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PoE 2 Devs Rush Updates After Negative Steam Feedback

by Nathan Oct 13,2025

Path of Exile 2 developer Grinding Gear Games has rolled out emergency fixes following significant community backlash against the recent Dawn of the Hunt update, which introduced extensive balance changes that significantly impacted gameplay. The update's controversial adjustments have led to a wave of negative Steam reviews, with many players expressing frustration with the game's current state.

Launched earlier this month, Dawn of the Hunt introduced the Huntress class - a versatile combatant specializing in both melee spear attacks and ranged combat with bucklers. The expansion also brought five new ascension classes (Ritualist, Amazon, Smith of Kitava, Tactician, and Lich), along with major gameplay overhauls, over a hundred new unique items, and expanded crafting systems.

Despite these substantial additions, the update's dramatic deceleration of gameplay pacing has drawn sharp criticism. Many players report that combat now feels unnecessarily sluggish, transforming what should have been a celebration of new content into a disappointing experience for much of the community.

The current top Steam review from the past 30 days captures these concerns:

"Boss fights drag on far longer than necessary. Most skills feel underwhelming in terms of damage output. While we understood the developers wanted to slow the game down, the current implementation makes the league nearly unplayable beyond the first week. Between performance issues and fundamental gameplay problems, the experience feels fundamentally broken."

Another critical review notes: "This update caters only to players who enjoy unrewarding punishment. The forced combo mechanics directly contradict what makes ARPGs rewarding - the freedom to develop unique playstyles. While version 0.1 had issues with oversized areas and sluggish movement, Dawn of the Hunt amplified these problems while severely nerfing loot drops to unacceptable levels."

The reviewer, a veteran with 5,000 hours in Path of Exile 1, adds: "As someone who loves this franchise, I currently can't recommend Path of Exile 2 in its current state. The developers ignored feedback about map sizes and movement speed until community outrage became impossible to dismiss. I hope future updates can address these critical issues."

GGG has responded with a series of planned fixes, with more substantial changes scheduled for the upcoming 0.2.0e patch. The big question remains whether these adjustments will be enough to win back frustrated players and improve the game's reception.

Path of Exile 2 update 0.2.0e patch notes:

Monster Speed Adjustments

We're addressing player concerns about overwhelming monster behavior through targeted changes. Along with the act-specific adjustments below, we've made several global modifications:

Removed interrupt mechanics from many humanoid monsters' attacks, particularly multi-hit combos
The Haste Aura modifier no longer appears on already-fast monsters

Act 1 Improvements

Prowler-type monsters now switch to walking after attacking unless players retreat beyond a certain distance
Hungering Stalkers now deal 12% less damage with reduced health pools
Reduced enemy density in The Red Vale and Hunting Grounds
Adjusted Freythorn Cultist behavior and weapon mechanics
Blood Cretin pools now last 4 seconds instead of 6
Decreased challenging monster concentration in Ogham Manor

Act 2 Adjustments