Global Feedback on Path of Exile 2 — Communication, Gameplay, Build Diversity, Crafting and Endgame

Hello,

I would like to share some global feedback on Path of Exile 2 in a constructive way. My goal is not to ask for an easier game. What I would like is a game that feels clearer, smoother, more varied, less arbitrarily punishing, more rewarding for players who invest time into theorycrafting, and more respectful of build creativity and player investment.

## 1. Communication and transparency

One of the biggest issues, in my opinion, is communication during a season. It would be very helpful to have more regular communication when important changes are made to skills, ascendancies, bosses, endgame mechanics, crafting systems or balance philosophy.

When a nerf is applied, I think it should be clearly explained:
- why the nerf was necessary;
- what problem it was supposed to solve;
- what the design goal was;
- whether any compensation or alternative is planned;
- whether the goal is to reduce power, reduce abuse, or change gameplay direction.

Right now, some nerfs can feel like: “This is too strong, so let’s break it.” A better approach would feel more like: “Why is this option too dominant, and how can we make other options more interesting?” This would help preserve fun and popular builds while still improving overall balance.

## 2. Balance philosophy: buff weak options, not only nerf strong ones

I understand that some builds, skills or items sometimes need to be nerfed. However, the balance philosophy should not only be about reducing the strongest options. A healthier approach would be:
- nerf only when something is truly breaking the game;
- explain why the nerf is needed;
- buff or rework weak options at the same time;
- avoid destroying fun builds without offering alternatives;
- make underused skills, classes and ascendancies more attractive.

The goal should be to increase build diversity, not simply reduce player power.

## 3. Classes and ascendancies

Some classes and ascendancies currently feel like they lack a strong identity, meaningful endgame value, enough mechanical depth, or a real reason to be chosen over stronger alternatives. Instead of mainly nerfing the strongest ascendancies, it would be better to rework or buff the ones that are underused.

### Chronomancer

Chronomancer feels underwhelming in late game. The ascendancy seems mostly defensive, but it could use stronger and more unique time-based mechanics. Possible improvements:
- reinforce its time-control identity;
- add more distinctive defensive tools;
- add specific offensive options linked to time mechanics;
- make it feel more unique compared to other ascendancies;
- give players a stronger reason to choose it in endgame.

### Stormweaver

Stormweaver seems heavily connected to elemental infusions. It could be interesting to reinforce that identity by giving it more natural access to Elemental Infusion, making infusion-based gameplay more central to the ascendancy, and improving the feeling that Stormweaver is the true elemental infusion specialist.

The goal is not to make every ascendancy equally strong in the same way, but to make each one feel valuable, distinct and exciting.

## 4. Gameplay: too many cooldowns, not enough fluidity

Many spells and attacks feel restricted by cooldowns. This can make the gameplay feel slower, less fluid, less fun, less creative and too controlled by artificial limitations.

Examples of skills where cooldowns feel problematic:
- Eye of Winter;
- Lightning Conduit;
- Frost Bomb.

These skills could become much more enjoyable if their cooldowns were removed, reduced, reworked, or compensated by stronger gameplay interactions. The goal is not to make every skill overpowered. The goal is to make more skills feel good to play and viable in endgame. Path of Exile is at its best when players feel free to create interesting interactions. Too many cooldowns can reduce that feeling of freedom.

## 5. Build diversity and spell variety

There is currently a lack of truly viable spell options in endgame. Some archetypes feel too limited or underdeveloped. I would like to see more support for:
- direct-hit chaos spells;
- fire spells;
- spell totems;
- trigger-based builds;
- minion builds;
- mana-based builds;
- off-meta spell archetypes.

Chaos spells often feel too focused on damage over time. It would be interesting to add more hit-based chaos spells, direct-damage chaos skills, chaos spells with strong endgame scaling, and alternatives to classic DoT archetypes.

Fire spells could use more variety. More interesting fire spell options would help open new elemental archetypes and make fire-based builds more exciting.

Spell totems currently do not feel satisfying enough. They often feel too weak, too slow, not fun enough, and not rewarding enough for the investment. They probably need a significant buff or rework to become a real build archetype again.

## 6. Mana and sustain

Mana management still feels too problematic, even at high level. With a properly built character, mana should not remain a constant obstacle in endgame. There should be reliable ways to solve mana issues through passive tree investment, gear investment, regeneration, leech or recovery mechanics, skill interactions, ascendancy choices and proper build planning.

Currently, some mana tools feel unsatisfying:
- mana flasks do not feel good enough;
- Arcane Surge does not seem impactful enough;
- mana sustain can still feel frustrating even with investment.

Better mana management would also make mana-based builds more interesting, especially if mana can become a meaningful offensive or defensive resource.

## 7. Survivability, armour, life and defensive systems

General survivability should be reviewed. Defensive investment should feel clearer, more readable, more effective and better rewarded.

Several defensive topics deserve attention:
- armour scaling;
- life stacking;
- mana stacking;
- damage spikes;
- one-shot situations;
- defensive clarity in endgame;
- the difference between bad gameplay and unclear unavoidable deaths.

A player who heavily invests into defense should clearly feel the benefit. Dying instantly without understanding what happened creates frustration, especially in Hardcore. Helpful improvements could include better damage readability, clearer boss telegraphs, improved visual clarity, a death recap system, and better information about incoming damage types.

## 8. Minions: bring back the fantasy of a true army

Minion builds should make players feel like they are commanding a powerful, fast and dynamic army. Right now, some minions feel too slow, not responsive enough, not impactful enough, too expensive compared to their effectiveness, and weak compared to other archetypes.

Several minion-related elements could be improved:
- Frost Mages;
- Storm Mages;
- Spectres;
- Brutes;
- minion mobility;
- minion responsiveness;
- minion command skills;
- minion cost efficiency.

Storm Mages are a good example of a minion that could feel much better. Their command currently feels weak, not fun, not impactful enough, and poorly rewarding for the cost. The command should be reworked or improved so that it feels satisfying to use.

Spectres could also be improved. They should offer more depth, identity, variety, accessibility and real endgame relevance. The goal is to bring back the fantasy of building and controlling a real army, not just maintaining slow or inefficient summons.

## 9. Spirit gems and trigger mechanics

The Spirit system is interesting, but some Spirit gems feel poorly tuned. Some gems need a review of their cost, impact, scaling and usefulness in real builds.

Grim Feast currently feels like it has lost most of its value. It probably needs a buff, a rework, or a clearer role in defensive and sustain setups.

For trigger mechanics such as Cast on Crit or Cast on Ailment, a fixed Spirit cost can be difficult to balance. One possible solution would be to make the Spirit cost depend on the triggered spell:
- weaker or utility spells could cost around 30 Spirit;
- medium-power spells could cost around 60 Spirit;
- very strong spells could cost around 100 Spirit.

This would allow better balancing without completely killing trigger builds. The important point is to avoid destroying fun chain reactions and complex theorycrafting interactions. These interactions are a major part of what makes Path of Exile exciting.

## 10. Endgame crafting: too much randomness, not enough control

Endgame crafting currently feels too random and too punishing. Too many items are bricked because of RNG. This makes crafting feel frustrating, especially when players invest a lot of currency or time into an item.

The goal should not be to make perfect items easy to obtain. The goal should be to give players more ways to progress with some level of control.

Possible improvements:
- more directional crafting;
- partial protection against bricking;
- more deterministic steps;
- better crafting tools for endgame progression;
- fewer situations where a good item is completely destroyed by one bad RNG outcome.

Bringing back Omens of Homogenization could be an interesting option. They could be tied to a specific boss, such as the King in the Mists. This could create a clearer endgame loop: farm splinters, sell or use those splinters, access the boss, obtain useful crafting tools, use or trade those tools, and support a real crafting and bossing economy. This would make targeted farming, bossing and crafting feel more connected.

## 11. Multiplayer readability and performance

Group play can become very hard to read because of visual effects. In party play, combat can quickly become visually overwhelming, difficult to understand, bad for performance, dangerous because ground effects are hidden, and frustrating in Hardcore.

It would be very useful to have options to:
- reduce allied skill effects;
- make allied skills more transparent;
- reduce the intensity of personal skill effects;
- improve visibility of enemy attacks and ground effects;
- separate dangerous effects from visual noise.

This would improve readability, performance, party play comfort, boss fights and Hardcore gameplay.

## 12. Hardcore-specific concerns

Hardcore does not need to be easy. However, deaths should feel fair, understandable, avoidable through good gameplay, avoidable through good preparation, and not caused by visual clutter, bugs or unreadable damage spikes.

Important Hardcore topics include:
- one-shots;
- bugs;
- server or performance issues;
- unclear damage spikes;
- lack of death recap;
- visual clutter;
- boss mechanic readability;
- group-play performance.

A death recap system would be especially useful for Hardcore players. It would help players understand what killed them, what damage type was involved, whether their defenses were insufficient, whether they made a gameplay mistake, or whether the death was caused by unclear or unfair mechanics.

## Conclusion

My main expectation is not for Path of Exile 2 to become easier. What I would like is for the game to become more transparent in its communication, smoother in its gameplay, richer in viable builds, less dependent on punishing RNG, more respectful of theorycrafting, more readable in endgame and multiplayer, and more coherent in the balance of classes, ascendancies, skills and defenses.

Path of Exile is at its best when it lets players create complex and powerful interactions that are conditional and tied to investment, gear, game knowledge, creativity and build planning.

That richness should be preserved. Balance should focus more on making weak options more interesting, rather than systematically destroying strong or popular options.

Thank you for reading this feedback.

Huntress can now summom bosses while Witch, the minion class, can't do that. This seem ackward. I hope I can see summon bosses spectres too for minion builds.

Stormweaver ascendency spell Elemental Storm still feel so weak and infusions is still ackward.

So I hope to see some buffs too for Minion builds, Witch Ascendency and Stormweaver and infusion mechanics.

Maintain the cool thing like boss companions while create the fun for minion too and continue to make all fun.

Eye of Winter and other skill must be buffed. Probably they know how much those skill are being used in endgame. And probably those skill need more than just receive more damage, probably some skill are not being used because is just to restritive. And something must be done to help solve that.