PoE2 Hotfix Finally Nerfs Abyss Ground Damage

Grinding Gear Games released another update for Path of Exile 2 (patch 0.3.0b Hotfix 3), and it finally fixes one of the most frustrating parts of the game so far. Abyss monsters no longer melt you instantly with stacked ground damage, something players have been begging to see fixed since launch.

Before this patch, melee builds in particular had it rough. Overlapping chaos puddles, aura debuffs that killed your regen, and exploding green balls made Abyss encounters feel like instant death zones. Even tanky characters with 7k HP and capped resists were getting deleted.

Community Celebrates the Fix

On Reddit, players were quick to celebrate. Reactions ranged from simple “Niiiice!” to “We did it Reddit.” Plenty of exiles shared stories of dying before they could even react, with regen-based builds basically unplayable in Abyss areas.

Early Access Patch Notes – 0.3.0b Hotfix 3
byu/EarthBounder inPathOfExile2

Still Rough for Melee

The hotfix makes things less punishing, but melee players say the encounters are still harder than they should be. Ranged characters have an easier time, but melee still struggle unless they build around heavy leech or block stacking.

Other Fixes

The update also worked on stability issues, especially the “device lost” Vulkan crash that was hitting a lot of players. Some PS5 users say the game still stutters or has broken audio during Abyss fights, but overall things seem to run better.

Other bug fixes:

• Atlas nodes and strongboxes should now work correctly
• Spectres no longer die instantly in Abyss fights
• Undying Will has been disabled on Tamed Beasts until fixed

There are still some reports from PS5 players about stutters and sound bugs in Abyss encounters, though performance does feel improved for most.

This patch helps, but the community already has its eyes on 0.4. Players want bigger balance updates – especially around chill/slow debuffs, melee survivability, and clearer combat visuals. For now, at least Abyss does not feel like an instant death sentence anymore.

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