Summary

• Path of Exile 2 is looking to build on its predecessor, but also make some significant changes to its fundamental gameplay.
• Path of Exile 2 introduces local couch co-op, cross-play, and cross-progression to give players even more options for where and how to play.
• New currencies and brand-new classes are among the PoE 2 innovations that make it a departure from the first game.

Path of Exile is a legendary game in the hack-and-slash MMO genre, being well known for its detailed environments, engaging combat, and near-endless amount of content. Grinding Gear Games aims to take these aspects to the next level with its redefined sequel, Path of Exile 2. Thankfully for longtime fans of the franchise, both games will run alongside each other, as opposed to the first one being shelved in favor of the newer sequel.

While the first game remains stable, more than enough incredible changes are coming to PoE 2 that are generating excitement for all the right reasons, making it worth playing even for longtime fans of the original game. PoE 2 aims to make the game more immersive by changing certain gameplay mechanics just enough to be familiar, but still feeling fresh and engaging for both new and experienced players. While it's up for debate on how it will stack up against its competitors like Diablo 4, a lot is going for Path of Exile 2 that may push it to even greater heights than not only the first game but the Action RPG genre as a whole.

10 Explore Wraeclast Side-By-Side With Local Couch Co-Op

A Long-Awatied Feature That Makes Mulitplayer Even More Fun

One of the simplest changes can sometimes be the most significant, and local co-op is one of the best. Couch co-op is a feature fans have awaited in Path of Exile for a long time, and it's finally coming in its highly anticipated sequel as more than just a throwaway inclusion. Players can journey through dangerous lands alongside a friend or family member in the same house seamlessly without needing another .

Couch co-op is a feature fans have awaited in Path of Exile for a long time, and it's finally coming in its highly anticipated sequel as more than just a throwaway inclusion.

Thanks to the couch co-op functionality, players won't need an additional console or copy of the game to try it out for the first time. PoE is already a fun game to play with friends, and even more so when facing off against the same powerful boss on the same screen. Thanks to these changes, Path of Exile 2 can introduce more players to the game with its easy-to- local co-op, making it a great addition to the staying power the franchise strives towards.

9 Cross-Play & Cross-Progression Inclusion

Eliminating Limitations For An Even Wider Player Base

While cross-play is a change that doesn’t affect everyone equally, it’s always a welcome one, especially with the addition of a local co-op that fully bridges the gap between players. Not only does Path of Exile 2 introduce cross-play, but it also adds cross-progression that allows players to use the same character on different consoles or a PC. Thanks to this change, players won’t have to make new characters or miss out on valuable experience points or items each time they want to play at a friend or family’s house, and can keep adventuring seamlessly wherever and whenever they want without restriction.

This change is especially great for players who want to take their gaming on the go. Being able to swap between a console to a mobile gaming device like a Steam Deck is an amazing convenience for certain players. With these devices becoming more popular and getting more powerful, cross-play is a great option to take advantage of.

8 Gold Coins Replacing Shards for Vendor Currency

Gold Standard Makes Its Way To Path Of Exile 2

Unlike the original, PoE 2 introduces Gold as a core resource and the primary currency of the game, being picked up from defeated monsters or gained from selling Items to Vendors. Both the Orb of Alteration and Orb of Scouring have been replaced by gold-based mechanics, although Alchemy and Transmutation shards can both still be obtained through disenchanting items. The item rarity of boss loot also greatly affects its currency value, making it a likely source for players to farm gold and other rare currencies.

This change is likely to make it easier for new players to get into the game with a currency system that requires less learning.

The main difference this currency change makes is the dynamic players have with vendors and exchanging items being a more universal tool that applies value to buying and selling high-quality gear. Gold can also be used to respec ive points or gamble for unique equipment with a random rarity, similar to the existing Gwennen NPC in PoE. This change is likely to make it easier for new players to get into the game with a currency system that requires less learning, although some players will be sad to hear that gold cannot be traded between players, unlike items.

7 Enhanced Gem Functionality Changes

Gem Creation That Focuses On Player-Specific Builds

The gem system is facing some massive overhauls in PoE 2, with weapons no longer containing gem sockets. Now there's a gem menu with 9 slots for various skill gems to be inserted, with various socket amounts depending on rarity and linked skills. Rather than finding gems with skills in them already, players will find uncut gems and apply skills of their choosing to them.

In PoE 2, gems are intended to become more customized for each player and their class. As opposed to general damage buffs, gems will provide much more unique mechanics based on skills and class differences. This overhaul gives more control to the player while allowing for even greater customization, providing even more individuality to each class and weapon than before.

6 Overhauling The Flask System

Managing Limited Flasks To Save Lives In Tight Situations

Regular enemies will no longer drop resources to charge flasks, as now only unique or magic monsters will drop them instead, forcing players to manage their resources more carefully. Players must also activate a specific well in the town to fully charge their flasks, rather than having them charged automatically upon entering a town, as it will only partially restore them. Some fans have expressed annoyance at these changes, but given that Path of Exile 2 is a whole new game, the difficulty is likely centered around changes like this, forcing players to become more reactive to their environment.

Players must also activate a specific well in the town to fully charge their flasks, rather than having them charged automatically upon entering a town, as it will only partially restore them.

While some players were worried about the removal of different flask types, recent trailers have squashed concerns. Flasks are relatively untouched in their design aside from these changes, with many even returning from the original game, except for the notable removal of Quicksilver flasks. While it's uncertain how much these changes will affect the game, it's an interesting development that could have vast-reaching changes to the gameplay loop.

5 Introducing New Weapon Types

Even More Weapons To Play With For Build Customization

Path of Exile 2 is introducing four brand-new weapon types, offering even more options for differing playstyles. Starting with the primary weapons, there's a new ranged/melee hybrid spear, alongside a strength and intelligence-based flail that focuses on critical attacks. The other two are a crossbow with different ammo types for tackling unique situations, and traps that can be placed, reworked from a spell into their own weapon type.

These weapons are being added alongside the exciting new classes coming to Path of Exile 2. Weapon identity is also a key goal for the developers, making sure each weapon has its own visual style that stands out from the others. The main goals behind these changes are to make individual playstyles more unique, with even more options for weapons and build-specific upgrades as opposed to general buffs.

4 Expansive Bosses With Overhauled Mechanics

Over 100 Unique Bosses

Bosses are one of the most exciting aspects being reworked in Path of Exile 2, with over 100 unique bosses to battle. Each of these bosses also comes with its own specialized map, on top of the revamped boss fights that players will face off against in the end-game content. PoE 2 also aims to make bosses more of a challenge, adding mechanics that require critical thinking by dodging moves and planning their attacks more so than in the original game.

PoE 2 is also removing some of the ways hardcore players have cheated the system with boss fights, no longer being able to rush bosses and finish them off quickly after respawning, or leaving the game when they're about to die. Players are also encouraged to fight each boss they come across, as first-time drops from new bosses offer drastically higher-level rewards. The most exciting prospect with the boss changes is the reworked hitboxes that allow for more dynamic engagements that provide a more exciting experience, being able to dodge between enemies' legs or weave their way between attacks.

3 The New Dodge Rolling Mechanic

Rewarding Players For Skillful Movement & Reading Boss Patterns

In PoE 2, players must use the new dodge rolling mechanic to traverse boss stages and avoid prolonged attacks, all while looking for the right openings to deal as much damage as possible. Instead of walking into the enemies as a simple gear check, players are forced to navigate skillfully, favoring precise movements. With the revamped boss mechanics and detailed hitboxes, this movement-based dodge will become an essential part of every player's kit, regardless of whether they're building a head-on tank or a glass cannon mage.

While some players have expressed disappointment with removing movement-based abilities in favor of the dodge, the universal ability is intended to make the sequel even more engaging than the original Path of Exile. Bosses are also often designed around this mechanic in more ways than players would expect. In certain boss fights, minions or ranged enemies will be summoned that force the player to dodge the main boss's attacks while taking them out, or weaving between arrows to attack the primary threat.

2 Additional Character Classes

Nearly Doubling The Number Of Playable Classes

Path of Exile 2 offers 12 classes in total compared to the seven of the original game, with six of these being completely new. The six new classes are the Monk, Huntress, Mercenary, Sorceress, Warrior, and Druid, with some classes being similar to Dungeons and Dragons'. Veteran players will note the absence of the Scion in the new roster of classes, which was removed as the developers felt it didn't mesh well with the new mechanics and ascendancies of the sequel.

In total, with the sequel, there are two classes for each attribute of Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence for even more playstyle variation. The new classes are specially designed to make use of newer mechanics and weapon types, while still meshing with older ones in both identity and mechanics. Not only will there be plenty of classes to choose from in PoE 2, but with ascendancies, the number of total classes will skyrocket to triple that number.

1 Revamped Ascendancies With Greater Variation

A More Diverse Range Of Classes

Ascendancies have always been a core part of Path of Exile, and its sequel doesn't disappoint. Players will have 18 new ascendancy trees to play with, offering an immense total of 36 new ascendancies to pick from. With this level of class variation, players will have almost no limits on choosing what kind of playstyle they want to immerse themselves in.

Each class will have three ascendancy trees to choose from, allowing players to stand out from each other even when using the same class. Ascendancy buffs are powerful ways to customize class builds, redefining them to have unique strengths and identities. Ascendancies are one of the biggest ways Grinding Gear Games is making Path of Exile 2 a worthy expansion to the massively successful, and widely beloved PoE.