Potential Ascendancy Reworks We May Get In POE 3.22 And Beyond - New Archetypes & Interesting Stats
I’m going to be discussing the many potential ascendancy reworks that we could be getting in POE 3.22 and beyond.
Introduction
This became a much more interesting topic following the reworks in POE 3.21, which included some unexpected changes to the Pathfinder and Saboteur.
The main reasons these were so unexpected is because there is a whole line of ascendancies that deserve reworks before these ones did. But the changes themselves align in a big way with some of the comments made by developers during the 2019 ExileCon, when they said that old ascendancies would essentially require rebalances to bring them to a similar level as the new Path of Exile 2 ascendancies.
We know that the Path of Exile 2 ascendancies will have a focus on granting just one or two impactful stats on each notable. This is something we can already see coming through on the reworked Pathfinder and Saboteur.
So, the idea of other ascendancies being reworked in a similar way is interesting, especially when you consider the support for new archetypes that were added to the Saboteur with both the Trigger bolts and the cooldown recovery rate notables. I think that most (if not all) of the ascendancies will receive changes in some form prior to Path of Exile 2.
Now, I think all bets are off when it comes to trying to guess which of the ascendancies will be reworked next. We know which ones really need it first. But with the Pathfinder and Saboteur being changed before stuff like the Gladiator and Assassin, who knows what’s next?
So, I’m going to talk a bit about each of the other ascendancies.
Guardian
Let’s start off with some of the ascendancies that probably need the changes. First, I want to talk about Guardian, which is a Templar ascendancy.
Guardian is largely more favorable in hardcore leagues due to the defensive nature of the class. And these leagues are typically one of the average popularity ascendancies sitting around the middle of the pack when it comes to the play rate of classes.
But in non-hardcore leagues, it’s been largely unpopular ever since the changes to Mana Reservation Efficiency and Aura stacking characters in general.
The Guardian’s kit is mostly made up of stats. And these stats buff nearby allies, which makes it a decent option for many minion builds and a good option as a support character in groups.
But the kit is quite bland, and it really lacks any kind of interesting stats other than the Radiant Faith notable, which provides armor based on Reserved Life and Energy Shield based on Reserved Manner.
Guardian is the foster class when compared to Necromancer for minion builds. But, it’s usually outclassed on endgame builds by the Necromancer.
So, what could a Guardian rework look like? What new archetypes could a reworked Guardian ascendancy support?
One skill type that I feel is extremely underrepresented on both ascendancies and on the passive tree is Herald abilities.
- Herald of Agony
- Herald of Ice
- Herald of Thunder
- Herald of Ash
- Herald of Purity
And I think support for the Herald archetype would have no better home than on the Guardian. Interesting ways to augment Herald skills, such as things that we already have access to on POE Items, like Storm Secret or The Coming Calamity, would provide new avenues to explore in regards to builds using Heralds as main abilities.
What about Time of Need reduced curse effects? Instead of this stat, imagine a start on Guardian, which converts reduced curse effect into reversed curse effects (something similar to reverse chill), allowing the character to benefit from previously dangerous curses with enough investment and potentially open up the way for new self-curse build options.
I’d also love to see Radiant Faith explored a little more, especially the life reservation portion and expand on this a little more by using Life as a resource like spending life with things like Blood Magic or Lifetab.
Assassin
Next, let’s take a look at another ascendancy, Assassin. Assassin is a Shadow ascendancy and has consistently been one of the least popular ascendancies for many leagues now.
This has been the case since patch 3.15 when poison was globally buffed, making it deal about 50% percent more damage for everybody while Assassin was nerfed by about the same amount to compensate for this change.
As a result, the other ascendancy options became more appealing to poison. Even though I feel this was generally a good change, Assassin lost its niche, so it needs to get that back in some way.
I think one of the main focuses of the Assassin ascendancy should be the Elusive buff. The class should have many ways to augment Elusive. Now, Elusive is above the grant’s movement speed and chance to avoid damage and its effectiveness diminishes over time until it reaches no effect, at which point it’s removed.
One of the changes that was made to Elusive recently was to nerf the Nightblade Support by making it so that you couldn’t refresh the Elusive buff. Instead, you now need to wait until its effect is reduced to zero, at which point is removed and then you can reapply on your cell.
One of the augmentations for Elusive that the Assassin should have is the ability to invest into a notable that strips Elusive at a threshold, so you’re able to reapply it sooner. For example, Elusive is removed at 25% of its original effectiveness rather than 0%. This would go a long way in improving Assassin’s defense whilst also buffing the usage of things like Nightblade, specifically on the Assassin ascendancy.
I’d also love to see ways to change exactly what bonuses the Elusive buff provides with additional stats, like attack and cast speed. And I think the Assassin should have support for all critical ailments, not just poison. This is an archetype, which really deserves to be explored further. And I think things like Critical Bleed and Critical Knight should be supported in some way on this ascendancy, too.
Chieftain
Let’s move on to the Chieftain ascendancy. This is a Marauder ascendancy. And this one is also consistent in the bottom three or four ascendencies in popularity in each league and has been for quite a while.
I do feel this has a lot to do with the general state of melee right now. But I do think that Chieftain’s kit could do some updates, especially as a lot of the stats are available to other classes through unique items and in other places.
So, let’s start with the Tasalio, Cleansing Water notable and this is the one that’s taken almost universally on all Chieftain builds. This notable is in a good place. I just think it needs one change, and that’s the physical damage taken as fire stat. This shouldn’t be limited to hits in the current Path of Exile. It should also work for damage over time, just like the Cloak of Flame and Dawnbreaker. With that change, this notable would be great.
And the Valako, Strom’s Embrace notable. This one should have a way to expend Endurance Charges. Because the problem with this damage modifier that exists on this notable is that it’s limited to spending Endurance Charges. And that interaction is limited to just a few skills and items or waiting for Endurance Charges to run their full course, which is awkward.
So, I’d like to see the Valako notable have a stat, which spends Endurance Charges when you take a Savage hit. And this grants you a short defensive buff, which will help to provide you with the defense you need in that little duration when you don’t have any Endurance Charges.
The Ngamahu, Flame’s Advance notable really needs to provide consistent damage rather than this rotating damage buff, which is kind of awkward for any character that isn’t a physical conversion ignite build. And it’s even awkward for them sometimes. You’re just kind of waiting for this buff to be active, which is quite annoying.
I don’t feel that Chieftain needs that much else direct changes to the melee will affect this class in a big way. And I thought that melee totems, specifically Ancestor Totems, need to be reviewed. So, it’s possible that the entire part of the Chieftain ascendancies gets changed at some point.
But that’s one of the worst things about melee right now is having to use these two totem buffs up all the time to be able to get the best damage output. Seriously, just bake these two buffs directly into melee abilities at a baseline level. Then, remove those buffs from the Ancestor Totems altogether and improve them as damage abilities. And then, we’re going on the right path.
Recommended Article
View More
Patch 0.5.5 is expected to launch in mid-September 2026. This patch is crucial for PoE 2, serving as the final major test before the official release of Patch 1.0. GGG will host a live stream on August 27th, where they will announce the content of this new patch.
Before that, this article will provide a simple prediction of Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.5 based on some recent information, helping you prepare in advance.
A New Kind of Event
Patch 0.5.5 is not a traditional season reset. Grinding Gear Games has adopted a completely new approach: a month-long event season running concurrently with the existing Runes of Aldur League.
This event will introduce a new economy system, allowing players to create new characters. Meanwhile, characters from the current season will remain available, allowing players to continue their previous progress without any disruption. After the event ends, all characters and items will migrate to the standard season.
This structure represents a significant shift. It doesn't erase all players' progress, but rather offers a choice: stay in the existing economic system or jump into a competitive, entirely new starting environment.
This approach has a dual significance: it allows players to experience a refreshed gaming experience while providing GGG with an important testing ground for balance adjustments and system optimizations before the official 1.0 release.
Balance Adjustments
Patch 0.5.5 will likely focus on large-scale balance adjustments, which will likely involve significant changes to passive skill trees, Ascendancy classes, skills, and unique items.
This isn't just about minor numerical tweaks; some skills and Ascendancy classes may undergo a complete mechanics overhaul to improve their usability and gameplay experience.
Based on recent news, the following areas have been identified as potential targets for change:
Gemling Legionnaire
Firstly, Gemling Legionnaire Ascendancy, especially the interaction with Alternate Quality gems, is considered a key target for nerfs.
Five-Mod Jewels
Currently, players can repeatedly use PoE 2 Chaos Orbs to retain specific affixes, creating powerful five-affix jewels. To prevent crafted items from becoming too powerful, the crafting system for this jewel may be adjusted.
Four-Tablet Cities
In addition, Four-Tablet Cities may also be nerfed. In the current PoE 2, this mechanic is so beneficial to players that it has become too mainstream, almost an essential method for optimal mob farming. Therefore, GGG is likely to adjust and weaken it.
Underperforming Archetypes
Conversely, weaker archetype classes focusing on Chaos Damage and Ignite may be strengthened in Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.5, thus increasing their competitiveness.
New Ascendancy Classes and Skills
Ascendancy Classes
Currently, the most speculated topic among players is the new Ascendancy classes. Let's analyze this together. GGG has stated that their goal is to unlock full Ascendancy options for all classes before Patch 1.0 is released, making Patch 0.5.5 an excellent time to introduce such content.
The overall design goal for PoE 2 is for each Base Class to eventually have three Ascendancy classes. Among characters who haven't yet reached three Ascendancy classes, I believe Ranger and Druid are the most likely candidates.
New Skills
While uncertain, the possibility of new skills is high. GGG has discussed adding more skills to existing weapon types as an effective way to expand class diversity without creating entirely new weapon classes.
Any new skills will be designed to support new Ascendancy classes and further enrich gameplay, ensuring that new content has a real impact and provides a truly new gaming experience.
Campaign Mode Improvements
Campaign mode is also a key focus for players, as Act IV is widely considered an area for improvement. Therefore, I believe the developers will explore ways to simplify the tedious parts that slow down the leveling process.
These changes may include shortening certain areas, adding checkpoints, and even introducing new side quests to enhance the act's appeal. For players creating multiple characters, these improvements will significantly enhance the enjoyment of the leveling process.
I've recently heard some players speculate that Act 5 might appear in this patch, but given that the full campaign is expected to be a major selling point of Patch 1.0, I don't think Act 5 that players are hoping for will be released in Patch 0.5.5.
New Convenience Features
Some highly requested convenience features may appear in Patch 0.5.5. I think the most likely addition is a Death Summary system, which will allow players to clearly see the cause of their death. This will provide valuable feedback to help players improve their defense strategies.
In addition, a series of technical improvements are also coming, including performance optimizations, rendering adjustments, memory leak fixes, and overall stability improvements to ensure a smoother gaming experience.
The above is a prediction of what's coming in PoE 2 Patch 0.5.5. Essentially, this patch is a crucial stepping stone to Patch 1.0, representing GGG's last major opportunity to test large-scale balance adjustments, new systems, and economic models in a real-world environment before the official launch.
The exact details of Patch 0.5.5 will be revealed during GGG's livestream on August 27th, where the game's lead and director will be present to help us understand how all these elements will shape the future of Path of Exile 2.
Whether you're a veteran player seeking a new challenge or a newcomer looking for a smoother gaming experience, Patch 0.5.5 will undoubtedly bring significant changes to the game. Let's look forward to it!
In Path of Exile 3.29, Legion mechanic has received several adjustments, including changes to loot drops and fewer tedious steps when farming Legion.
Even before Curse of the Allflame, Legion was already a solid farming strategy. After these changes, it has become one of the most profitable options, as long as your build can quickly handle huge numbers of enemies.
Why Choose Legion?
Legion mechanic is one of the most rewarding and worthwhile mechanics to invest in on maps. Compared with other map mechanics, Legion can provide some of the highest amounts of direct Divine Orb drops.
It also offers plenty of high-value items, such as Exceptional Gems like Enlighten and Empower, valuable Scarabs such as Cartography Scarab of Risk, and countless Stacked Decks.
Legion mechanic itself is extremely simple. You only need to click the crystal, attack the frozen monsters to break them out of their stasis, and then kill them. In Patch 3.29, the official team removed Incubator drops and instead allowed Legion monsters to randomly drop their associated rewards. As a result, clearing Legion can provide a large amount of additional loot.
How to Farm Legion?
Although Legion mechanic looks simple, there are several unique details worth paying attention to if you want to maximize your farming efficiency.
Skill Selection
During the stage where monsters are being released from stasis, they are spread out across a relatively large area, so Exploding mechanics are not very effective. Projectile skills with Chain or Fork effects are ideal because they can efficiently clear monsters outside the immediate screen area and maximize the efficiency of breaking them out of stasis.
Killing Monsters
Before dealing with Legion, you should clear most of the map first and leave all of Legion Monoliths until the end.
When you enter a map, your first priority should be to quickly defeat the map boss. You can hire a Mercenary to provide an aura or make up for a lack of damage.
At The Eater of Worlds Altars, prioritize Duplication rewards, as they are more valuable than Quantity bonuses. Quantity is certainly useful, but duplication effects, such as currency duplication and Scarab duplication, work exceptionally well with Legion's monster drop mechanics.
Legion Generals
Make sure to kill every Legion General. This is not only necessary for progressing Astrolabe, but Generals also have a chance to drop Enshrouding Crystals, some of which can be highly valuable.
Scarab Setup
Scarabs are the core of this entire strategy, and the setup is highly cost-effective. You need 1 Legion Scarab to guarantee an additional Legion, while the other two Scarabs are the real highlights.
Legion Scarab of Treasures
Each Scarab provides a 20% chance for all rewards inside a Legion Chest to be Spread among all monsters within the aura when you break open the chest. This allows a large number of monsters to drop chest-type rewards. You need 3 of them to raise this chance to 60%.
Legion Scarab of Eternal Conflict
This allows monsters released from stasis to be broken out and returned to stasis multiple times. Each time they are released again, they can drop items once more.
Using Legion Scarab of Treasures together with Legion Scarab of Eternal Conflict can multiply the amount of currency that drops. Legion Scarab of Treasures is not particularly valuable, and even three of them only cost around 10 Chaos Orbs.
Legion Scarab of Eternal Conflict, on the other hand, is considerably more valuable, with a single one costing around 100 Chaos Orbs. However, both Scarabs are essential to the strategy. If your budget is limited, it is recommended to accumulate currency through other mechanics first. Alternatively, you can directly buy PoE currency as the starting funds for this strategy.
Astrolabe
You need to use Timeless Astrolabe. It guarantees one additional Legion and ensures that a General appears on both sides of every Legion. Generals drop additional Splinters and Enshrouding Crystals, while also increasing the overall value of Legion rewards.
The global Implicits provided by Astrolabe are extremely powerful, including bonuses to item Quantity and item duplication chance. It is recommended to consistently farm the same map to build up Astrolabe progress and obtain stronger global bonuses.
Map Selection
Dunes or Jungle Valley are recommended maps. Dunes has an open layout, making it one of the best choices for Legion farming.
T16 8-mod maps are recommended. The additional Pack Size and item Quantity they provide are beneficial to the overall returns.
Although Delirious maps can provide additional reward counters, Legion's primary sources of rewards do not receive a significant boost from the mist. T16 8-mod maps are therefore the most efficient choice for this strategy.
Atlas Passive Tree
You should allocate all nodes that increase map modifier effects to maximize Pack Size. At the same time, take all of The Eater of Worlds Pack Size passives and select altar rewards that duplicate currency and Scarabs. This allows you to consistently farm a single map.
Atlas Passive Tree is built around maximizing Legion rewards and map efficiency. You should take all passives that increase Legion monster Pack Size, reward chances, and damage dealt to monsters while they are in stasis. The most important ones include:
- Logistical Support: Increases the chance for monsters that already have rewards to gain additional rewards.
- Pillaged Treasures: Gives every Legion Chest an additional random reward, making it extremely powerful when combined with the spread effect.
- War Supplies: Causes every Legion to contain a War Hoard.
- Emblematic: Gives Legion a chance to drop an Emblem directly instead of Timeless Splinters.
You can also invest Atlas Passive Points to guarantee a 100% chance for a Mercenary to appear. Mercenary's bonuses function like a powerful Shrine that lasts throughout the entire map, significantly improving clearing efficiency.
If you do not like using a Mercenary, these passive points can instead be invested into Scarab or Shrine-related passives.
In PoE 3.29 The strength of Legion farming lies in its simplicity, direct rewards, and explosive returns. If your build has strong map-clearing capabilities, this strategy can be extremely satisfying to play.
In the endgame gameplay of Path of Exile, how to efficiently and reliably farm various in-game resources and items has always been a topic of great interest in the player community.
Among these, Stacked Deck is a highly sought-after and valuable Currency in Patch 3.29, Curse of the Allflame. Players have developed countless strategies for farming it - some focus on boss kills, others delve into specific mechanics, but the generally accepted fastest method is still map farming.
If you are also interested in Stacked Deck, I will introduce this Currency and a method for quickly farming it.
Value of Stacked Deck
Stacked Deck is popular because it is one of the most important ways for players to obtain Divination Cards. Its usage is very simple and straightforward: players simply right-click it to randomly obtain a Divation Card.
Divation Cards can be used to redeem high-value items, and some Divation Cards are worth several or even dozens of Divine Orbs - one of the most valuable basic currencies in PoE Patch 3.29.
Therefore, whether players want to collect Divation Cards to exchange for items or use them to farm Divine Orbs, they will need Stacked Decks.
Core Farming Method
So, how do you efficiently farm Stacked Decks? The farming method I'll introduce revolves around Ritual mechanic and item Scarab.
Step 1: Use Scarabs to summon special monster hordes - players need to use 5 Divation Scarabs of the Cloister simultaneously in Map Device.
The effect of this Scarab is to spawn approximately 40 to 60 hordes of Doedre's Devoted monsters on the map, and these monsters have a fixed 5% chance of dropping a Stacked Deck.
The second step is to use Ritual to revive the monsters after clearing the group, allowing for repeated farming.
You need to utilize Ritual mechanic on the map. Activating Ritual will revive all dead monsters within a circular area, allowing you to kill them again. This time, they still have a 5% chance of dropping a Stacked Deck.
Furthermore, you can prioritize activating Ritual Altar with the highest number of Doedre's Devoted monsters killed within its area, maximizing the number of revived Doedre's Devoted monsters for easier re-killing.
Factors Affecting Profits
However, even with the basic method, farming Stacked Deck is still quite difficult. The next question we need to address is: how to increase map farming profits?
To solve this, we need to first identify another issue: in POE Patch 3.29, what factors determine how many Stacked Decks can be obtained per map?
Based on player discussions, the main factors include:
First, the number of Doedre's Devoted. Since Item Quantity in map affixes has almost no impact on the drop rate of Stacked Deck, the total number of Doedre's Devoted determines the amount of Stacked Deck obtained.
However, this is mainly determined randomly by the system and cannot be directly controlled by players.
Second, Monster Pack Size. While players cannot directly control the number of Doedre's Devoted groups, they can indirectly amplify the benefits by increasing the map's Monster Pack Size.
The higher Monster Pack Size, the greater the total number of monsters on the map, and thus greater the number of Doedre's Devoted. Therefore, when rerolling map affixes, players should prioritize a high Monster Pack Size - at least 25% is recommended.
Third, the effect of Eldritch Altar. Eldritch Altar has a crucial effect: duplicate basic currency.
Because POE Stacked Deck is categorized as Basic Currency by the game system, selecting this effect increases the chance of doubling the number of Stacked Deck drops.
Since Ritual effect is fixed, the number of Eldritch Altars with the aforementioned effect that spawns on each map directly determines the player's maximum final reward.
More Duplicate Basic Currency Effects?
So, how do you spawn more Eldritch Altars with Duplicate Basic Currency effect?
We need to understand a POE Patch 3.29 game mechanic: Eldritch Altar effect pool is affected by the map's state. If a Boss is still alive on your map, you might spawn Boss-related effects.
However, if your first action upon entering a map is to defeat all the map's Bosses, you can prevent Boss-related effects from appearing in Eldritch Altar effect pool, thus increasing the probability of spawning the desired effect.
You can also use this strategy to choose your map. When using this farming method, the two most commonly used maps are Jungle Valley and Toxic Sewer.
These two maps are quite similar, but for easier farming of Eldritch Altar with its target effect, I recommend Jungle Valley.
This is because the boss room in Jungle Valley is in a corner of the map and has a separate route, allowing players to quickly kill the boss first. Toxic Sewer, being a narrow indoor map, has a relatively winding boss path, putting it at a disadvantage.
However, farming efficiency also largely depends on your build. If your build's combat style is better suited to the narrowness of Toxic Sewer - such as Righteous Fire Inquisitor build - then you don't necessarily need to choose Jungle Valley.
The above is a method for quickly farming Stacked Deck in Path of Exile Patch 3.29 Curse of the Allflame. According to player tests, with good luck, players can even farm 70 Stacked Deck per map, netting approximately 120 Divine Orb, which is quite considerable.
Whether you're lacking Divination Cards or Divine Orb, you can try this method.
Path of Exile 2 is currently in late early access, one of the most crucial stages before officially entering version 1.0. ExileCon 2026 is not only an offline gathering for players, streamers, and the development team, but also plays a vital role in announcing the game's future direction.
However, before ExileCon officially takes place, the developers have arranged multiple rounds of the Path of Exile 2 Race Qualifier, allowing players worldwide to compete for a spot in the on-site Race Finale.
This event, ostensibly a speedrun competition, is actually a concentrated test of Path of Exile 2's current class balance, resource management, and route planning. For ordinary players, the competition among professional players doesn't necessarily mean replicating their builds or completion times, but the game understanding demonstrated is a crucial window into understanding the core mechanics of PoE2.
What is ExileCon Qualifier?
Path of Exile 2 ExileCon Qualifier consists of four rounds, each with the same objective: players must progress through the campaign from scratch in a specific environment - Solo Self-Found, Runes of Aldur, and a fixed map layout - and be the first to defeat Tavakai in Act 4.
While not Hardcore, character death incurs a penalty, rendering the character immobile for two and a half minutes. For professional players vying for first place, this penalty almost guarantees disqualification from the championship with a single serious mistake.
The specific times for the four Qualifier rounds are as follows:
- Qualifier 1: August 6th, 2 PM PDT
- Qualifier 2: August 13th, 2 PM PDT
- Qualifier 3: August 20th, 2 PM PDT
- Qualifier 4: August 27th, 2 PM PDT
That is to say, the first three rounds have concluded, and the final online qualifier will be held on August 27th. The official tournament page confirms that players who have won the Qualifier once cannot win subsequent rounds; therefore, the four finalist spots will ultimately be awarded to different players.
Rewards: More than a Championship Title
The winner of each Qualifier round will receive full qualification to attend ExileCon in New Zealand. The official rewards include:
- Round-trip airfare to Auckland
- ExileCon weekend accommodation
- Path of Exile 2 Race Finale qualification
- Ultra VIP ExileCon ticket
- A Demigod's Virtue Unique Helmet
Therefore, this competition is essentially a direct route for players to ExileCon main stage online.
The tournament also has strict streaming requirements. Participants must connect their Path of Exile 2 accounts to Twitch and stream the entire competition. This means the competition is not just player-versus-player content, but also a complete live esports event. For the developers, this allows them to showcase the game's depth, top player skill, and the entertainment value of PoE2 simultaneously.
What can you learn from the pros?
What ordinary players can learn most is not which build professional players ultimately used, but how they handle game information.
Learn to Accept Imperfection
Gear in competitions is often not ideal. Professional players quickly assess drops based on actual loot, rather than waiting for perfect gear. Ordinary players can learn from this: if a piece of gear is sufficient for a character's progress, there's no need to linger too long on theoretically optimal affixes.
Especially during character development, the rational allocation of PoE 2 currency is equally important. Instead of investing all resources in gear that isn't immediately usable, prioritize addressing the issues that most currently impact map clearing efficiency and survivability.
Reduce Ineffective Actions
Many PoE2 campaigns don't directly help players achieve their current objectives. Because it's a speedrun, professional players constantly ask themselves: Is this area necessary? Is this monster worth killing? Is this chest worth opening? Is this gear worth stopping to compare? This mindset also applies to ordinary players.
Build Your Character Around Your Core Skill
Professional players don't invest all their abilities evenly. Instead, they focus on getting one core damage-dealing mechanic up and running as quickly as possible, then build around it for survivability, resources, and mobility. For average players, this means avoiding frequent build changes based on new skills. A simple build with consistent damage output is usually more effective than a character that's constantly experimenting but never quite reaching its full potential.
Route Knowledge is Power
Many efficiency gains in Path of Exile 2 don't come from damage numbers, but from a familiarity with the map, quests, and bosses. Someone who knows where to go next, even with a less-than-ideal build, is likely to be more efficient than a player with higher damage output but who keeps getting lost.
Risk Management
Because death incurs a two-and-a-half-minute immobility penalty, professional players can't blindly pursue maximum speed. They need to judge when it's worth taking risks and when to reduce them. While average players don't have the same strict time pressure, this mindset still applies to high-difficulty maps and most endgame content: if a failed adventure would result in a significant time loss, then slightly slowing down and improving survivability is often more worthwhile.
Overall, ExileCon Qualifier was more than just a speedrun competition for ExileCon qualification; it also showcased the competitive potential of Path of Exile 2 before its official 1.0 release. For average players, the most valuable aspects of the competition were learning from their route selection, resource management, and risk assessment. These details are what truly make speedrun competitions worth paying attention to.
