PoE2 are they still implementing dual wield?

I really love games with dual wield with it
that's it :3
i just want to ask it and i hope some of people here lemme know

edit: i also want to know if there's also a mechanic about single one handed weapon gameplay (off-hand free build)
because i was playing this turn based game called Stoneshard and it has very cool skill system.
are they gonna add new type of weapons like knuckles on monk class ?
i want to see the monk to do some martial art moves( this is so much too ask :D

Yes, dual wielding is a thing in PoE2 as well. But it's only possible to dual wield weapons of the same type (e.g. two axes), also you can't dual wield flails or spears. I didn't hear about knuckles, but in PoE1 they are kinda covered by claws? Another difference is that you can't use claw + shield in PoE2, you either dual wield them or leave off-hand free.

The Monk showed some use of "martial arts" moves while wielding a weapon - the Killing Palm ability took a hand off the staff to lunge forward and palm-strike an enemy, likely using the staff's stats because that makes sense in the code backend. The 'Whirling Advance' skill also combines staff strikes and capoeira-style kicking in a visual blah of "assume these spinnies are hitting enemies". Which is technically a "martial arts" ability even if it's kinda squishy to watch. It's quite possible other Monk-oriented skills in the Quarterstaff pool will work similarly, and the Claw weapon type in PoE1 is a rough analog to unarmed abilities.

I don't have definitive answers on dual-wielding, but I do know that in a recent interview with a Diablo podcaster Jonathan stated that they had to solve pinning a weapon in one hand between weapon sets, i.e. using the same shield while changing the main-hand weapon. They needed to do this primarily for Witches/Minion builds that will want a juicy scepter for the extra Spirit the scepter offers, and would need to roll two scepters with similar Spirit numbers to utilize weapon swapping without being able to pin a weapon.

Jonathan said this pinning feature wasn't implemented yet, but it needed to be and was on the immediate radar for the dev team. I can't imagine, if they're putting that much work into the system, that they won't allow for dual-wielding offensive weapons as well.

I do know the PoE Wiki article on PoE2 says dual-wielding is "more restrictive" and most skills won't work with dissimilar weapons, but I don't have a source on that. I suspect it was a Reddit answer somewhere that didn't see wide publication. I can imagine dual-wielding is more resource-intensive in the second game due to the animations for different skills all being way more involved, and usually being custom tailored for that specific skill rather than just using a generic animation a'la PoE1. They'd have to do a single-wield and dual-wield version of the animation for every skill, in addition to the one and two-handed versions. Hpefully the new animation rigs and pipeline make that much easier, but we'll have to see.

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MonaHuna wrote:

Yes, dual wielding is a thing in PoE2 as well. But it's only possible to dual wield weapons of the same type (e.g. two axes), also you can't dual wield flails or spears. I didn't hear about knuckles, but in PoE1 they are kinda covered by claws?

Spoiler

Another difference is that you can't use claw + shield in PoE2, you either dual wield them or leave off-hand free.

oh i forgot about claws =_= i played shadow and my weapon were claws because it have lifesteal.
and thanks for the info, and its okay. it's that you can only dual wield a weapon of the same type. I'm just curious if they still have that option but i didn't think of being able to dual wield different weapon type, I only experience that on diablo2 and the one the i am playing Stoneshard.
claw+shield is somewhat stupid for me :D
they introduced the 2set skill system on poe2 so dual wield different type of weapon is somewhat not that necessary.
I watched a recent interview that they've got a unique shield for spellcaster?|
is? wand still a thing on poe2 ? or magic maybe a magice sword ?

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1453R wrote:

The Monk showed some use of "martial arts" moves while wielding a weapon - the Killing Palm ability took a hand off the staff to lunge forward and palm-strike an enemy, likely using the staff's stats because that makes sense in the code backend. The 'Whirling Advance' skill also combines staff strikes and capoeira-style kicking in a visual blah of "assume these spinnies are hitting enemies". Which is technically a "martial arts" ability even if it's kinda squishy to watch. It's quite possible other Monk-oriented skills in the Quarterstaff pool will work similarly, and the Claw weapon type in PoE1 is a rough analog to unarmed abilities.

I don't have definitive answers on dual-wielding, but I do know that in a recent interview with a Diablo podcaster Jonathan stated that they had to solve pinning a weapon in one hand between weapon sets, i.e. using the same shield while changing the main-hand weapon. They needed to do this primarily for Witches/Minion builds that will want a juicy scepter for the extra Spirit the scepter offers, and would need to roll two scepters with similar Spirit numbers to utilize weapon swapping without being able to pin a weapon.

Jonathan said this pinning feature wasn't implemented yet, but it needed to be and was on the immediate radar for the dev team. I can't imagine, if they're putting that much work into the system, that they won't allow for dual-wielding offensive weapons as well.

I do know the PoE Wiki article on PoE2 says dual-wielding is "more restrictive" and most skills won't work with dissimilar weapons, but I don't have a source on that. I suspect it was a Reddit answer somewhere that didn't see wide publication. I can imagine dual-wielding is more resource-intensive in the second game due to the animations for different skills all being way more involved, and usually being custom tailored for that specific skill rather than just using a generic animation a'la PoE1. They'd have to do a single-wield and dual-wield version of the animation for every skill, in addition to the one and two-handed versions. Hpefully the new animation rigs and pipeline make that much easier, but we'll have to see.

yeah, i watch some of monk gameplay and he's actually using some martial arts moves.
and the pinning system is somewhat difficult to implement and somewhat a hazzle but it's a very cool feature if they implemented it
about the dual wield
and i think that they won't allow it for now because there's a new type weapon spear
i imagine if you can dual wield a spear :D and its something stupid to see but also funny.
maybe only for daggers, swords, axe and mace dual wield a weapon with the same type
i don't know about the animation tho, it's seems so very difficult of time consuming to do for them but hey it's cool

Its been bugging me for a while how they haven't talked about dual wielding at all yet, I was about to make a post about it myself.

I'll echo what 1453R said, they need to make effectively double the animations for any one handed weapons that can dual wield. During the Exilecon 2023 Character Skills Panel at about 40 minutes, Rory and Ed show basically all we know about dual wielding with a shadow wailing on a zombie with two knives. Those animations were still pretty early implementations, and weren't even really skills yet. There was brief footage of dual axes and an axe toss.

The thing that we aren't quite sure about, is will something like rolling slam for the 2h mace work for 1h maces? If so, they would need 3 distinct animation sets for one skill, but they could do it. If not, they could be trying to solve this issue more directly by implementing flails as a replacement. We haven't really seen any thrusting swords in the demos, so I do question whether or not they still exist, or were replaced by spears functionally. You can't feasibly dual wield flails, but its likely one of those weapon types that can only be paired with a shield so far, and maybe an off-hand sceptre. Like MonaHuna said, the spear or flail cannot, some people tried it in the demo.

Claws were mentioned at some point to function as unarmed, I assume this was to balance unarmed since flat added damage (which will likely be harder to source in poe2 with their current design philosophy) is currently very powerful for the iconic facebreaker gloves.

I imagine we likely won't see dual wielding until they finalize more skills. The class reveals for shadow, marauder, and much more likely... Duelist are probably when we will see it.
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As for your question about 1h/open hand gameplay, there IS a hidden weapon of sorts in poe1 that you may not have seen designed by supporter Charan after The Goddess Unleashed was drop disabled called "Oni-Goroshi." You can only drop it from a special uber-hillock in the strand (so your character has to reload the strand until you actually luck into the fight before you even get to town, iirc you could luck into it on league start) The weapon is a special one handed sword that takes up both slots, scales with level, and provides a buff slightly similar to righteous fire that burns you but gives 123% of your phys as extra fire among other status immunities, legally distinct onslaught, and is always 6 linked.

Its a very cool weapon that gets overlooked a lot thematically, and I personally would applaud GGG for potentially leaning into the "open hand" gameplay style, even if it means they would need to add something like "Sheathes" to off-handing to maybe emulate some kind of "Iaijutsu" and provide skills, or as a sub-category for sceptres if they intend to make spirit a global resource. Sceptres now thematically feel similar to caster focus/idol/tomes in other games like grim dawn, but I imagine we'll get other basetypes without minion implicits that look very different.

Another thing that died once upon a time that many people loved was southpaw dual wielding which is similar to what you're describing. Funnily enough since it might come back in a way with spirit resource, back then you would hold a sceptre or other weapon in your main hand as a "stat stick", while you held a thrusting sword in your offhand. You would then use a skill that was incapable of using the sceptre, and you would only attack with your offhand while retaining dual wield bonuses, which gave 20 more damage as well back then. Character animations would wig out cycling between only offhands while reaving, and it was eventually removed since it was an unintended mechanic.

I liked it a lot, but understand why it died, and hope a shield isn't going to be mandatory for any of these weapons that can't be dual wielded in case you don't want to block.

personally i dont like dual wielding coz its actually inefficient IRL but for games its always good to have since its fantasy after all. logically POE2 should have it since poe1 has it too.

*Exiles go DRIZZZZZZZZZZT*

lol oh shit I didn't even see I got name-dropped here.


I just love me some weeby dual-wield shit (weird coming from the dude who introduced the disabling of dual-wielding of a 1hs but there you go). Let me dig up a screenshot I took once from PoE 1...hang on.

Nah it's fucking gone. Oh well.

What it was was a Witch dual-wielding swords (I think I skinned the seraph blades on) at the very end of a Whirling Blades animation, zoomed in and from the front. It was, without doubt, the coolest thing I have seen in this game. The way she landed in a kneeling position, blades outstretched like she'd just gutted a bunch of fools in a single swipe. Head down in that 'I am such a badass' way.

I have no clue why the Witch had (has?) the best sword animations but it was true. She also had a unique 2hs swing that pretty much any other class deserved more. An overhead circular, diagonal shoulder slash movement where the others all did a clunky downward chop. Someone in the animation team had a real soft spot for the Witch's potential with a blade.



As for PoE2, GGG would be bonkers to not rein in dual-wield. The lack of restrictions on it in PoE 1 made it too often a go-to for too many builds for too long. I appreciate build flexibility but in no sane universe should a person with rubber wrists be able to freely swing a pair of broadswords about like pool noodles.

As noted, dual wielding is very rarely practical and fantasy gonna fantasy. Still, even fantasy needs to adhere to its own internal logic, and I see none in PoE that indicates everyone should be able to dual-wield.

Fun fact: I was going to design a parrying dagger for PoE at one point, long before Riposte was a thing. Glad I didn't, in hindsight. :)

Fun fact 2: I am roughly 27% more likely to play a game if it gives you bonuses for leaving your off-hand free. That right there is a sign devs get it.

My first build was a shadow in 1.2 or 1.3 going BRRR with dual strike claws and my friend watched as I went crazy and then died to one slap when I didn't build a single bit of life, only speed and life on hit. I love the silly antics this game has given me.

This league I mulled a lot of fire melee around in my head and I truly considered using your sword just because I hadn't tried it yet. Was trying to justify going out of my comfort zone of axes, bows, minions, or spells. I wound up on a silly Sabo with a boom mace because I don't typically use maces, and I would have gotten away with it too, if I hadn't realized general's warcry w/ duration earthquake caps soul eaters before the first quake can even go off.
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The advent of one skeleton for every animation has its perks, and witch definitely has a lot of unique idles and skill animations that are endearing. If anything I hope they do make sure to at least recreate the class weapon idles, because everybody is gonna hold/shift their weight differently. Witch 2h sword idle is MINT.

I think the main issue we had especially in stat sticking days, was it was the most efficient way to run it by far, even economically since you only had to roll one mirror foil. If the off-hand space had more liquidity of options than shield or another identical weapon, especially going forward into PoE2, we would see more interesting build variety for melee, but its likely having vastly different weapons during dual wielding is going to be encouraged. One fire, one cold, but I do wonder how they plan to accomplish that without weapon swapping, since the skill trees will be tied to weapon swap sets. Especially with weapon "snapping" between sets.

Its interesting bringing up the spiked bundles or even parrying daggers. The concept of those were made shields for sake of having something kinda different for dex, but dual wielding benefits back then overshadowed the choice and they had inherent block values. You can kind of see similar decisions in OSRS where the implementation of the dragon defender overshadows a lot of choice when it comes to your offhand due to the undeniable damage benefit, so its likely for the best we didn't get a parry dagger, but I guess we do have the advancing fortress claws.
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Something I would absolutely love to see would be a net offhand for spears to feel like you're playing a bona fide gladiator. I also wonder if you can equip traps to your offhand, could be a net trap basetype, that could also be used for melee skills. Otherwise another gladiator feel does come from having an open hand for grabbing and manipulation, like how Centurion in For Honor cutscenes feel, but we shall see. Sheathes acting as "quivers" in my mind make sense for the shadow mechanically, as they could provide access to exertions when they are on the opposite end of the tree from warcries.

The biggest desync from reality is when dual wielding is the most optimal choice instead of being niche, and you should feel rewarded for going niche rather than feeling FOMO on the damage you could be doing. And we don't really see GGG leaning into dual wielding through skills nearly enough. Grim Dawn has interesting albeit silly implementation of swing 25% left, 25% right, 50% both, and do random attack replacers on a percentage.

The new TGems in poe1 like ragecleave are interesting because they lean into WHAT you're holding, but only dual strike of ambidexterity succeeds in making you think about WHY you're holding it. They could adapt some of the ideas from grim dawn for what the relation between your two weapons is. I assume that axe throw we saw in the marauder tease will let you go to town with your offhand while the axe is still in projectile form.
ie a "southpaw" skill tag that attacks with your left weapon multiple times in succession and maybe applies impale, then with the sixth you swing main hand and it expunges the impales into an ignite. (Incentivizing an impale offhand, and a fire main hand) A skill that randomly makes you swing with both weapons based on shock chance, lots of derivative things could be where dual wielding could shine in a niche space.

Something I will add that we didn't get to see, Rory mentioned in one of the panels he planned something called a "sequence" metagem that would cycle between skills, and that by itself among any spirit reservation menus we might have to really manipulate things in our build, could be a large benefit to dual wielding in a way.