If you're a fan of *Path of Exile 2*, you might be curious about what the future holds for the game, especially in terms of new content. In a recent Q&A session, Game Director Jonathan Rogers shared some insights on the development strategy moving forward, particularly regarding new classes and the focus of upcoming patches.
Path of Exile 2 New Characters Might Not Be Introduced Every Patch
Rogers revealed that players should not anticipate new classes with every patch due to the unpredictable nature of their development. He expressed a desire to include a new class with each release but acknowledged the pitfalls of this approach during the production of the latest cycle. I would like it if every release would have a class, but I would say that we actually learned something during the production of this cycle, which is that it was a mistake to have a class as a wedge for the development of your expansion,
Rogers explained. The focus on including the Huntress in the next patch led to constant shifts in the release date, which extended the development time beyond what was initially hoped.
Rogers highlighted the trade-off between setting a fixed release date with an uncertain amount of content versus a floating date to ensure a new class's inclusion. We have to have the Huntress in the next patch, so therefore, the date had to float, and that meant that this expansion ended up taking a lot longer than what we had hoped,
he noted. Moving forward, Rogers is cautious about promising new classes in future expansions due to the potential impact on release schedules. While I’m very keen to have a class in the next expansion, I’m not going to promise that because that would mean we can’t fix the date anymore,
he added.
The unpredictability of class development and the desire to deliver updates more frequently have led to a shift in focus. Rogers stated, Players really do want to see forward progress, and they don’t want to be waiting six to nine months before they see a big update. So I think it’s important that we’re constantly giving them stuff in a reasonably timely manner, so for that reason, the classes are less predictable.
However, fans can look forward to more Ascendancies being introduced with each patch, and Rogers remains enthusiastic about adding more classes even after Early Access ends.
Path of Exile 2 Dawn of the Hunt Brings More Changes to Endgame
The upcoming *Dawn of the Hunt* patch will introduce over 100 new skills, support gems, and unique gear focused on midgame and endgame content. However, the primary focus is to make the endgame more challenging. Rogers explained that the team aims to extend the time it takes for players to reach a power level that trivializes the endgame. There are certainly some things that are going to have to be nerfed because they’re completely trivializing certain mechanics. People are getting [to] the point of complete outrageousness a little bit too early,
he said. The goal is to ensure that players can eventually reach a high level of power but not immediately upon starting their journey.
Rogers expressed disappointment with how quickly players were defeating Pinnacle Bosses, such as one being defeated in just fourteen seconds. He envisions a scenario where the first fight with a Pinnacle Boss is challenging, and subsequent fights become easier as players optimize their builds. The first time you fight a Pinnacle Boss, it’s going to be a hard fight and crazy. But as you fight the boss more times and you get more items and you get to optimize your build and stuff, you can get to the point where you kill the boss in fourteen seconds. It’s just that it’s not your first experience,
Rogers elaborated. The balance changes aim to slow down the progression to becoming overwhelmingly powerful, ensuring a more satisfying climb.
Path of Exile 2 Game Director is Happy With Its Ruthless
Difficulty
The difficulty of *Path of Exile 2*'s campaign has sparked debate among players, with opinions ranging from too easy to too hard. Rogers, however, is satisfied with the current difficulty level and believes that player perceptions will evolve over time. He noted that many complaints came from players who had experience with the previous game but had not yet played the current one, leading to comparisons. I don’t think we’re gonna get nearly as many complaints about it this time, and that’s because once you know how to play, you’re going to find the experience a lot easier,
Rogers said. He remains optimistic that as players become more familiar with the game, they will find it less challenging, and if not, the team will have more data to make necessary adjustments. Rogers concluded, People are often surprised. A lot of the times what happens is that the second time people play through the game, they will talk about how they (GGG) must have changed the balance, but the actual reality is that they just got better at the game.
