll is not the only movement ability you can take advantage of in PoE 2. GGG has been steadily developing a way for you to maneuver your character using the WASD on your keyboard. This scheme is not only suited for the Mercenary, but also for those who want more fluidity and flexibility when traversing maps.
Utilizing the WASD enables you to strafe and put constant pressure on your enemies. This movement scheme also prevents you from accidentally pressing the wrong skills, which has been a longstanding issue in the OG Path of Exile.
Mounts
The PoE community has been begging GGG to implement mounts to the game for quite some time now. Fortunately, their clamor for such a mechanic has finally been addressed as the long wait is over! The company is set to introduce a new system that gives you the ability to ride a mount in Path of Exile 2!
We still don’t know the specifics of how mounts will perform in the game. But, if the gameplay reveal is anything to go by, you can still use your skills while you’re mounted.
Additionally, mounts give you a huge movement speed boost, allowing you to save time when heading to your destination.
Spirit
In the original game, you would either need to use health or mana to cast your skills. However, some abilities in Path of Exile 2 can be utilized by spending a new resource called “Spirit.”
Rogers said that Spirit is primarily used to take advantage of ongoing effects, such as Arctic Armour, heralds, auras, and minions, without spending your precious mana.
That said, you have 100 Spirit by default, but that can be improved by equipping items that provide a considerable boost. Alternatively, you can allocate some passive skills that do the same thing.
This new resource is quite good for PoE 2 summoner builds because permanent minions will reserve Spirit rather than mana. As a result, summoners can use mana for other things, such as calling forth temporary underlings to do the dirty work.
Final Thoughts
Path of Exile 2 is shaping up to be a top contender in the ARPG space. With so many new features, including the ability to evade attacks via Dodge Roll, switching to a different specialization on the fly, and the freedom to use any skill gem that’s empowered by multiple supports, you can rest assured that your time will be well spent when playing the game!
If you are interested, the keys for Path of Exile 2 Early Access will be on sale after the live stream on November 21. All you have to do is purchase one of the new supporter packs, with the cheapest being sold at an affordable price of $30. This may include premium points, as well as cosmetic items.
So, there you have it! Which of the best PoE 2 new features has gotten you excited to try the upcoming sequel? Also, which class will you choose when Early Access arrives on December 6? Let us know in the comments!