What’s Next for Path of Exile 2? Patch Schedules, Balance Updates, and More

In a recent discussion with the development team, Path of Exile 2’s Game Director shared new details about upcoming updates, patch schedules, gameplay changes, and how player feedback is shaping ongoing development.

For those interested, the full interview is available online. Below is a detailed summary covering all the major points:

Patch Schedule and Strategy Updates
PoE 2 and its predecessor will now release major patches in alternating four-month cycles. The studio is returning to a “fixed date, flexible content” approach—if a feature isn’t ready, it will shift to the next update without delaying the whole patch.

• One big update every four months per game, alternating between PoE1 and PoE2

• Next PoE1 patch: June 13

• Upcoming PoE2 patches: August and December

Morale has improved since the challenging 0.2.0 launch, and while the balance team still faces challenges, development is stabilizing for both games.

Player Base and Console Status
The early access launch attracted roughly 485,000 concurrent players, slightly below the 500k internal goal. Consoles account for 15–20% of the player base, though console users tend to show less Early Access engagement.

The game has not officially launched in China yet, but VPN use is high, and a formal release there is planned. Globally, the game will continue to be pay-to-play.

Balance, Deaths, and Skill Scaling
Volatile Plant once caused nearly half of all endgame deaths—acknowledged as a major oversight.

Regarding skill scaling:

• Several core abilities currently don’t scale well into late game, partly due to initial damage and tagging assumptions.

• The 0.3.0 patch will address these issues to improve endgame viability.

No mid-league nerfs will occur going forward to avoid player frustration. Mid-league buffs may still happen once resources free up.

Crafting, Attributes, and Gear Progression
The Recombination crafting system is intended as a rare, powerful tool—expected usage averages about once per expedition, with no plans to increase frequency.

Socketable items will evolve from filler stats to rare, impactful gear pieces.

Attribute needs for certain weapons and gems, like Spears, are under review, with minor reductions likely to improve gearing satisfaction.

Unique items are planned to become stronger and more accessible in late game, addressing concerns that many feel too weak or scarce.

Weapon Swap, Movement, and Combat Feel
Weapon swapping remains somewhat awkward. Planned improvements include:

• Linking swap speed to local weapon attack speed (likely in 0.3.0)

• Adding weapon-lock features to avoid accidental swaps

Movement speed will receive a notable update in patch 0.3.0, improving responsiveness without damaging combat pacing.

Atlas Progression, Maps, and Surprises
Players have expressed that Atlas progression feels slow, predictable, and unrewarding. The development team plans to:

• Add more mid-tier content featuring new bosses and mechanics (e.g., breach zones)

• Introduce surprise elements like random breaches

• Improve map drop variety to prevent players from being stuck with unfavorable layouts

• Possibly restructure Atlas progression to recapture exploration excitement

The “Precursor Tablet” fast travel option will remain optional, not mandatory.

Their goal is to make endgame thrilling again with unexpected moments and natural progression.

Data Usage and Connection Stability
The team is using internal analytics to monitor lag and disconnects by ISP and data center pairings.

While DDoS attacks persist, they are not the main cause of most connection problems.

A new dashboard assists quicker responses to player-reported network issues.

Monster and Boss Design
Plans exist to expand monster uniqueness, though only a few currently have special abilities due to time constraints. Examples include the Eternal Knight and Quill Crabs.

Eventually, each zone aims to feature its own unique boss, but this might not be ready for the initial full release.

Quality of Life and Community Feedback
Feedback from Reddit, Discord, forums, and detailed YouTube content is actively reviewed.

Confirmed upcoming QoL improvements include:

• Overhaul of the in-game chat system

• Better tutorials and new-player experience enhancements (e.g., crafting basics)

• Ability to save and load passive skill tree layouts

• Improvements for mouse/controller swapping

• Separate accounts for couch co-op

• Consideration of adjustable auto-targeting for WASD users

Archetypes, Tags, and Buff Plans
Certain archetypes dominate early metas—Lightning builds scale well, while Fire and Cold lag behind without heavy investment.

The Acolyte of Chayula will soon receive a buff.

Balance updates, including flexible gem tagging to better support hybrid builds, are planned for patches 0.2.2 or 0.3.0, though the team remains small and supports PoE1 expansions concurrently.

Campaign, Druid Class, and Future Acts
While many find the current campaign lengthy, the team attributes this mostly to pacing rather than content volume. Future updates may speed progression without cutting material.

The Druid class, initially planned alongside the Huntress, was delayed due to readiness concerns.

No confirmed release date yet for Acts 4–6.

Future dexterity classes are expected to have mobility options independent of intelligence stats (e.g., blink abilities).

The studio aspires to give each zone its own boss fight eventually but cannot guarantee this for the 1.0 launch.