From the initial announcement to the official trial version to be launched on December 6, Path of Exile 2 has experienced multiple delays, which can be said to be a rough fate. But fortunately, everything is worth it.

According to the current known information, POE 2 has not only made a lot of useful updates and changes based on the first game, but also added a lot of new content worth experiencing, including endgame and upcoming leagues of content.

It is precisely because of this that Path of Exile 2 early access will occupy a lot of device memory, which is very challenging for your hardware facilities. Based on this, we will introduce you to the specific situation of POE 2, and help you choose the right gaming equipment to welcome POE 2.

How Long Is Path Of Exile 2?

Path of Exile 2 not only has an endgame and upcoming leagues of content that require you to use hundreds of hours to experience, but also a main story divided into six acts, and 12 classes to experience. Although there are only three acts and six classes in early access, you will play at least a good portion of the game.

According to what the developers of Path of Exile 2 revealed in a recent livestream, if you are new to POE series, it will take about 25 hours to complete acts 1 to 3. But if you are familiar with the first game, you may complete these contents faster.

To play the end-game content in early access, you need to be level 65. And to achieve this, you must complete the first three acts again on Cruel difficulty. At this difficulty level, all monsters and bosses will cause more damage and trouble, but the benefit is that they will drop more Path Of Exile 2 Currency.

The last three acts and more parts that were not released in early access will reportedly be released in the full version of POE 2. You can expect that the game time will be significantly longer with the release of version 1.0, and the end-game content will also last for hundreds of hours as you will level up from level 65 to level 100. The content size will roughly double between the early access and full release. This will undoubtedly require a higher level of your gaming device.

New Support Gems

In addition to the richer main content, Path of Exile 2 has also updated some inherent game mechanics to further deepen the game. This includes support gems. It is actually an item you can find in the game world to help enhance your skills.

Depending on the type of support gem you find, it can add bleeding damage to your skills or add additional projectiles to anything you shoot. If used properly, these humble items can even have a tremendous impact on your strength and help you turn the tide of battle at a critical moment.

If you find a support gem in POE 2, hover your mouse over it to see what it can do for your skills. If you right-click it, you will add it to the learned skills. It is worth noting that each skill can only get one of each type of support gem, so you can’t add multiple projectiles to a grenade throw, but you can add additional projectiles and freeze effects.

Additionally, there is a box at the bottom of the support gems skill menu that you can check to only show recommended support gems, and unchecking it will show everything you can add. You can try to find out which method of using support gems works best for you.

What Devices Can Run POE 2 Smoothly?

Before you officially start your Path of Exile 2 adventure, you first need to make sure that your laptop, desktop or game handheld can handle this game to avoid unexpected situations where you have to interrupt the game because the hardware quality cannot support the game halfway.

1. PC Devices

Compared to some other games released in recent years, POE 2’s requirements for PC systems are indeed not that demanding. But you need to at least make sure your computer is up to standard. However, although you can definitely play the game with the minimum system requirements, you will also get a better gaming experience if your PC specifications are higher.

At present, you need to leave about 100GB of free space on your PC for Path of Exile 2 to run. If you don’t have enough space, we recommend uninstalling old games or rearranging your data.

2. Mac System

Although many people expected POE 2 to land on Mac OS, the game seems to be only available for Windows on Steam page and Epic Games page. We can’t confirm whether it will be compatible with Mac.

3. Steam Deck

Although Steam POE 2 page shows that the game does not support Steam Deck, the developer has explained that this RPG can be played on Steam Deck. So if this is the only way you can experience Path of Exile 2, you can rest assured.

4. Other Handheld Gaming Devices

Because the system requirements of PC version of POE 2 are not very high and it supports Xbox controllers, in theory, the game will also run well on ROG Ally and Legion Go.

Path of Exile 2 early access is about to be released, so you should make sure that the gaming device you have can run it smoothly before then. Whether it is a laptop, desktop or handheld computer. Thankfully, although it requires a lot of storage space because of its heavy content, the final system requirements of POE 2 are not that high.

After this introduction, I believe you have a deeper understanding of the richness of Path of Exile 2’s content and the length of time it takes to experience it. Of course, you should also prepare the right equipment in advance based on this information so that you can smoothly advance the game progress after the game is launched. In addition, please remember to enter IGGM Discord, where some game giveaway information will be released regularly. Don’t miss it!

If you’ve been following the news about Path of Exile series for a long time, you’ll know that POE 2 early access has experienced many delays from its announcement to its official launch on December 6.

But the wait is worth it. Path of Exile 2’s early access is not just a linear fragment of the official game. Instead, it has rich content consisting of the first three acts and a part of the endgame. And you will use 6 classes, many equipment and skills, and gain more Path Of Exile 2 Currency by exploring new advanced maps, and even experience a richer story!

Based on this, we will give you an overview of the overall content of POE 2 in terms of new content and changes from the first game.

More In-Depth Main Story

If you have experienced the first game, you will find that although there is a story in the game, it does not exist as a coherent whole. Instead, it is scattered in dialogues and items, and it is difficult to find or understand. So POE 2 decided to go further and try to add more content so that you can experience the game story more easily.

It is reported that the game will kick off with a beautiful opening animation, which will introduce you to the background of the game. And the game developers also said that more animations will be introduced throughout the game, which will not only help enrich the story integrity of the game but also make it easier for you to understand the plot.

The main purpose of POE 2 storyline is to track Seed of Corruption introduced by Count of Ogham, who has just destroyed the 20 years of freedom that this land should have because of the temptation of power. He intends to silence any dissidents - including you.

Attract New And Old Players At The Same Time

Since POE 2 is a sequel to the first game in a sense, you may be curious whether this game is only suitable for old players who are familiar with the series, or can it accommodate new players as well? In fact, according to feedback from many parties, new players have even higher evaluations of POE 2 than old players.

This is because old players of POE series will find it difficult to adapt to the new changes in Path of Exile 2 because they are accustomed to the game mechanics and operation modes in the original game. But new players who start from scratch will master it faster.

However, this does not mean that veteran players have no advantages. In fact, some classes in POE 2 from the first game are familiar enough for veteran players to not use extra time to understand them.

Increased Cruel Difficulty

One new feature that will appear in early access is actually a second difficulty setting called Cruel. If you want to know how to upgrade your character to the end game level before entering Atlas, challenging this difficulty is the best way.

In Cruel difficulty, you will repeat the campaign, and all monsters and bosses will continue to upgrade so that you can get new and higher-level rewards through fighting. This will help you reach around level 65, which is where the end game begins.

However, this mode will be short-lived. Once the remaining three acts are added to the game, Cruel will be removed and you will need to complete all six acts to enter the end game.

Why Add Endgame To Early Access?

Although it may seem a bit early to add endgame to early access, it is actually because most people are almost only concerned about endgame. After all, if you’ve played the first game, you’ve already experienced the storyline countless times in each new league. The new endgame has more freshness and importance.

Therefore, if you want to experience the endgame in the official game later, you can test it in the early access without having to play the entire game. It is also worth noting that you can only experience three of the six campaigns in the early access, and there are only seven endgame systems to explore.

Major Changes In Path Of Exile 2

Compared with the first game, Path of Exile 2 can only go further and strengthen the influence of the entire series by optimizing in many aspects. Therefore, some changes in POE 2 are also necessary.

1. Currency Adjustment

After streamlining, the currency system of POE 2 will have fewer currency items for upgrading equipment, but more currency items as drops. And all items with added modules are more common than in POE 1, so you can use them during battles.

In fact, besides finding currency as drops more frequently, you can also get more POE 2 Currency by decomposing and recycling unwanted items.

In addition, gold can be used at merchants, and as your level increases, they will also provide better items or help you re-specify passive trees. However, please note that as your level increases, the gold required to re-specify will also increase.

2. Changes To Gems

After the optimization update, you will find that the blank aspect of uncut gems is simply great, because you no longer need to hoard countless different gems. Uncut gems will stack themselves until you choose their properties.

Coupled with the new skill interface separated from the equipment, allowing you to insert up to five gems on each skill, independent of other skills, you will have a more intuitive and smoother gem system, and no longer as troublesome as in the past.

After the introduction, I believe you must have a deeper and more detailed understanding of the content presentation of Path of Exile 2 early access. I hope you can get a good gaming experience as soon as possible on December 6. Thank you for reading.

In Path of Exile 2, classes determine the passive tree and game themes that players can access at the beginning. Ascendancy further refine the character’s growth path, allowing players to focus on specific game mechanics based on their personal preferences.

Although Path of Exile 2 will not immediately provide all Classes and Ascendancies in its Early Access. Players can still experience a rich selection of character choices and development directions.

PoE 2 plans to open six Classes for players to explore in its Early Access, and each class will be equipped with two Ascendancies, so there will be twelve unique character builds waiting for everyone to try in the early stage.

It is expected that by the time the official version is released, it will increase to 12 Classes, and each class will have three Ascendancies, resulting in up to thirty-six diverse character development possibilities.

Classes

In Path of Exile 2, different classes not only determine the passive skill tree that players can unlock at the beginning, but also affect their basic play style in the game and the type of weapons they carry by default.

The following 6 classes are available in Path of Exile 2’s Early Access:

• Mercenary
• Monk
• Ranger
• Sorceress
• Warrior
• Witch

Mercenary is perfect for players who like to control the situation by combining physical and elemental attacks. It is good at using explosives such as grenades and mines to create chain reactions, causing a lot of range damage to the enemy, and is particularly proficient in using crossbows as the primary means of attack.

Although each basic class has its recommended or specialized weapon type, in fact, all classes can freely equip and use any type of weapon in the game. In addition, according to official information, Druid and Huntress are not expected to appear in the initial early access, and players can only have them when the game is officially released.

Ascendancy

In Path of Exile 2 Early Access, each class offers two different Ascendancy classes to choose from. These Ascendancy classes allow players to customize the character’s development path according to their own play style and preferences.

Ascendancy classes are earned by completing Ascension Trials. These trials are a comprehensive test of the player’s operational skills, strategic planning, and teamwork. Players need to defeat numerous enemies, avoid deadly traps, finally defeat a powerful boss and obtain Path Of Exile 2 Currency.

After successfully completing all four Ascension Trials, the player will receive 8 Ascension points. These 8 Ascension points can be allocated to an Ascension-specific skill tree, which is unlocked when the player completes the first Ascension Trial.

Here is an introduction to Ascendancy classes available to each class:

Mercenary

Gemling Legionnaire: Focuses on improving the efficiency of socketed gems, thereby extracting the maximum attack and defense power from various gems.

Witch Hunter: Witch Hunter is perfect for players who like to quickly defeat powerful enemies with fast and fierce attacks. This Ascension class excels at using its agility and powerful burst to deal a lot of damage to the target in a short period, thereby quickly ending the battle.

Monk

Invoker: Invoker is a class that uses summoning elemental powers as its primary combat method. It focuses on maximizing its output by increasing critical hits and elemental ailments.

Acolyte of Chayula: For Acolyte of Chayula, Darkness is no longer a simple negative energy, but has been transformed into a new resource. This resource can not only be used to strengthen its own attack and defense but also to absorb Mana and Energy Shield, and peek into the territory of Breachlords to find useful health and other resource bounties.

Ranger

Deadeye: With a bow in hand and extraordinary movement speed, Deadeye has already shot a fatal arrow before the enemy has reacted. Their passive skills can increase the number of arrows and increase the dodge rate, ensuring that they are at ease in combat.

Pathfinder: Pathfinder excels in using a variety of throwable attacks, which use the charges in the player’s Health flasks to cause various effects. Their poison attacks are particularly powerful, and once they hit, they can continue to weaken the enemy’s combat effectiveness.

Sorceress

Storm Weaver: Storm Weaver is known as Master of Element, allowing players to specialize in lightning-based attacks, whether it is to summon lightning with a critical hit or to stun enemies beyond their capabilities.

Chronomancer: Chronomancers focus on manipulating time. They can distort reality through a series of powerful spells, such as returning to the past state. They can also make the enemy’s movements extremely slow or even stop completely, giving players a great opportunity to adjust tactics or launch a critical strike.

Warrior

Warbringer: Warrior is a group of warriors who can summon Ancestral Totems and Ancestral Spirits to assist in battle. In addition, Warrior also has a special skill called Warcries, which can produce a variety of effects depending on different situations, such as exploding corpses, which will transform the fallen enemy into a devastating explosion, posing an enormous threat to all living creatures around.

Titan: No matter how strong the armor is, it seems vulnerable in front of Titan. They can easily smash any protective gear worn by the opponent and use the impact force to put the target into a short state of dizziness. More importantly, once the enemy is unconscious, Titan can also attack it more violently and accurately, causing additional high damage.

Witch

Infernalist: Infernalist not only inherits all the servant abilities of the witch but also has the unique skill of summoning Hellhound. In addition, it also can convert Mana into Infernal Flame. At a critical moment, Infernalist can transform into a Demon to obtain extremely fast attack speed and casting speed, but the corresponding cost is a significant decrease in defense and greater vulnerability to fatal damage.

Blood Mage: They sacrifice their own health or use the blood of enemies on the battlefield as a casting resource. Depending on the current remaining healthy ratio, Blood Mage can obtain different degrees of critical hit rate improvement.

As PoE 2 develops and improves, players can expect to see more exciting content and challenges.

In Path of Exile 2, Ranger returns with its speed and agility at its core. Players can shoot on the move and choose between ranged or melee combat styles to suit their personal play preferences.

Ranger can be challenging to deal with against fast-moving groups of enemies, but the developers aim to create a Legolas-like experience that emphasizes fast movement, high jumps, and the ability to retreat quickly. We’ve come up with an optimal Ranger build based on the skills and gems we know so far.

Ranger Overview

Ranger is known for its diverse range of arrows and shooting skills, which can be combined with unique elements, such as lightning, poison, fire, and frost, as well as using plants and vines. Although the specific build is up to the player, each element and skill can be combined to powerful effect.

One of the biggest changes to Ranger in Path of Exile 2 is the introduction of the mount Rhoas. After riding Rhoas, Ranger can shoot while moving at full speed, without being affected by movement speed like traditional shooting. This ability allows Ranger to quickly shuttle around the battlefield while maintaining efficient attack output.

Even more exciting, Ranger can also leap from the back of Rhoas, this mobility allows Ranger to quickly change position or escape danger. Rhoas will participate in combat by attacking monsters. Therefore, it is recommended that you spend some Path Of Exile 2 Currency to unlock Rhoas when you enter Path of Exile 2.

Ranger Abilities

• Lightning Arrow–Fires a shot of lightning.
• Frost Escape–Leaps back and shoots a freezing arrow at the ground.
• Sniper–Charges and releases a powerful shot that causes AoE damage if it hits.
• Lightning Rod–Shoots an arrow that attracts lightning to the ground.
• Stormcaller Arrow–Lightning falls from the sky and attacks the enemy, with a high chance of shocking, and the shocked enemy receives 30% more damage.
• Barrage–Enhances your next attack to fire three times.
• Electrocuting rod-Slows enemies by shocking them.
• Vine Arrow-Fires an arrow into the air that lands after a temporary delay, causing plants to pop up at the impact location. Sprouting vines that wrap around nearby enemies, poisoning and slowing them.
• Poison Bloom Arrow-Creates an exploding plant bulb.
• Poison Burst Arrow-A poison arrow that bursts on impact.
• Gas Arrow-Fires an arrow that bursts into a cloud of poison gas upon hitting an enemy or reaching the target location, applying poison to enemies inside.
• Plague Bearer-When using Plague Nova, stores a portion of all poison damage dealt, released, and applied to all nearby enemies. This skill uses a poison counter that, once at 100%, releases poison for damage.
• Rain of Arrows-Ranged damage and range.
• Sniper’s Mark-Marks a target, causing the next critical strike to deal extra damage and grants a frenzy charge.
• Detonating Arrow-Builds up energy before firing a flaming arrow that explodes at full charge on impact, causing an explosion in the surrounding area.

Skill Support Gems

• Multiple Projectiles Support-Fires 66% less damage but fires two additional bullets.
• Faster Projectiles Support-Increases projectile velocity by 30%.
• Chain Support-Each hit deals half the damage, triggers a chain, and each additional chain source increases the duration of the effect.
• Less Duration-Skill effect duration is reduced by 20%.
• Shock Spread-Supported skills have a 20% chance to also shock enemies within 2.5 meters of hit.
• Neural Overload Support-Electrocute primed enemies on hit.
• Frozen Nexus Support-Increases freezing effects on enemies by 400%, and creates frozen ground that lasts two seconds when freezing an enemy.
• Deep Freeze Support-Freeze effects applied by enhanced skills last an additional 0.5 seconds longer.
• Pierce Support-Pierces an additional target, but deals 30% less projectile damage.
• Corrosion Support-Poisons applied by enhanced skills break armor for 3500% of the poison damage dealt.
• Exploit Weakness Support-When an enemy’s armor is completely broken, skills enhanced by this deal over 50% more damage to them.

Best Ranger Build

With so many skills to combine and choose from, the variety of builds is seemingly endless. But whether facing a boss or a large group of enemies, combining plant attacks with poisonous skills is a good choice. You can use Poison Bloom Arrows to create plant bulbs that grow from the ground and deal continuous poison damage to enemies.

Vine Arrows work similarly to Poison Bloom Arrows, both of which grow plants after being fired at the ground. However, the difference is that Vine Arrows will spawn vines that wrap around enemies, poisoning them and slowing their movement speed. These vines can also pass additional poison to the entangled enemies. When used with Gas Arrows, hitting the target will create a gas cloud.

If aimed directly at plants, it can cause continuous poison damage to enemies and provide additional damage to plants. This combination is very effective against bosses and large numbers of normal enemies. It can also be used with Corrosion Support to break the armor of stronger enemies.

In addition to the above builds, as the release date approaches, we look forward to seeing more players explore and create their own best Ranger builds.