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Patch 0.3.0 keeps growing, and Grinding Gear Games just shared another round of live patch notes – this time posted directly on Reddit. The latest changes hit some major systems, with adjustments to defense mechanics, gem balance, and several Ascendancies.
Let’s break down the highlights and take a look at what the community thinks so far.
Big Changes to Defense: Evasion, Stun, and Acrobatics
Evasion has been reworked. It now works on all hits except for boss attacks with the red flash indicator. GGG also changed the formula to reduce evasion effectiveness at lower investment levels. If you are running a pure Evasion setup, it might still be fine with full gear support, but hybrids are expected to take a hit.
Some key details:
- Monsters deal 30% more Stun Buildup against players with Shields Raised.
- Parrying now increases incoming Stun Buildup by around 12%.
- The Acrobatics Keystone has been completely removed from the Passive Tree.
This is definitely a bigger change in PoE2‘s overall defense direction – one that not all players are happy about.
Deadeye and Cold Sorc Take a Hit
Deadeye is getting a noticeable downgrade:
- Thrilling Chase: 50% chance to double Frenzy Charge benefits (was 100%).
- Eagle Eyes has been renamed to Bullseye, with completely new effects: it now applies Critical Weakness stacks when consuming a Mark, but no longer ignores distance-based accuracy penalties.
Cold Snap has also been reworked and renamed to just Snap. It now explodes ailments (Freeze, Shock, Ignite) or interacts with Frostbolt, creating chain reactions. Sounds cool on paper, but early reactions say Cold Sorc builds are being forced toward tri-element setups instead of pure cold.
Buffs to Minions and Twister
Not everything is a nerf:
- Minions now deal up to 50% more damage vs non-unique monsters at higher gem levels. That should help during campaign leveling.
- Twister got a damage boost across the board, giving this chaotic build a little more ‘bite.’
Community Reaction: Mixed, With Some Frustration
Players on Reddit were quick to analyze the changes, and the vibe is… rather mixed. Some are excited for new build paths, but a lot of the top comments are calling it a broad nerf sweep.
The main complaints:
- Dropping these changes just one day before launch feels rushed.
- Too many cooldowns are making gameplay feel stiff and reactive.
- Deadeye and Cold Sorc players are especially frustrated.
- Evasion, parry, and block changes are pushing defense builds into tighter boxes.
- Some players are now worried about long-term build variety.
However, there are also some bright spots: Twister fans are happy, and Minion lovers have something to look forward to.
You can check out the full Reddit thread below to see all the reactions, memes, and theorycrafting around the new evasion formula:
The Final Adjustments Before Launch?
With the full update dropping later today, on August 29, this might be the last major balance round before we jump into The Third Edict. If you missed it, make sure to check our other PoE2 news:
