Is GGG Teasing an Unarmed Build for Path of Exile 2?

Could an Unarmed Build Actually Be Coming to PoE2?

A new Reddit post is currently gaining traction after a vague developer comment caused some discussion about unarmed build support in Path of Exile 2.

The original post, titled “GGG Game Designer Heavily Hints at Unarmed Monk/Martial Artist Ascendancy,” pulls together a few different bits of info:

• A blurry screenshot from a monitor within GGG’s office that looks like it shows an unarmed monk in a martial arts pose
• Datamined voice lines labeled “Martial Artist”
• A Discord exchange where a GGG dev casually replied “Unarmed build stuff you say” to someone trying to force unarmed builds in PoB

Of course, none of this confirms anything. Quarterstaff-wielding monks are already part of the game, and that alone makes most of this speculation feel a bit off. Even the Discord message sounds more like a wink than a tease.

Why the Community Is Still Talking About It

Although this is not a lot of evidence, many players still like the idea. The Reddit thread also includes a breakdown of what a real unarmed-focused Ascendancy would probably need to be viable:

• A scalable base damage stat, since there would be no weapon
• Access to things like Melee Levels, Crit Chance, Crit Damage, Stun, Daze, and Accuracy
• Some form of campaign-viable damage scaling from the start, maybe similar to Quarterstaves
• Less focus on elemental scaling, more on physical and control-based effects

GGG Game designer heavily hints at Unarmed Monk/Martial Artist Ascendancy
byu/StalksYouEverywhere inPathOfExile2

There is also the idea that this could still be connected to Quarterstaff play, just with more wind-themed or defensive tools built in. So, even if a pure unarmed build does not happen, a new Martial Artist Ascendancy could still lean into the same kind of theme.

So, What Can We Actually Expect?

No official announcement, no real leak, and nothing confirmed so far. It is all speculation based on one blurry image, a few datamined lines, and a Discord message that might not even mean anything.

However, if GGG ever decides to add real unarmed support to the game, it is pretty clear that there is interest. Until then, Monk builds will probably stick with Quarterstaves, and anyone dreaming of punching through PoE2 without a weapon will have to wait a little longer.

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This is not the first time the community has tried to read between the lines. We recently covered another round of speculation about what Patch 0.3 might bring next.