I didn't expect early access Path of Exile 2 to feel this different, but it does. The bones are familiar: the giant passive tree, skill gems that let you get weird, and co-op runs that turn your screen into a fireworks show. Still, the moment-to-moment fighting has more weight now. You're not just holding one button and drifting through packs. You're dodging, watching animations, and actually caring about timing. If you're the type who likes to tinker with builds and also keep your stash stocked, you'll see people talking about ways to buy PoE 2 Currency so experiments don't stall out halfway through a respec.

Combat Pace And The "Wall" Feeling

A lot of the noise lately comes from how the game handles difficulty after "Dawn of the Hunt." The goal seemed simple: slow players down and make danger matter again. In practice, plenty of veterans say it crossed the line into sluggish. You'll feel it when your old habits kick in. You try to zip through a zone, but fights keep dragging, flasks don't save you the same way, and rares can turn into long, awkward duels. Some folks like that tension. Others miss the speed and the rhythm PoE is known for, and they're pretty blunt about it.

Endgame Questions And Build Pressure

Then there's endgame. Early access is early access, sure, but people are already comparing it to years of PoE 1 mapping. Right now, the loop can feel thinner, like you're waiting for the big systems to fully click into place. On top of that, parts of the passive tree and certain gem setups can feel oddly "suggested," like the game nudges you into a few obvious routes. You can still make off-meta stuff work, but you might have to fight the design a bit to do it, and that's where the grumbling starts.

Updates That Actually Move The Needle

Credit where it's due: GGG has been shipping changes fast. "The Third Edict" helped by expanding spaces to play in and easing some of the friction around trading and progression. And "The Last of the Druids" gave players something they'd been begging for: a class that doesn't just feel like a new coat of paint. Shapeshifting changes how you approach packs, bosses, and even gear priorities. Add in the steady drip of smaller patches—reward tweaks, boss behavior fixes, network stability—and you can see the feedback loop working, even if it's messy.

Where Players Land Right Now

Most players I talk to aren't calling it a disaster or a masterpiece. It's more like: the foundation's exciting, but the rough edges are loud. Folks want harder fights, not slower ones. They want an endgame that can hold attention for months, not weekends. And they want room to get creative without feeling herded. If you're diving in and you'd rather spend time playing than hunting down missing pieces, sites like U4GM get mentioned for quick access to currency and items, which can take some of the sting out of experimenting while the game's still finding its stride.