Path of Exile 2 Players Say “Friction” Is Killing the Fun

A Reddit thread titled “Friction is what is killing this game” has recently caused quite a huge discussion in the Path of Exile 2 subreddit, and it is touching on a problem many players have been feeling for weeks: too much of the game feels like a chore.

The original post emphasizes how common systems like trading, crafting, and even picking up loot are filled with unnecessary steps. These so-called ‘pain points, which are often described as “friction”, are slowing the game down in ways that feel more frustrating than fun. Here is a summary of what the community has to say about all this!

Too Much Friction, Not Enough Action

• Trade: Chat-based trading is still the norm, and at this point, a big chunk of the player base is calling for a proper system with safeguards, like an auction house or a secure in-game UI.
• Crafting: Navigating between benches and NPCs instead of using a simple menu wastes time and breaks the flow.
• Inventory Management: No “sort” button, no multi-pickup for currency, and very limited stash automation means lots of manual busywork.
• Loot: Gear drops often feel unrewarding, and early-game crafting feels inaccessible unless you rely on trade.

Most players agree that the constant back-and-forth between vendors and NPCs takes up too much time, especially compared to actually killing monsters or progressing your build.

Bosses, Builds, and Burnout

• Boss fights in PoE 2 are more engaging and tactical, but they feel too rare in regular gameplay. Some want more mini-bosses per map to break up the trash mob grind, but only if the rewards are worth it.
• Build diversity feels limited early on, with tons of players feeling locked into a few meta options or needing lucky drops to function.
• Campaign fatigue is real; Acts 2 and 3 are being called out as especially slow, and many players are asking for ways to skip the campaign for alts.

What Players Want to See

• Streamlined crafting and inventory systems
• Better trade tools that still keep the economy healthy
• Optional campaign skips or alternate leveling paths
• More rewarding loot and easier SSF-friendly crafting

Even though the title of the thread is rather dire, most players agree that Path of Exile 2 is not dying (with ~ 150k players online even now). The player count is lower than in patch 0.1, but still strong! However, many believe these problems are growing issues that will only get worse if not addressed.

That said, the frustration is real, and a lot of players feel like they are spending more time doing chores than playing an ARPG.

You can read the full discussion here on Reddit:

Friction is what is killing this game
byu/maybe-an-ai inPathOfExile2