Path of Exile 2 plunges into a storm of criticism and Grinding Gear Games releases an emergency patch to save their reputation

What was supposed to be an exciting milestone in the trajectory of Path of Exile 2, with the arrival of the long-awaited expansion Dawn of the Hunt, quickly turned into an avalanche of negative criticism. Grinding Gear Games is now racing against time to contain the damage, after the latest update pushed the game's rating on Steam to the dreaded "mostly negative" mark.

The expansion, released in early April 2025, brought massive changes: the new class Huntress, specializing in hybrid combat with spear and shield, five new ascendancy classes (Ritualist, Amazon, Smith of Kitava, Tactician, and Lich), over 100 new unique items, an expanded crafting system, and various deep mechanical changes. However, instead of applause, the update was met with frustration. The reason? The pace of the game was drastically slowed down.

"Every boss takes an eternity. Skills deal insignificant damage. I understand they wanted to slow down the gameplay, but the game has become torture," says the most upvoted review on Steam in the last 30 days. Another player comments: "If you're a masochist, maybe you'll enjoy it. Otherwise, stay away."

In response to the discontent, GGG had already promised changes. But now, with patch 0.2.0e, released this Thursday, April 11th, the developer brings a series of emergency adjustments that directly address the most criticized points.

Main changes in patch 0.2.0e:

1. Monster Balancing

Human monsters now do not interrupt their attacks as frequently when chasing players, offering more response windows to the player.

The modifier Speed Aura has been removed from naturally fast enemies.

Various monsters, such as Prowlers, Cultists, and Faridun, have had their movement patterns adjusted to be less oppressive.

Reduced monster density in areas such as The Red Vale, Ogham Manor, Azak Bog, among others.

Specific fixes, such as the poison spray from Slitherspitter, which was causing damage incorrectly.

2. Bosses

Viper Napuatzi now casts fewer instances of "Chaos Rains".

Uxmal had its regeneration mechanics adjusted and the frequency of flame attacks reduced.

Xyclucian had visual improvements to make reading the attacks easier.

3. Minion Balancing

New progressive revive time system for minions, reducing the constant reviving loop.

Improvements in collisions of tamed pets, which can now pass through passages like the player.

4. Skill Adjustments

Rally Support can now be used with any melee attack, not just "Strikes" or "Slams".

Bug fixes for skill interactions like Blood Boils and Herald of Blood.

5. Crafting

All magic runes now have appropriate effects for staves and wands.

The Renly shop in Burning Village now offers a neutral rune that can be shaped into any element.

6. Performance

Optimization of vegetation in various areas to improve frame rate.

7. Announced Future Adjustments

Changes to charms: they are now more powerful and have more friendly mechanics. Belts can have up to 3 slots, depending on the level.

Implementation of Stash Affinities for items like Socketables, Fragments, Rituals, among others.

Bookmark system in the Atlas, allowing to save and navigate between favorite locations with up to 16 custom icons.

And now, GGG?

The community seems receptive to the initial changes. Streamer Zizaran, one of the biggest names in the scene, stated:

"They fixed everything I asked for. I'm impressed with the speed."

But there is still much to be done. The director Jonathan Rogers himself acknowledged in a previous interview:

"There were glaring failures. We threw ideas into the game just to see what happened. If it went wrong, we'd go back. And now, we're going back."

Despite the turbulence, Path of Exile 2 continues to be a commercial success — to the point of temporarily affecting the schedule of Path of Exile 1. The question that remains: will these patches regain the trust of the most demanding fan base of the ARPG genre?

With more fixes on the horizon and a renewed commitment to community feedback, Grinding Gear Games seems determined to set the house in order. But time is running out, and the community is not known for its infinite patience.