PoE2 Dev Talks Bosses, Builds, and What Comes Next

Jonathan Rogers, Game Director of Path of Exile 2, just appeared on the latest Dropped Frames podcast, and he had a lot to say about where the game is headed. From big design goals to post-launch feedback, we have compiled a quick summary of the most important takeaways for you below.

If you want to check out the full interview, you can find the video at the bottom of the article.

Builds Should Be Fun and Weird

One of the biggest themes of the episode was creative freedom. Jonathan emphasized that build diversity is a core part of PoE2’s identity, and the dev team wants players to experiment, even with “bad” or off-meta setups.

• PoE2 is designed to support a wide range of playstyles.
• Keystones and ascendancies give you power, but also affect how you build.
• The game encourages combining skills, supports, and passives in various ways.

“Let people be able to do crazy stuff. That’s important to me.”
– Jonathan Rogers

Ascendancies Are Earned, Not Given

Unlike PoE1’s system, you do not just click a statue and get your Ascendancy.

• You need to complete special content and gather relics to earn your Ascendancy point.
• The idea is to make the process feel meaningful, not just a checklist.

Jonathan said that this system caught some players off guard, especially those expecting a quick unlock. But the team believes this slower pacing adds a good depth and progression feel.

Boss Fights Change Based on Your Build

Bosses in PoE2 are not one-size-fits-all. Jonathan confirmed that:

• Boss encounters are designed to feel different depending on your build.
• A boss that felt easy with one class might be brutal with another.
• This design choice is supposed to keep fights exciting and personal.

Campaign QoL and Streamlining

Good news if you are already planning your second (or third) character:

The campaign gets quicker with each run, not by cutting content, but just by how much easier and smoother it plays once you know the way. As Jonathan Rogers put it during the interview:

“Every time you do a new character, the campaign vicariously gets… shorter and shorter – not necessarily in content, but in how fast the player gets through it.”

GGG wants to respect players’ time without removing the journey.

Balancing Feedback and Early Access

The dev team is actively tuning the game post-launch:

• Patch 0.2.0 introduced the first round of balance changes.
• More are on the way as the team continues gathering data and watching how players interact with content.
• GGG is focused on clearer communication after some messaging missteps during early feedback.

Optional Systems, Monster Speed, and Reward Tuning

• PoE2 may eventually include optional systems and add-ons you can use if you want more depth, but skip if you prefer a simple loop.
• The team is also continuing to investigate monster speed issues, especially enemies that feel too fast or unfair.
• Some maps feel underwhelming despite having solid reward values, and GGG is looking into why that perception exists.

The full video is available here: