Good news for Exiles Grinding Gear Games (GGG) is addressing key pain points in Path of Exile 2, with a significant change coming to the cost of passive skill respecs. Full patch notes are on their way, but GGG has revealed some major improvements.
Respec Cost Reduction
Currently, respeccing passive skills becomes increasingly expensive as you level up, which can be a pain when trying out new builds. GGG is reducing this cost at higher levels. "It had a relatively aggressive curve getting more expensive with character level, we have flattened that curve so it doesn’t exponentially grow as much," says GGG. This change is expected to result in 40-50% less gold cost for respeccing during the start and middle of endgame progression.
Quality-of-Life Improvements
The update also includes:
- Fast Travel: You'll be able to fast travel between checkpoints within an area.
- New Checkpoints: GGG is adding additional checkpoints at entrances and exits to streamline exploration.
Balance Changes
Other updates include:
- Trial of the Sekhemas: Adjustments to reduce frustration for close-range characters.
- Endgame Maps: Reduced monster damage for better survivability.
- Charm Modifiers: Charm modifiers on belts will be more common.
- New Skills: Monks and Rangers are getting a new lightning damage and electrocute cluster in the passive tree.
- Nerfs: Chain freeze and electrocute are being nerfed.
Skill and Support Gem Buffs
GGG is also buffing several skill and support gems, while also explaining some recent nerfs. Here's a summary of the buffs:
- Improvements to Rolling Slam and all Shield Skills in the mace section
- Improvements to various bow skills, especially the skills used to generate frenzy charges
- Improvements to bone spells and chaos damage over time spells in the occult section
- Improvements to various crossbow skills, especially those at higher tiers
- Improvements to some of the underachieving quarterstaff abilities
- Added the Tremors Support Gem
- Added the Bidding Support Gem
- The Fire Exposure, Lightning Exposure and Cold Exposure Support Gems no longer penalise damage of supported skills.
Nerfs
Unfortunately, some nerfs are also coming:
- Skeletal Arsonists Spirit costs will be reduced at high level
- Nerf to the damage over time component on high levels of Tornado and Vine Arrow
- Magnetic Salvo can now only use your stuck Lightning Arrows.
With these changes coming, it will certainly be a great time to test different builds.
