Path of Exile 2 and the Quest for the Perfect ARPG
Path of Exile has been a huge name in PC action RPGs for years, but even its own creators admit the original game is starting to show its age. Co founder Jonathan Rogers from Grinding Gear Games openly calls Path of Exile 1 an old game that now mainly exists to keep its most dedicated fans happy.
The future of the series is firmly in Path of Exile 2. For Rogers, this sequel is the closest he has come to his personal goal of making the perfect action RPG. In a recent interview he explained that PoE 2 was never really about feeling completely distinct from the first game, even though it has gone through big experimental changes during early access.
Instead, PoE 2 is about fixing problems that could not be solved in the original. That includes modern graphics, updated systems, and a fresh feel that can attract new players who would never touch a game that looks as old as PoE 1.
From Monster Mowing to Methodical Combat
One of the biggest shifts between Path of Exile 1 and 2 is the pace and style of combat. If you are used to PoE 1, you know the fantasy well. Your character eventually becomes a zooming god of destruction, erasing thousands of monsters in seconds with screen filling skills and insane movement speed.
Path of Exile 2 started from a very different idea. Instead of endless hordes, encounters were designed more like a dance against fewer but much more threatening enemies. The game leans closer to a soulslike vibe where every attack matters and careless play is punished.
That major pivot has not been universally loved. Many PoE 1 veterans jumped into the sequel wanting to feel overpowered and fast again. Whenever a class or build in PoE 2 started to resemble the wild power of PoE 1, it would often get hit by heavy nerfs in a patch. One of the clearest examples was the Dawn of the Hunt update, which delivered a huge wave of nerfs and left a lot of players frustrated.
Rogers admits that trying to satisfy both sides has been incredibly tricky. On one side are players who enjoy sliding through maps at blazing speed and obliterating everything. On the other side are players who want every fight to feel like an uphill battle that demands attention and skill.
Despite the clash between these styles, he believes it is possible to build a game that offers both good, deliberate combat and that feeling of power and dominance that action RPG fans crave. According to him, the team is getting closer to finding the sweet spot between speed and methodical play.
Compromise, Old Ideas and New Content
To reach that balance, Grinding Gear Games has started to bring some ideas from Path of Exile 1 into the sequel, especially for the endgame. One example is allowing players to have more than one life in endgame maps. That system is much more forgiving than the early PoE 2 approach, which leaned heavily into tense, almost soulslike encounters where every mistake could end your run.
Rogers is clear that copying features from PoE 1 is not off limits. If something worked well in the original and can improve PoE 2 without breaking its identity, he is happy to bring it over. The core goal is not to be different for the sake of being different. It is to fix what felt unfixable in PoE 1 and build a modern ARPG that does not feel dated in graphics or design.
This also ties into how the two games now serve different audiences. Rogers says that the strategy of PoE 1 is no longer about attracting new players. Its main job is to keep pleasing the loyal fans who come back every three months for a new league. He is realistic about its future growth, saying that the days of the first game significantly expanding its player base are unlikely, partly because many people simply will not play a game that looks that old anymore.
Path of Exile 2 is the game with real growth potential. With modern visuals and a more approachable combat style, it has a much better chance of winning over new players while still offering enough complexity and build depth to satisfy hardcore ARPG fans.
The Last of the Druids and What Comes Next
On top of all the system and balance work, Grinding Gear Games is still pushing out new content for PoE 2. One of the most notable additions on the way is a brand new class that never made it into the original game: druids.
Druids are a classic RPG archetype that many players have been asking for. PoE 2’s take on druids is coming in the update called The Last of the Druids, which is set to launch on December 12. The team has already talked about how much effort went into details like allowing druids to dodge roll in their animal forms, something that turned out to be technically tough but important for player feedback and feel.
For PC gamers, this update is a strong sign of how seriously GGG is treating PoE 2 as the future of the franchise. New classes, constant tuning, and a willingness to rethink core systems all show a studio that is still deeply invested in the ARPG space.
If you are into PC gaming and especially action RPGs, Path of Exile 2 is shaping up to be one of the most important titles to watch. It is trying something rare balancing the power fantasy of shredding through maps with a more thoughtful, tactical style of combat. Whether you are the type of player who loves to min max builds and feel like a god, or the type who enjoys tense, calculated fights, PoE 2 is aiming to give you a home.
As the game moves toward full release and keeps evolving through patches like The Last of the Druids, expect more experiments, more compromises, and a lot of passionate debate in the community. For PC ARPG fans, that is exactly the kind of energy you want to see around a game that could define the genre’s next generation.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/path-of-exile-2-director-is-on-a-quest-to-make-the-perfect-action-rpg-and-isnt-afraid-to-borrow-from-path-of-exile-1-to-pull-it-off/
