Here Are What You Expected! Path Of Exile 3.12 - Top Starter Heist Builds

Since the early access of Path of Exile 2 was released, it has received many reviews from the player community and social platforms, with mixed reviews. But when POE 2 released its first major patch and first league in April, a large number of negative reviews came, and the number was more than the very poor Lake of Kalandra League released in the original game.

Among these negative reviews, the most important one is that POE 2 Dawn of The Hunt League has many restrictions on many skills, making them very poor in some regular battles, and even after investing a lot of POE 2 currency, they can’t play the maximum effect in the endgame.

In fact, the developers also realized their mistakes, so they used the whole of April and May to release nearly 10 small patches to make up for the negative effects of this patch 0.2.0. Not only that, the developers also promised to release a new 0.2.1 patch in the first week of June to increase the playability of endgame content to alleviate players’ negative emotions about this sequel.

In addition, POE 2’s Game Director Jonathan Rogers recently accepted a public interview. He said that the developer will provide a skill library that can better adapt to the endgame in the next league as the main goal of the update, which makes many players very excited.

The Origin Of The Infamy

In fact, POE2 received a lot of praise when it was first released, because it has a completely different game style from the original and adds new classes, which makes many players who like to complete high challenges want to try it.

At that time, the diversity of builds in the game was still very high, which was the most obvious criterion for measuring the success of the overall design of action role-playing games. Here, players can use Infernalist to summon skeletons that can cause burning damage for fearless exploration, or use Invoker’s Ice Strike and Cast on Freeze to cause very large cold damage to the enemy.

However, if the environment in the entire game has been stagnant and players can only use a few powerful builds to complete all explorations, its appeal to players who pursue multiple game styles and gameplay will be greatly weakened. In light of this, the developers nerfed Trigger-based Meta Gems a week into the new league to encourage players to create more new build possibilities.

However, the nerfs were so severe, and the developers did not plan to balance the patch in the middle of the league, which resulted in most builds being far less effective than before, and only having skills like Essence Drain and Contagion that were not destroyed could make a good build options at the time.

In this situation, players often died in battles due to the weakness of their builds. Over time, players became more and more resentful in POE 2, because no one wants to not have a smooth exploration experience in a game that they paid for.

Developer’s Reflection

For these negative reviews, Jonathan Rogers first expressed his apologies to all players, and said that the original intention of this update was to allow players to rely on their own creativity to create a variety of skill combinations, so as to form a sharp contrast with POE 1, which focuses on a single skill as your main skill.

The assumption that the complexity of multi-skill gameplay would make players who love high-challenging content more interested in it was completely wrong after fact testing. So the game director promised players in the interview that the developers would learn from this lesson and make improvements in the next major patch and the next league.

Some Promises

In order to reduce the number of negative comments from players in major player communities and social platforms, Jonathan promised that in the subsequent game content improvements, the developers will pay more attention to expanding the basic effectiveness of a single skill, so that players can experience their unique combat power in the endgame content that they have to go through a lot of hardships to break into.

In response, he revealed that the developers will take a different approach to the league reset window, which means that instead of waiting for a league to develop to the expected perfect state, the league update time for POE 1 and POE 2 will be fixed at about 4 months.

But it must be admitted that the developer announced last year that the early access time of this sequel is only 6 months, so according to this trend, the developer is likely to delay the experience time in order to let players see their determination to achieve this major goal.

This is great for some players who just want to enjoy the current situation, but it is also likely to cause those who want to explore for a long time to think, because the extension of the experience time means that the official version of POE 2 will be far away.

In any case, the idea that the developers of Path of Exile 2 are striving for change is good, but its trust index in the hearts of players is not high, because there are many precedents for not keeping promises. 

If you are a fan of both the original and the sequel, then you can verify its development results through the new POE 3.26; but if you only play the sequel, you can also see their determination in the 0.2.1 patch released next month. I wish you a happy game!

As the official release of Path of Exile 3.26 Secrets of the Atlas League draws near, the developers have announced the first major change for players in this new update - a pause function.

With this function, you can pause the game and deal with urgent door opening or phone calls with a tap of ESC key; or pause your exploration process when you want to find the best next upgrade point in the huge passive skill tree. The pause function first appeared in POE 2, but the reputation was not too good.

The feature expected to be added to POE 3.26 is improved by the developers. In the subsequent game content, you can automatically pause when you open any full-screen menu or the game detects enough delay, which is very effective in avoiding painful disconnection and death in single-player mode.

However, in order to retain some of the more challenging battles in the game, such as the pinnacle boss encounter, the developers set some areas as areas where pause cannot be used. This change has actually made some players who have been fed up with the fact that there has been no new content added to POE 1 for ten months very excited, but some players have expressed that they want more quality of life improvements.

In view of this, this guide will combine the current game community and players on major social platforms to summarize some of the quality of life improvements expected in POE 3.26. However, it should be noted that the functions introduced here are all speculations and cannot be regarded as final results. Everything is subject to the official release of POE 3.26.

1. Add WASD

Since Path of Exile is an old game that has been released for more than ten years, the movement method used in it is still the previously commonly used point-and-click movement. However, as action role-playing games become more and more popular, more and more young players are pouring into them.

And with the frequent updates of the current new generation of game consoles, the movement method that more players are accustomed to has become WASD. So if POE can add this popular movement method to it, it may attract more new exiles to enter this legendary old game.

But unfortunately, the implementation of this function may be very difficult, because the game director and content creator of POE have said in interviews before that this movement method requires some very significant modifications to character rigs, which will consume a lot of unnecessary development costs and time.

2. Respec Skills With Gold

Many players should have noticed that gold coins were dropped as loot in Quality of Life teaser showing the pause feature. This new currency, added in POE 3.25 Settlers of Kalguur league, generally has been used for respec skills.

So when players saw gold coins appear in this new league, they really wanted to keep this highly practical use of gold coins. Because the current methods of respec skills require players to use a lot of POE currency and energy, this third method is very necessary.

3. Use Dodge Roll

As an important part of the controversial sequel, Dodge Roll is also expected to be added to the original game. It is a movement skill that allows players to quickly move a short distance, allowing players to easily avoid certain enemy attacks and area damage areas.

Its addition may make those players who return to the original game from POE 2 feel very familiar, and they can rely on the game instinct to get used to using this movement skill proficiently, which is very beneficial to expanding the original player base.

But the biggest effect it can bring is that it can reduce the use of those movement skills that consume mana or have restrictions, which will allow players to invest mana in spells that can cast super high damage, so that players can get a better gaming experience in the game.

4. Increase The Number Of Checkpoints

Even though the developers have increased the drop rate of loot in POE, it is still very difficult to farm some Cast on Death support gems that can generate portals to shorten exploration time.

So players really hope that the developers can increase the number of checkpoints in some maps owned by POE, especially the endgame maps, so that players don’t have to spend a lot of time looking for an already explored arena after a battle failure.

However, since the maps in the original game are smaller than those in the sequel, setting 2-4 checkpoints for each map is completely sufficient. For adding such a minor feature that can increase the fun of player exploration, I think the developers should not refuse such a request.

The above are some improvements that players currently need for the quality of life in POE 3.26. The developers may have completed all the game improvements, but a league will last at least four months, so they have enough time to realize these players’ expectations. I wish you a happy game!

Since the early access release of Path of Exile 2 on December 6, 2024, its developers have been constantly improving this action role-playing game that has always been at the center of player discussion, such as the major patch 0.2.0 released in early April and the various small fixes that followed.

But in fact, except for the week after the release and the latest Dawn of the Hunt league, players’ evaluation of POE 2 has been negative for the rest of the time. In particular, some old exiles who returned from the original work agreed that the endgame in the sequel did not have enough depth, and players could only do some meaningless farming and challenges in it.

Although in previous patches, the developers intended to improve the player’s gaming experience in the endgame, such as increasing the drop rate of loot in it, adding more unique maps in the endgame, and adding some new mechanisms for players to challenge. But unfortunately, it didn’t help.

Last week, the developer announced that it would release another major patch 0.2.1 in the last week of this month, which will focus on the improvements in the loot drop rate, Atlas and Map Mechanics in the endgame. This news made all players excited. But recently, the developer announced that the release of this patch is expected to be delayed until June.

Guessing Reason

In fact, this is not the first time that the developer has played tricks on the players, because such tricks are everywhere in the development and release of POE 2.

But for this delay, I think the reason can be guessed by players who know the two trump games owned by this developer: to make POE 3.26 Secrets of the Atlas expansion released smoothly.

Some time ago, the developer announced that it was expected to officially release the latest league in the original game on June 13. This is the longest time to update the league since the league mechanism was added to the game in 2013.

Prior to this, although POE 3.25 Settlers of Kalguur League was praised by many players, there was no new game content in nearly a year, which exhausted the players’ enthusiasm for it.

And most importantly, during the period when players were looking forward to the new league in POE 1, the developer announced that it would transfer all staff to the development of the first major patch of POE 2, which disappointed almost all old players who were loyal to the original.

So when the developers announced that they would continue to release POE 3.26, these players began to look forward to it again, expecting that there would be more fresh and interesting game content waiting to be explored.

To be honest, it’s not just the loyal old fans who are paying attention to this matter. Some novice exiles who have only been exposed to the sequel are also paying attention to it.

Because when POE 2’s early access is expected to end in early July, players are looking for a game with similar gameplay and the same exploration experience as a replacement. What could be more like a replacement than the original?

So they are waiting to see how much of an explosion this POE 1, which was released more than ten years ago, will bring. Judging from the comments about the two games in the player community or on social media, the developers seem to have realized that focusing on the original works in the current situation may help their reputation turn around.

So they announced that the release of POE 0.2.1 patch will be delayed, and some new game content in the patch will be announced as compensation. There has been speculation about the release date of this patch.

Since most of the patches for this game are released on weekdays, and there is a live focusing on POE 3.26 on June 5, June 6 is the most likely date.

Patch Content

To compensate, the developers also announced some of Socketables that will appear in POE 2 0.2.1 patch in this announcement, which can meet the requirements of those who no longer need the early socket bonus and want to start maximizing the effectiveness of their characters, and will probably provide more creative options for the endgame builds used by players.

Only 3 Runes, a Soul Core and a Talisman have been announced so far, and the remaining Socketables items may be announced one by one in subsequent patch notes. Next, here will be a detailed introduction to them and their possible impact on the subsequent game content.

Runes

Farrul’s Rune Of The Chase

It can be inserted into your unique boots to increase your movement speed by 5%. The only suggestion here is to add it to a boot that can provide you with high defensive capabilities, and buy POE 2 Currency to upgrade it, so that you have both high survivability and a certain degree of mobility.

The Greatwolf’s Rune Of Willpower

This rune can be placed in a slot on your Body Armour, and will increase your damage resistance by applying 10% of the damage done to mana instead of health. This is not very good for spell-focused classes, so you may want to equip some potions or gear that can restore mana.

Hedgewitch Assandra’s Rune Of Wisdom

This is perfect for a Wand or Staff used by a Sorceress or Witch, as it will increase the level of all your spells by one. Although it only gives a one-level bonus, it will make the build extremely effective if you have invested a lot of PoE 2 currency into the weapon you used to maximize the skill level affixes.

Soul Core

Tacati’s Soul Core Of Affliction

This can be placed in a slot on a unique helmet, and will reduce the resistance to chaos damage of enemies you curse by 8%. You can find it in Trial of Chaos Ultimatum encounters.

Talisman

Talisman Of Thruldana

This Talisman can be placed in your Martial weapon, which will reduce the duration of poisons you inflict by 25% and cause the targeted enemy to be affected by an additional poison at the same time.

Although the developers have once again promised to release more information in Path of Exile 2 0.2.1 patch before the end of this week, in fact, not many people are looking forward to it at the moment. I wish you a happy game!

Since the early access release of Path of Exile 2 at the end of last year, some loyal players who have been exploring the original game for more than ten years have begun to express their concerns about the game they love on major review websites or player communities, which has continued to this day.

Players unanimously believe that POE 2 is not just a sequel, but also a threat to the original game. Because from the portrait of the game player group since the release of the sequel, most of the loyal players are new exiles who have never been exposed to POE 1, rather than old exiles who have returned from the original game, and these players are more satisfied with the sequel.

This will cause players to worry that developers will invest a lot of development time and cost in this new sequel to promote its reputation among players, while ignoring the development of the original game. In fact, these players’ thoughts are not groundless. However, from another perspective, these two games cannot pose a threat to each other, they are more like an alliance.

This guide will give you a specific analysis of this conclusion. If you are a fan of the original game, I think this may help you relax; if you are a fan of the sequel, I hope the description here can make you interested in this old game with more background.

Source Of Worry

In fact, since the developer announced that it would release a sequel in 2022, players have expressed resistance to the new work in their comments and feedback at the time. Because the developer had only Path of Exile 1, an excellent work accepted by the public, so if a new game appeared, it would definitely affect the progress of the original update or adjustment.

But in fact, the release of this new work has been 2 years, and the developer has announced it many times, but it has never come to fruition. In this case, not only the players of POE 1, but also other players who are waiting and watching have no more illusions about the appearance of this new work.

Most importantly, during this period, the excellent leagues updated every few months in the original work have been praised by many players. Especially Settlers of Kalguur League released last year, in which the interesting urbanization life scenes have attracted many new players.

Time came to the fall of last year. In October, the developer suddenly announced that it was expected to release POE 2 early access on November 15. In fact, at that time, some players still thought that this was a trick by the developers to continue teasing the players, but as the developers released more and more information about the sequel, the players realized that this might be true.

For a while, all the players were excited, except for the players who were loyal to the original, because this would mean that the developer’s focus would be shifted. But what no one expected was that with such a marketing atmosphere, the developer announced that it would be postponed for three weeks.

Players thought that this postponement was just a casual promise made by the developer to the players, but until POE 2 was really released on December 6th, the players in POE 1 realized that this time the threat was real. However, because the developers had promised not to favor one game over the other, there were not as many voices of opposition as there are now.

However, less than three months after the release of the sequel, the developer suddenly announced that all the staff who had worked on the development and update of the original game would be transferred to the sequel and committed to the release of the 0.2.0 patch and Dawn of the Hunt of POE 2. At that time, in order to stabilize the players, the developer also launched an event in POE 1, but it did not help.

At present, the 3.25 league in the original game has lasted for nearly a year, and no new game content has been added. Even the drop rate of POE currency that players have been hoping to increase has not been adjusted. Now they can only be thrown aside by the developers like an unwelcome friend, and express their dissatisfaction through some comments or reviews.

This May Not Be A Threat But An Ally

In fact, judging from the fact that the developer announced some time ago that it is expected to release a new expansion in the original game in June, the relationship between them may be more like an alliance than a hostile relationship.

First of all, in the long-standing Path of Exile 1, there must be some high-level players who feel that the current game content, including the endgame content, is not enough for them to complete the high-difficulty challenge, but it is completely unfair to increase the difficulty of the game for other new exiles who have just entered the game or players with low levels.

In addition, some developers’ ideas, such as new league mechanisms, endgame challenges or quality of life improvements, are a very large project to implement one by one in the original game, and even the server needs to be suspended for a period of time before they can be brought into the game.

Therefore, the developer first allows a new game with high difficulty, low POE 2 currency drop rate, new builds options, new monsters, new resources, etc. to enter the player’s field of vision, so as to test the player’s acceptance of such new things, and to collect more players’ evaluation and feedback on such dark games so as to improve the original work.

This is all in conjunction with the upcoming 0.2.1 patch notes for POE 2 and the trailer POE 1 currently has for 3.26 Secrets of the Atlas, as the advantages of asset reusability and a shared tech stack are very clear in both official releases.

Not only that, the beneficiaries of the parallel development of these two games are not only the developers, but also the players. Whether it is the old exiles who entered the sequel from the original game or the newcomers who are currently passionate about the sequel, they will no longer be able to explore after the end of this early access, so they all need to find a new alternative.

In such a large game market, the game with the most similar gameplay to POE 2 can only be its original work, so the developer released the latest league at this time period, which is also for the sake of all players, although it really made the duration of 3.25 too long.

So summing up, POE 1 and POE 2 are more like a pair of allies helping each other in situations that are overlooked by some players, and both are striving to bring the best massively multiplayer online role-playing game experience to players. I wish you a happy gaming!