0.4.0c Hotfix 14

"

ronaldogerts#7213 wrote:

Why not roll back the latest patches, erase the temple for everyone, and start over?

This is the worst season ever. There might be even worse ones to come. I have no doubt about this. Believe them. They can definitely do it. Then let's welcome the next game, Poe3.

still takes way longer to get a maxed temple than what it used to. done with this league

Did 9 temple runs after all these changes, wasn't able to add in a single room. Temple is literary unplayable.

If he doesn't restore the locking mechanism, this season will be over, the shortest one ever. Everyone can move on to other games.

I think the original development team that loved games is no longer around, and what's left are just laymen who know nothing about it.

Feedback on Recent Changes in Path of Exile 1 and Path of Exile 2

Hello,

I would like to provide structured and constructive feedback regarding the recent updates to Path of Exile 1 and Path of Exile 2. Unfortunately, the current direction of changes feels discouraging and raises serious concerns about long-term engagement in both games.

Path of Exile 1

The current league feels exceptionally weak compared to previous ones. There is a noticeable lack of meaningful new content:

No impactful new farming mechanics

No real challenge or progression goals

No content that justifies further character scaling

At the moment, players are effectively limited to the same activities as before the league—T17 maps, strongboxes, and other pre-existing farming strategies. While the introduction of new unique items is appreciated, uniques alone do not solve the core issue: there is no new content that requires or rewards building stronger characters.

As a result, players lack motivation to:

further optimize their builds;

increase damage and survivability;

spend extended time in the game.

This problem is amplified by the removal of several previously viable and enjoyable farming methods, without offering meaningful alternatives. In its current state, PoE1 simply does not provide enough reasons to stay engaged.

Path of Exile 2

In contrast, Path of Exile 2 was in a significantly better position prior to the recent changes.

After the Temple mechanics were buffed, a large portion of the player base returned—subjectively, well over 30%. The reason was clear:
there was finally a system worth investing time and character power into.

Players were:

learning and optimizing Temple mechanics;

building and upgrading Temples;

improving their characters to tackle challenging, rewarding content.

Many players considered this one of the best mechanics in Path of Exile’s history, as it successfully combined difficulty, progression, and meaningful rewards.

However, subsequent updates effectively removed this experience:

the core Temple farming was disabled or heavily restricted;

building new Temples became nearly impossible;

previously built Temples remained accessible to some players.

This created multiple issues:

A complete loss of motivation to continue playing.

Unequal conditions between players, damaging fairness.

Additional stress on the economy, despite signs of natural stabilization.

It is important to emphasize that this was not a bug or an exploit. The mechanic functioned exactly as designed and described. Removing it mid-league significantly devalues the time and effort players invested over weeks.

A More Reasonable Approach

If the primary concerns were:

server performance;

excessive loot generation;

economic imbalance;

there was a far better solution: adjust the rewards instead of removing the mechanic entirely.

Reducing loot output would have:

eased server load;

stabilized the economy;

preserved player motivation and enjoyment.

Most players would have understood and accepted such changes. Completely disabling a core mechanic—especially one that brought players back and increased retention—was unnecessarily destructive.

Conclusion

At present, it feels as though:

community feedback is not being sufficiently considered;

major decisions are made without accounting for actual player experience;

there is a growing disconnect between the developers’ vision and how players engage with the game.

Stronger community management and a more cautious approach to mid-league mechanical changes would go a long way toward rebuilding trust.

Unfortunately, in the current state, there is little motivation to continue playing either Path of Exile 1 or Path of Exile 2.

Thank you for your time and for your continued work on the franchise. I hope this feedback is received as an attempt at constructive dialogue rather than negativity.

Just stream a live session showing how many hours it takes to build up to 60 rooms in the temple, and that will do.

I don’t know how true this is, but I’ve heard rumors that the developers are doing this on purpose to reduce the load and save on server costs. Supposedly, they aren't interested in player retention after the first couple of weeks; they only care about the launch of a new league. If that’s true, there’s no point in waiting for a revert, as this is a deliberate move to push players away. I hope it’s not true, but my source is likely right.

"

iProrn#7348 wrote:

I don’t know how true this is, but I’ve heard rumors that the developers are doing this on purpose to reduce the load and save on server costs. Supposedly, they aren't interested in player retention after the first couple of weeks; they only care about the launch of a new league. If that’s true, there’s no point in waiting for a revert, as this is a deliberate move to push players away. I hope it’s not true, but my source is likely right.

bait the players in with the crystal/temple buff, then nuke them while they gather