As someone who's spent thousands of hours in dozens of different MMORPGs over the year, I've often heard the phrase, "It's not about getting to end-game, it's about the jo?urney to get there." While that may be true for the MMORPG genre as a whole, I'd argue that in a lot ?of cases the leveling process simply serves as way too long tutorial.

Developer Chief Rebel and publisher Arc Games has dubbed Fellowship the first-ever "MODA", or Multiplayer Online Dungeon Adventure. Pla?yers skip the long arduous task of leveling and instead jump into a party of four and right into the fun of end-game MMORPG-style dungeon running.

Fellowship is the debut title of Chief Rebel, a brand-new studio comprised of industry veterans who have worked on major titles such as World of Warcraft, Diablo IV, Helldivers 2, and more. The team hopes to take everything they've learned from working on popular titles across a variety ?of genres and taking the best parts to create an ori?ginal experience with elements of MMOs, MOBAs, and ARPGs.

I recently had the opportunity to get a glimpse of Fellowship by diving into one of its dungeons alongside Chief Rebel CEO and Game Director Axel Lindberg and Fellowship Art Director André Boström, as well as another member of games media. Instead of creating a character and picking a class, you choose from a selection of heroes to play as. Rather than leveling up you characters, you'll gain unique gear and loot to increase the power of each character. After asking my experience with dungeon running in MMORPGs, Lindberg recommended I try out Helena, one of Fellowships two tank heroes at the moment.

I have experience tanking in MMORPGs, so I was up to the challenge, and I'm glad I took Lindberg's advice. Fellowship features a tab-target action combat system, similar to MMORPGs like World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV. Each character has unique skills that make them uniquely strong at one of three things: tanking, dealing damage, or healing. In MMO language, this is called the "holy trinity". While MMORPGs typically use the party composition of one tank, one healer, and three damage deals (DPS) for dungeon running, Fellowship instea?d trim?s the number of DPS down to two to fit its four player party size.

As Helena, my skills were wholly based around mitigating damage and increasing my threat generation, AKA ensuring I can keep the attention of enemies while DPS players in my party beat them up. Helena is your traditional tank wielding the ole sword and board (shield). In the middle of my HUD was a blue shield icon, as well as five small circles above it. Helena features a combo point system, similar to Rogues in World of Warcraft. One of my skills generated a combo point while dealing a bit of damage, while anothe??r did more damage and ??generated two combo points at the expense of having a few seconds long cooldown.

Next, I had a skill called Shield Slam that would deal damage in a cone in front of me while also making that blue shield icon grow bigger. The blue shield actually represents Helena's Toughness, which increases the amount of damage she mitigates when hit by an enemy. The rest of her skill ??toolkit includes a Taunt, to immediately gain the aggro of a single enemy, a charge that also stunned briefly on hit,, an interrupt skill (more on this later), a shield toss that bounce??s between enemies and generates threat, and a "cooldown" skill that greatly boosts my Toughness.

It didn't take long for me to grasp the playstyle of Helena; if you've played MMORPGs before, Fellowship will feel right at home. I'd oft?en charge into a group of enemies, cycling through my threat/combo generating skills on t??he enemies, being cognizant of losing threat on specific enemies in case I need to taunt the aggro back.

In the dungeon we ran, we fought three unique bosses which is honestly where Fellowship really shines. For a game like Fellowship where everything is about running dungeons, it's important for the bosses to have unique and interesting mechanics, which I'm happy to report Chief Rebel has pulled off. One boss had a mechanic where one of the four players had to use their skills to smack a ball around the area to increase its size Katamari-style. In another, a boss slammed his anchor into the ground before spawnin??g at tidal wave that swept players away, killing them. Players have to right click on the anchor to tether a chain to it, which also c?hains them to other players. While the wave is washing over the area, players need to be aware of their proximity to others as to not break the chain while continuing the fight.

While I was impressed from the overall dungeon design and boss mechanics Fellowship had to offer, what really sold me was all the quality-of-life features the game had that titan MMORPGs like World of Warcraft don't even have after all these years. Even in my roughly one hour long playtest I encountered a handful of these features that proved two things to me. First, that the team at Rebel Chief knows this genre. Its clear they've done their share o??f dungeon running in MMORPGs, probably at a high level. Second, they want to innovate the genre and make it better.

One such QOL feature gives all players the ability to to simply hit a key (I believe it was 'R', by default) which will place their heroes icon next to the health bar of the targeted enemy. ?This server as a notification to the rest of your team that you intend on interrupting that enemy. When a player uses their interrupt skill, the icon is replaced by a countdown showing when the interrupt will be off cooldown. Another feature for tanks makes it so that the health bar of enemies change to a completely different color when they lose threat of that enemy, making it much ea??sier to keep track of aggro when fighting big groups of enemies.

My only problem with my hands-on preview of Fellowship is that it only lasted an hour. I wanted to see more dungeons, and try out some of the other heroes. Thankfully, I'll be able to do so soon, as will anyone else interested in checking out Fellowship. As part of the upcoming Steam Next Fest, Fellowship will have a open public playtest. This test starts on February 24 at 1pm EST and ends on March 3 at 1pm EST, and will have playable servers in North America, Europe, and Asia. After my brief hands-on, it's easily the game I'm most excited about playing during the upcoming Steam Next Fest. If you're a fan of dungeon running MMORPGs, especially the Mythic + loop from World of Warcraft, do yourself a favor and check out Fellowship during its open playtest. I know I'll be there!

The post Fellowship cuts the MMO grind ?in favor of pure dungeon?-running action appeared first on Destructoid.

Kessime's Legacy is a new Ancestral Unique Pants released as part of Diablo 4 Season 7 content??, and it is arguably one of the best additions for ??the Necromancer class.

This unique piece of gear is extremely useful for Necromancers using the Blood Wave Ability. Let's take a look at how you can farm this powerful item in Diablo 4. T?here are four different ways to get ??it, which makes it very important for you to do so efficiently.

How to obtain Kessime's Legacy Pants in Diablo

Out of all four methods, defeating Lord Zir can be difficult and time-cons?uming, but it's the most reliab?le method of all.

Kessime's Legacy effects and affixes in Diablo 4

This piece of armor has 160 ba??se Armor and an Item Power of around 800, but it's the Inherent Affix and Unique Aspect that stand out.

Make sure to check out the new set of rune changes that have been made to Season 7 in Diablo 4.

The post Where to find Kessime’s Legacy in Diablo 4 appeared first on Destructoid.

Last week developer Wolcen Studio announced codenamed Project Pantheon, the studio's next title. I recently sat down with members of the development team to get a very early look at Project Pantheon, as well as to ?hear more about the ambitious future for the title and how Wolcen Studio plans to get it there.

At its core, Project Pantheon mashes together two popular genres: Action RPG and PvPvE Extraction. Or, as the team liked to put it, ExtrAction RPG. Players will have their own Sanctuary, essentially a base of operations that they can customize and upgrade as well as manage their loadout, akin to that in other Extraction-base games like Escape from Tarkov. From here they will queue for matchmaking before being dropped on a map where they will slay ferocious creatures to level up and acquire gear and other loot while other players are doing the same thing, all with ARPG-style gameplay. Once their inventory is filled or they've received a piece of? loot they want to hold on to, players must then successfully extract from the map before being taken out by other players trying?? to get their loot.

It's important to note that Project Pantheon is currently in its very early stages of development. According to Wolcen Studio, despite the upcoming Closed Alpha test, Project Pantheon doesn't plan to release into Early Access until Q4 2025 or even Q1 2026, with major updates to be released every four m?onths.

While this may seem too early to some, Wolcen Studio is deliberately making the decision to get eyeballs—and soon, hands-on Project Pantheon, as they want the community and player base to play ?a massive role in shaping the game. The team lamented the development process of its previous ARPG, Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem, and is looking to avoid the pitfalls of that title by including the community from a much earlier stage in the development cycle.

Project Pantheon is set in a post-apocalyptic universe where all the various mythologies of the world are real but have mysteriously all been killed. Players take on the role of a recently deceased soul reaching the afterlife only to be recruited by none other than Death himself to be a worthy agent in investigating ?the demi??se of the gods.

To do so, players must hunt down Undying creatures and mythological beasts against other agents of Death, scavenging resources and acquiring powerful artifacts along the way. The goal is to incorporate Project Pantheon with ?several different mythologies. At the moment, only Norse mythology is present. However, the current plan is to add? Egyptian, Greek, and Aztec mythologies over the course of Early Access, as well as more post-1.0 launch mythologies based on community feedback.

As part of the preview, I got to watch a couple of matches between Wolcen Studio developers, with them jumping into the same map together, going their own separate ways, killing creatures and looting up, before eventually coming across each other and duking it out in PvP. Due to its very early state, there were a few bugs along the way, and there were evident t?emporary placeholders like the simple and block gear and item tooltips. But the gameplay loop was evident, and it was a lot of fun seeing one of my favorite genres, ARPGs, get a worthwhile approach to PvP, something currently missing from the genre.

In Project Pantheon, your abilities and playstyle are dictated by your gear. Weapons act as a sort of "soft class," giving you access to specific abilities for that weapon type. Armor provides passive abilities, while Artifacts grant the player powerful and unique finishing moves. This creates the possibility for players to mix and customize their own gearsets that revolve around their preferred playstyle. It reminded me a lot of the itemization and PvP in Albion Online, giving players the freedom to build their own playstyle through gear rather than locking them to specific abilities based on? a class choice.

At the moment, there are only three weapon types available. But Wolcen Stu?dio already has eight weapons currently being designed for Norse mythology,?? each with 10-12 abilities. Armor and Artifacts add another 50 abilities per mythology, meaning that when all is said and done, Wolcen Studio hopes to have about 150 abilities for each mythology that they add to the game.

Project Pantheon is set to kick off its Closed Alpha 1 test this weekend for European players on January 25 and January 26, while North American players will get access on February 1 and February 2. It will be the same very early in-development build I got a look at, as the goal of this Closed Alpha is primarily to test the overall technical efficacy of Project Pantheon, focused on validating the stability and performance of the title's backend systems and server infrastructure. Essentially, Project Pantheon is making sure it can walk before trying to run.

While it is way too early to have any real opinion on the actual gameplay of Project Pantheon, I greatly admire Wolcen Studio's approach to involving players this early to allow them to shape and influence the development cycle. As someone who enjoyed Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem, I'm happy to see the team learning from its development mistakes and ensuring Project Pantheon doesn't fall into the same issues??. I'll be keeping a close eye on its development and looking forward to seeing what it evolves into over the next few years.

The post Project Pantheon aims to mash two popular genre?s ?together appeared first on Destructoid.

If you want to make the very best builds in Diablo 4's Season 7 Season of Witchcraft, you'll want to unlock the Lost Witc??hcraft Powers as ??quickly as possible.

The new season went live as scheduled on January 21, and plenty of new content is in the game. For example, runes have been given a major upgrade, with changes being made to the existing ones and new additions coming in. Lost Witchcraft Powers is a separate category, and there ??are four options to choose from.

But first, you'll have to unlock them before using them in Diablo 4 Season 7.

How to get Lost Witchcraft Powers in Diablo 4 Season 7

Lost Witchcraft Powers is a separat??e category altogether, and they're different from Eldricht, Psychle, and Growth and Decay. You can find them all around Sanctuary, but the process of obtaining them is different.

You'll want to look out for Forgotten ??Altars on the map. These altars spawn all around Sanctuary randomly, but they can be found in dungeons and the Pit. You'll have to depend on your luck as there's no way to say when they appear. Thankfully, they're easy to spot on your minimap when they spawn and have a unique icon.

While the Lost Powers upgrade in the same way as other Witchcraft Powers, they cost a lot more than Restless Rot. Using your Rot to upgrade them directly is something I will ?advise against. Of course, feel free to ignore it if you have plenty of Rot, but if you're like me, try to find another altar. This way, the upgrade costs of your Lost Witchcraft powers will be similar to the other types, and you get to save your resources.

All Lost Witchcraft Powers in Diablo 4 Season 7

So far, four Lost Powers have been made available inside the game. We already had a fair idea about them when their abilities were showcased at an earlier dev stream.

That's pretty much all when it comes to the Lost Witchcraft powers available in Diablo 4.

The post How to unlock Lost Witchcraft Powers in Diablo 4 Se?ason 7 Season of Witchcraft appeared first on Destructoid.

Diablo 4's Season 7 will have plenty of important changes when it comes to runes, and there will be new additions. Many of the existing run??es will also undergo tuning as part of the new season, changing how they work.

Let's take a look at all the new runes co?ming to the game, followed by the tweaks to the existing o?nes.

All new runes in Diablo 4 Season 7 Season of Witchcraft

The new runes will be immensely helpful towards your build, and they arrive with unique ??effects.

Complete rune tuning in Diablo 4 Season 7 Season of Witchcraft

Here's the complete list of all rune tuning that will be available in Season 7 of Diablo 4.

Ritual Runes

Invocation Runes

That's it? for all the rune changes as part of the latest season.

Best Place to farm the new Runes in Season of Witchcraft in Diablo 4

There might be? new Runes in Season 7, but the way to obtain them is ?still the same.

• The Kurast Undercity still remains the best spot, but it's strictly meant for endgame players, as you'll need to complete the Vessel of Hatred Storyline. You can complete timed challenges to earn great rewards, and there's also a way to target what you want (using tributes).
• Defeating Uber Bosses also guarantees a rune drop (although it's random in nature). Every Uber Boss can be summoned using specific resources, which itself is a big part of the challenge. Defeating them after completing the task is an even harder task.

If you have Runes that you don't want and want to try for something new, visit the jeweler. He wi?ll allow you to combine three of the same type to create a new one. You'll also need to spend 4,000 Gold. While it does reduce the amount of Runes in your collection, i??t could end up rewarding you with something that fits better with your build.

If you're just starting in Season 7 and unsure how to proceed, you should complete Ally with the Coven to find Galena. Lost Witchcraft Powers are quite potent in the new season, so mak?e sure to get them as soon as possible.

The post All new runes and rune tuning changes in Diablo ??4 Season 7 appeared first on Destructoid.

Wolcen Studio, developer of the 2020 action RPG Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem unveiled a new title today codenamed Project Pantheon.?? According to Wolcen Studio the team plans to? merge the recently popular extraction genre with the always popular action RPG genre.

Project Panethon will launch as a free-to-play live service game where players are tasked with journeying into the afterlife to restore a shattered reality at t??he behest of Death itself. Along the way, players will traverse a variety of maps while battling enemies in PvPvE combat, and then must successfully extract from the map to hang on to any valuable loot they acquired along the way. According to Wolcen Studio, players will have their own hidden fortress that acts as an upgradeable base and offers a nice reprieve from battle where players can customize loadouts and interact with a player-driven economy via an open market.

"Project Pantheon delivers a unique experience by merging the fast-paced combat of ARPGs with the tension and risk-reward gameplay mechanics of extraction shooters. Project Pantheon is what would happen if Diablo and Escape From Tarkov had a baby"

- Andrei Chirculete, Game Director of Project Pantheon at Wolcen Studio

Those interested in checking out Project Pantheon can sign up for a closed alpha starting later this month on January 25-26, 2025 for European? players and early next month on February 1-2 for North American players.

I enjoyed my time with Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem when it released back in 2020. It had a solid and lengthy campaign with high build variety—an important feature of the ARPG genre—and working multiplayer. However, after completing the campaign, the post-game content required a lot of work and some rather game-breaking bugs with certain builds really eliminated true build variety. Wolcen Studio continued to update and add content to Wolcen ove??r the ??next few years before shutting down the game—and its online servers—just a few months ago on September 17, 2024.

I'm always down for a good ARPG, and while I'm not the biggest fan of the extraction genre, I'm certainly willing to give it a shot when mixed with the genre I love. Hopefully Wolcen Studio learned a lot from the development process of Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem and incorporate that knowledge into Project Pantheon.

The post Wolcen Studio reveals new Extractio??n ARPG Project Pantheon appeared first on Destructoid.

Exalted Orbs is one of the many valuable items you can find in Path of Exile 2, but it's pretty difficult to get it if you??'re just getting started with the game.

The drop rate of Exalted Orbs is pretty low, and it's almost non-existent until you have reached the endgame. They are extrem??ely useful if you want to improve your loadout with various affixes. You can also trade these valuable resources to other players, and let's look at how you can farm them consistently.

Best ways to farm Exalted Orbs in Path of Exile 2

You can get an Exalted Orb in Path of Exile 2 by killing enemies, but its drop rate is rem??arkably low. To improve your odds, you can try clearing the Act bosses while clearing the main content. Still, at the default difficulty?, you won't have much luck.

However, once you clear all three Acts on the default difficulty, you can play on Cruel. The Golden Beetle boss in Act 2's The Lost City region used to be a great source of Exalted Orbs, but GGG has n?erfed the spawn rate.

Now, you'll want to look for areas that spawn many mobs and enemi?es in a small area. Maps with modifiers that raise the spawn rate of the number of enemies at a decent difficulty will also increase the odds in your favor. Make sure to look out for chests and barrels.

You can also get Exalted Orbs by trading on the official website, using your lower-tier currencies based on t?heir demand in the market. Try to gather them when their market prices are l??ow and use them for trade when their value goes up. Any high-value item specific to the meta builds will usually sell well on the market.

It will be interesting to find out when Exalted Shards are added to the game and how many of those will be required to create an orb. So far, this feature is yet to be added? to the early access build, but it will be a grea?t addition in the future.

The post How to get Exalted Orbs in Path of Exile 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

There are some subtle differences between the crafting system of Path of Exile 2 a?nd that of the first game, and anointing an item has undergone a noticeable change.

If you've spent a fair few hours in the early access, you must have noticed that there are lots of curr?ency types, and all of them have their key functions. Distilled Emotions are a completely new type, at least to my knowledge, and they can be used to anoint a?mulets to make them more powerful with the help of passive skills.

Path of Exile 2 Anoint mechanism explained

Distilled Emotions might be new, but the process of anointing an amulet isn't new. It's present in Path of Exile, but the currency has und?ergone a change. In the older title, you can anoint an amulet with the help of oils.

First, go to your skill tree and decide o?n the passive skill. Doing so will tell you the exact Distilled Emotions that you will ??need for the skill. At launch, there are 10 available options to pick from. Once you know the required Distilled Emotions, right-click on it to open the Instilling Window. Once done, you'll be able to place the skill in your amulet.

Do note that the placement order wil??l matter when installing Distilled Emotio??ns. Here are all the available options that are currently in the early access.

• Distilled Despair
• Distilled Disgust
• Distilled Envy
• Distilled Fear
• Distilled Greed
• Distilled Ire
• Distilled Suffering
• Distilled Paranoia
• Distilled Isolation
• Distilled Guilt

As GGG adds new content, ??new Distilled Emotions are likely going to be added as well, which wil??l help you to have anoints with new skills. The core process will remain the same.

The post How to anoint in Path of Exile 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Some notable glitches have been reported during Path of Exile 2's early access, and the Ascent to Power bug is a nightmare to d?eal with.

If you're just getting started on your journey, you won't have to think about this possible problem. It's due to the simple fact that this particular bug occurs in the Cruel difficulty, which is onl?y unlocked after you complete all three acts i??n the default difficulty. There might be a trick to prevent this situation as you wait for GGG to roll out a fix.

Path of Exile 2 Ascent to Power bug fix explained

The bug has been reportedly triggered when you kill the bos??s present in the Traitor's Passage. The same incident happened with my colleague, who had done it twice. On the first occasion, defeating the boss got him an Ascendancy coin. Doing it once again doesn't drop the coin, however, and this is the crux of the problem.

A possible reason for this might be the extra key that you may have found during th?e first time. As a result, it's possible that the game thinks you already have access to the zone and locks the quest progression. If there wasn't any bug, you would get the second key, and the quest would progress as expected but with elevated difficulty. As you don't end up with the second key, a trial can't be undertaken.

One poss?ible?? fix might be not having the key, but that doesn't make sense. There are also incidents where players have eliminated Balbala ten times, and they never received the Ascendancy key that should unlock the trial for Cruel difficulty.

Being in early access, such bugs are almost an expectation, but sadly, there hasn't been a fix so far from GGG. Checking the forums, it's clear that the bug was experienced by players about four to five days back. By now, there should have been a permanent fix, which will allow you to continue your p??rogression.

There's a po??ssible solution that has reportedly worked for a few players. You have to port to the Traitor's Passage in Act 2 in the normal mode after you have eliminated the boss in Cruel difficulty. This should update the quest as expected, but t??his method doesn't appear to work consistently. Most of the quests update, but they don't get any rewards apart from the loot.

Hopefully, GGG will pay some attention to th??is, and a permanent ?fix will become available soon.

The post How to fix the Ascent to Power bug in Cruel difficult?? in Path o??f Exile 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

The chat in Path of Exile 2's foremost job is to help you communicate?? with other players, but?? there are some additional uses of it.

One such use is the ability to link items from your inventory directly to t??he chat, and there are different applications to it. Let's first take a look at ??how you can perform this simple task and what its best use-case applications are.

How to link items to Path of Exile 2 chat

The ability to attach your gear and other in-game items to the chat can be done at any place and time. However, you'll want to ensure that you're not being surrounded by any enemy who might fatally?? damage you. When you are linking the items to the in-game chat, you won't be able to immediately use your moves?? and abilities.

• Open your character menu and look to the bottom left of the screen.
• At the bottom left, you'll be able to find the "Toggle Chat" option.
• At this point, both your chat and inventory windows will be open. Don't select any of the items that are present in the inventory.
• Hover over a gear item that you want to link, and you'll get a "Link to Chat" option at the bottom of the screen.
• Type whatever message you want, and the item you choose will be linked to it. You can send the message to the chat, and players will be able to check it out.

Once someone hovers over your message, they can take a look at the stats of your weapon. Do note that linking a gear to the chat doesn't mean you're going to lose them. The item will remain in your inventory, and if you want to link it again, you'll need to type in a fresh message and repeat the steps mentioned here?.

Why is linking items to the chat useful in Path of Exile 2

There are two main uses for linking an item to the in-game chat. There are different ways to get loot, and clearing a tough battle can land you with powerful gear items. Linking them to the in-game chat will allow you to show it off. It won't help you with?? clearing any in-game content, but it can be a nice show-off to the community.

Alternatively, linking it to the chat will allow you to infor??m the community that you might be looking for potential trades. Once you start to? approach late-game, you will get a lot of valuable loot, and not all of that will be available for use. It's a sensible thing to trade them for resources that can benefit your in-game progression.

The post How to link items to chat in Path of Exile 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Clearing out the campaign in Path of Exile 2 not only helps you to progress on the lore and unlock rew??ards, but it also helps to unlock some handy stat boost??s and bonuses.

To have a decent late-game buil?d, you'll need to unlock buffs and boosts along the way, as they will amplify the base damage with several modifiers. Applying buffs can happen in different ways, but the ones that unlock with the campaign should be? prioritized. Doing so helps you get the boosts and unlock plenty of useful loot, including Uniques.

All permanent stat boosts in Path of Exile 2 Act 1

You can come across the permanent stats boosts in all th??ree acts. Let's look ?at all the available options, and how to unlock them in the first place.

All permanent stat boosts in Path of Exile 2 Act 2

The second act lets you unlock five di??fferent permanent buffs.

All permanent stat boosts in Path of Exile 2 Act 3

The third act offers the high??est number of boosts.

Once you complete all three acts, the Cruel di??fficulty will be unlocked. You can replay the full campaign in?? the Cruel difficulty to unlock more boosts. The difficulty spikes a lot, so you should be careful.

All permanent stat boosts in Path of Exile 2 Act 1 (Cruel)

All permanent stat boosts in Path of Exile 2 Act 2 (Cruel)

All permanent stat boosts in Path of Exile 2 Act 3 (Cruel)

Once we h?ave more acts as part of future updates, the add??itional information will be added to this list.

The post All? permanent stat bonuses from the Path of Exile 2 campaign appeared first on Destructoid.

Path of Exile 2 ha??s inherited the s?tash tabs feature from the first game, and it's the best way to organize your inventory.

As you might have already figured out, inventory size is heavily limited. The only alternative is to store what you don't need immediately in stashes, and they can be organized with a pseudo-auto sort feature. But buying these stashes costs premium currency, and hence, you will want t?o make the b??est decision possible. That will prevent any waste of your premium currency and make the best possible hit.

Best stash tabs to buy in Path of Exile 2

Premium Stash Tabs

The Premium Stash Tab bundle offers six tabs, and they're fully customizable. You can grade them with any color you want and store whatever you need. They can be named according to their wish??, and these additional flexibilities are pretty impressive.

The bundle is available for an i??ncredible discount (costs just 40 PoE2 points instead of 240), which ??is just incredible value. Structurally, they work in the same fashion as the other stashes. However, the increased customization choices certainly make it the best possible purchase option.

Currency Stash Tab

Path of Exile 2 has plenty of different types of currency, a?nd storing them can become a nightm??are. You'll also want to have a dedicated place to store the extra items, as they will be required more as you approach late and endgame.

Every currency is automatically grouped by type, which makes it easier for you to find them when needed. The tab stores a maximum of 5,000 of each type, which means that there's plenty of room. Once you've enough shards for a specific currency, they will automatically convert, creating more space in the process. Outside the Premiu??m tabs, the Currency tab is my favorite, but it's more expensive and costs 75 PoE2 points to buy.

These are the two main stash tabs you will want to purchase first of all if you want to make the most of your spending. As you start to approach the endgame and spend more money, you can pick up a few ??more useful stash tabs.

Essence Stash Tab

Es??sence is an important material? that's required to upgrade your equipment with guaranteed modifiers. This becomes vital for your endgame builds, where you have to min-max as much as possible. Hence, getting this specific tab isn't a priority, and it's something you can put up on your task list for the future.

Unique Collection Stash Tab

This is a tab you'll want to buy, but only after you've made decent progress in Path of Exile 2. For starters, it costs 14??0 POE2 points to unlock, which makes it significantly expensive. Secondly, you will need this space only when you've started to collect Uniques regularly. That's not going to happen till you're in the early and mid-game.

If you choose to ignore this tab, you'll be forced to sell your extra Uniques, and that will fetch you either resource. If you don't want? to do so, getting the Unique tab will be a good cho??ice.

The post What stash tab is worth buying in Path of Exile 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Regardless of whether you prefer to run the Ascendancy Trial of Sekhemas or the Ascendancy Trial of Chaos in Path of Exile 2, you're going to need speci?al coins to participate in them beyond the first successful run. Here's how you can get more, and the caveats behind the process.

How to get Trial Coins in Path of Exile 2

The Trial of Sekhamas (Act 2) and the Trial of Chaos (Act 3) are both trials that require their own respective coin to enter. Thes??e coins are similar to the ones you used to go through each trial for the first time. The first one was given for free, but to enter either of these trials more, you will need to get your own. Fortunately and unfortunately, getting these coins is a very simple task, but they are quite rare.

Trial of Sekhamas

The coin for the Trial of Sekhamas is called a Djinn and refers to the lore requirement of needing a Djinn's essence to enter the trial. Thankfully, you won't need to go through a boss fight every time you want to obtain one. However, getting your hands on a Djinn coin is difficult because it is a random world drop, meaning they won't be falling into your lap.

It is unclear where the best location is to farm these coins, but playing the Endgame of Path of Exile 2 tends to yield more of them in general.

Trial of Chaos

The coin for the Trial of Chaos is called an Inscribed Ultimatum, and it refers directly to the Vaal lore reasoning for appeasing the Trialmaster. The first one is obtained from a boss encounter near the trial location, but like with the Trial of Sekhamas, you won't need to fight one every time you want the coin. Sadly, also like the Trial of Sekhamas, Inscribed Utlimantums are a random world drop, so getting them will not be easy.

The Endgame of Path of Exile 2 is the best source for obtaining Inscribed Ultimatums, but if you're not quite there just yet,? then you can try farming unique bosses in Act 3. There's no guarantee at all that the drop rate is higher, but unique bosses tend to have better drop tables than regular enemies, so it's worth the shot.

Due to how rare both these coins are, I highly recommend you use them with a group you are familiar with. Only the group leader in a party needs to insert a ??coin for each respective trial, ??so there is a level of efficiency that can be achieved if you're playing with a team. Nevertheless, if you're more of a solo player, feel free to use them as you see fit.

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Buff gems are key items in Path of Exile 2 that will allow you to get the most ou??t of your build.

In Path of Exile 2, your class, gear, and Ascendanc?y are all parts of character building. Buff gems are a special type of items that provide Temporary and Persiste??nt Buffs in all situations, making them vital for in-game progression. These gems are different when it comes to all the available classes, and hence, you need to understand how they work.

How Buff gems work in Path of Exile 2

Buff gems are special items that provide Temporary a?nd Persistent buffs to you, your teammates, and your minions in certain cases. Some of these gems have special trigger effects, which are known ??as Meta gems. These effects have certain conditions that you'll need to perform in order to trigger the effect, and they will work as long as you have spirit.

What are Persistent and Temporary Buffs in Path of Exile 2

Also known as Auras, Persistent Buffs provide long-term boosts to one/some of your in-game stats. Wh??en linked with Support Gems, they will also buff your Spirit capacity. Temporary Buffs, on the other hand, provide immediate but powerful boosts.

Every Buff gem has three tiers.

• Tier 1: Begins at Gem Level 4 and can be engraved for characters level 10 or above.
• Tier 2: Starts at Gem Level 8 and can be engraved for characters level 26 or higher.
• Tier 3: Starts at Gem Level 14 and can be engraved for characters level 58 or higher.

Let's now take a look at all the available gems for every class.

All Witch Buff Gems in Pat of Exile 2

All Sorceress Buff Gems in Pat of Exile 2

All Mercenary Buff Gems in Pat of Exile 2

All Warrior Buff Gems in Pat of Exile 2

All Ranger Buff Gems in Path of Exile 2

All Monk Buff Gems in Path of Exile 2

There are plans for Path of Exile 2 to hav?e up to 12 classes. Once more? are added to the game during early access, we will update this piece to include all the available information.

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One of the biggest power spikes you can have in Path of Exile 2 occurs when you properly equip your skills with potent Support Ge?ms. At the start, you're limited to only two per skill, but it is possible to get more as you play throug??h the game.

So here's how to get mo??re Support Gem Sock??ets in Path of Exile 2.

How to earn Support Gem Sockets in Path of Exile 2

Support Gems are special gems that can only be slotted into one of your equipped skills. They allow you to customize your skills, allowing for crazy and wacky setups that are actually quite potent w?hen tested. You'll want to kit out your favorite skills that define your build, but access to only two slots makes that difficult.

To get Support Gem Sockets, all you need to do is get lucky. Not kidding. A special currency called a Jeweler Orb can drop from any enemy you encounter. When used on a skill, it permanently unlocks an additional support socket for that skill only. You cannot undo this action, so think carefully before usi??ng one. Jeweler Orbs are not exactly common.

Depending on where you are ??in your socket progression, you will need to use either a Lesser Jeweler Orb or a Greater Jeweler Orb. Lesser orbs are for skills stuck at two slots, while Greaters are beyond that point. You'll start seeing Jeweler Orbs drop minimally startin??g in Act 3, and increasing in commonality as you progress (they are never 'common', however).

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While exploring the later portions of Act 3 in Path of Exile 2, you may come across a peculiar s?et of mushrooms?? with no real defined purpose. These dubious shrooms take up a bunch of space in your inventory, so here's what you can do with them.

What are the mushrooms in Act 3 for in Path of Exile 2?

All throughout Path of Exile 2, picking up green-labeled items tended to yield amazing rewards if you could figure out what to do with them. Turns out, the mushroom??s you pick up in Act Three are in a similar vein, only the rewards for these items are not exactly glamorous this time around.

As for what to do with them, if you didn't find them within the Apex of Filth, head to that location and kill enemies for them to eventually drop. Once you do have them, you're looking for a cauldron with a Cauldron Keeper standing behind it within the Apex of Filth. This zone is massive and is also quite dangerous, so it may take you an extensive amount of time to find the cauldron and the keeper. Due to maps in Path of Exile being randomized, I cannot give you the exact location. What I can say is that no matter which map variant you get, you'll find a flight of alter-like stairs just before reaching the Cauldron.

The mushrooms are reagents for the witch's concoction and can be placed within the witch's cauldron. Doing this will reward you with an Uncommon (Blue) Life Flask and a Mana Flask, both with completely variable stats. Whether or not th??ey are good for you is up to you to decide based on your character build.

Additionally, the witch herself is a merchant who tends to sell gear that is beyond the standard you? can find in town. I recommend visiting her on occasion for some potential high-quality gear.

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There are several resources you'll get on your journey in Path of Exile 2, and Gold is one of the mos?t common items to get.

You can find this specific resource from different sources, and at first, it will seem pretty easy. As you start to look for better gear, you'll realize the need for getting more Gold. There are multiple ??ways to get and use it, and you should look to optimize the entire process as much as possible.

Best ways to get Gold in Path of Exile 2

One of the easiest ways to get more Gold is by clearing mobs. Every enemy you kill and area you clear will fetch you more resources. Compared or ordinary mobs, focusing on the bosses will be much more lucrative. Killing bosses will require more effort, and some, like Executioner, can be really hard to end. That said, the increased rewards will help yo??u to improve your gear.

When you clear more quests, you'll also get Gold. Doing so will help to progress with the main storyline and clear the different? acts that are present in early access. As you progress, you'll also get di?fferent items - consumables, loot, and more. You'll not need to use all of them, and everyone has a fixed inventory size.

Once you gain ac??cess to a vendor, you can always sell the extra ge??ar to get more Gold. That will help you to gain more resources for future use, and also create space in your inventory.

Best ways to spend Gold in Path of Exile 2

There are different ways to spend the Gold you gain in Path of Exile 2. Here are my top three choices.

• You can reset your passive skills to go for a fresh build. This process requires a fair amount of Gold to begin with, so make sure you have enough for a respec. This will also help you remove any errors you might have made while making your early builds.
• If you're the type who likes to gamble, you can try to get better gear. Certain vendors allow you to gamble for better uniques, and some of them can suit perfectly with your build. Do note that the method is completely random, and the odds of finding Unique and Rare gear can require a lot of resources.
• There's a currency exchange market as well that lets you sell your items to other sellers in exchange for different resources. You'll require a small amount of Gold to post a fresh offer, and this can be another use of your resource.

That's more or less al??l of it when it comes to farming and spending Gold in Path of Exile 2. Being in early access, more content is expected to be added in the near future, and some of it might also require the use of Gold.

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Spirit is a brand new resource in Path of Exile 2 and the role it? serves is valua??ble to all builds. It is, however, quite scarce, but you can get more if you know how. So here's how to get more Spirit in Path of Exile 2.

Where to get more Spirit in Path of Exile 2

Spirit governs how many active buffs or summons you can have at any given time. At the start of Path of Exile 2, you barely have any Spirit to work with (if any at all). This is fine because you don't really have access to persistent buffs to ma??ke use of it anyhow. However, as you play, you'll quickly find out that the minuscule Spirit you're given to work with normally is not enough. So how can you get more? There are a fe??w ways of note.

Defeat Act Side Bosses

All three Acts of Path of Exile 2 have numerous bosses that are either off the beaten path or completely optional. This means they are skippable, but you absolutely should not skip them as some bosses will drop an item that rewards 30 Spirit. There are a total of three Spirit-giving items you can earn, with one being available in every act. I recommend you kill all the bosses in every act to ensure you're not missing Spirit. You can determine which bosses you have not killed by looking for the lit Skulls on the world map. Lit Skulls mean that yo?u have not yet slain the boss present there, while dim skulls mean you have.

Find Spirit on Gear

Beyond the obtainable Spirit-giving items, you can also find Spirit on gear drops you find as you go through the game. I am on Cruel Difficulty and have only seen Spirit appear on Chest items, so I'm not completely certain it can be found on anything else. Spirit has a chance to be on any Rare (Yellow) Chest you find or craft using Orb items.

Use a Sceptre

The fastest way to get a massive amount of Spirit at any given moment is to use a Sceptre. Scepters are weapons that are designed for heavy Spirit usage, with them giving you an additional 100 Spirit at the mi??nimum. This is before counting any additional modifier a Sceptre may have, so it can actually give you quite a bit more if y??ou're lucky with rolls.

The downside to using a Sceptre is that they cannot cause any sort of damage, making them far from ideal if you intend to dish out damage without using pets. The good news is that Sceptres are one-handed weapons and can be dual-wielded with anything else that can deal decent damage. You cannot dual-wield ?two Sceptres at the same time, but they can be equipped in either your main hand or off-hand.

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If looks could kill in Path of Exile 2, Candlemass, The Living Rite, is certainly going to b?e at the top of? the list when it comes to the bosses present in the game.

Normally, you're going to loathe the monsters that are in the game, and they will be looking to end your life as quickly as possible. It's hard to witness Candlemass, The Living Rite, and not admire its beauty. But Path of Exile 2 isn't a ??fashion show, and your job is to end as many monsters as possible to get more rewards.

How to find Candlemass in Path of Exile 2

This boss isn't part of the main questline as per my understanding, and hence, there's a chance for you to miss it. To find Candlemass, you'll have to head first to Ogham Manor. This location is part of Act 1, and you'll have t??o visit here to complete another quest.

Go to the Fallen Altar inside the manor - you can find it at the end of one of the many co?rridors located in this region. To be more specific, you can find the spot at the northwest part of the area, past the big void.

How to defeat Candlemass in Path of Exile 2

Candlemass, in comparison to other monsters like the Executioner, is far easier to manage. However, it won't be a cakewalk, and here are the attacks to watch out for. The monster attacks with a flaming sword, but the attac??ks are a mix of elemental and physical ??damage.

It's pretty easy to dodge its basic attacks, and you?? can take a few of those hits. What you need to watch out for is when it spits flames towards you. The only option is to dodge swiftly and ?out of the range of the fire.

Candlemass has another devastating attack which it performs after ??crouching on the ground. The beautiful candles (that I admire) suddenly turn to deadly rockets and do an AoE attack. If you're caught in this, you'll be good as dead. Whenever you see it crouching on the ground, move away to save your health.

As long as you can dodge the attacks, make sure to play aggressively. Try to fill the monster's stagger bars to do bonus damage with more hits. That's pretty much all of it, and you'll ??get the Candlemass' Essence af??ter your victory.

This specific resource can be qu?ite useful as it gr?ants you +20 to your max life. The monster also drops random loot, and you can power up with some of those.

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The Trail of Corruption is a really challenging quest in Path of Exile 2, and completing it can be a difficult tas?k to complete.

In this quest, you'll come across a challenging? enemy in the form of The Executioner. In my books, he's certainly the hardest boss to encounter, but he's not invincible. You'll have to approach the boss in a strategic fashion, which will allow you to avoid damage and finish him off.

How to begin the Trail of Corruption in Path of Exile 2

You'll have to reach Ogham Village, and it's a pretty easy job. Before you enter the village, look out for Una's Lute. This is a side quest, and you'll have to find a Lute that belongs to Una. ?There's also another side quest that can be completed at this location. To do so, you'll have to find Renly's tools from his workshop.

Once you enter the Ogham Village, you'll be tasked to search ?for Seed of Corruption. To proceed, you'll have to locate the Executioner, who is present at the Courtyard of Death. Make sure you've equipped your best gear and your passive skills have been fully used.

How to defeat The Executioner in Path of Exile 2

You'll get to see a small cutscene before the Executioner starts its battle against you. As I said earlier, combatting this boss can be difficult, and the first step is to be w??ell aware of his attacks.

The best strategy is to use a kit that o?ffers AoE damage. You will be able to bait the Executioner to take damage and do the main work for you. Also, it's safe to expect a few failures along the way, as Path of Exile 2 doesn't allow you to tweak t??he in-game difficulty at all.

How to complete Trail of Corruption in Path of Exile 2

After finishing the Executioner, make sure to grab all the loot that he drops and go to the platform. Then, ??free Leitis, which will complete the 'Free the Prisoner' part. After speaking with Leitis, head back to th?e Clearfell Encampment, and he will be waiting. This will complete the Trail of Corruption quest, and Leitis will be available permanently at the encampment.

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Path of Exile 2 is now available on early access, and ??players have start??ed to clear the content available inside the game.

Just like its?? predecessor, there's a dedicated quest system that's divided into different acts. So far, my colleague and I have managed to gain access to Act 2, and the article includes details about all the quests that you'll come across in the first two acts. This includes the main questline, which should be high on your priority, and the side quests, which can help you get additional rewards.

All Path of Exile 2 Act 1 quests

Act 1 is the first chapter of your adventure, and it has plenty of different quests. Here's the complete list of?? the missions that you'll have to complete to f??inish the main storyline.

• Mercy for the Miller
• Treacherous Ground
• Secrets in the Dark
• The Mysterious Shade
• Sorrow Among Stones
• The Trail of Corruption
• The Mad Wolf of Ogham

So far, I?? have come across three side quests in the first act. Completing them isn't necessary, but you should look to clear them.

All Path of Exile 2 Act 2 quests

Compared to Act 1, Act 2 has fewer main quests. However, th?e missions are reportedly harder, ??and the boss battles will take longer to clear.

• Earning Passage
• The Trail of Corruption
• The City of Seven Waters
• A Theft of Ivory
• A Crown of Stone

Like Act 1, Act 2 seems to have three side quests? as well.

There are more acts available in the game, and once we have the quests, this guide will be updated??.

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Path of Exile 2's early access launch has been pretty positive, with plenty of players joining the party, but it has been a buggy affair so far. Some players have ??already encountered scenarios of a??n infinite loading screen where the game never starts.

Instead, the loading simply continues and crashes back to your desktop. Incidentally, I have encountered this a few times already, and the same thing happened when I started playing Path of Exile. Based on the official gameplay forum, I am certainly not the only one suffering from it, and here are a few s????teps you can take to manage the problem.

How to solve the infinite loading screen bug on Path of Exile 2

The bug seems to be completel??y random. Even if you have manag?ed to play without any problem once, the next session might have the game crash directly from the loading screen. There are a few reports that players have encountered hard crashes (where the system resets on its own), and this can be problematic.

As of writing, GGG has yet to acknowledge the problem. Thankfully, the method I tried (as suggest??ed on the forum) helped me to solve the issue. It appears that the only solution for now is to disable multi-threading. This becomes almost mandator??y right now if you're running on the Windows 24H2 version. It's likely a result of poor optimization.

Disabling multi-threading has its penalties, and you will dislike the limited FPS. The game will feel choppy (it has happened to me with Path of Exile)??, but at least you'll be able to play and clear th?e content.

Additionally, it's better to avoid playing co-op for the time being. Yes, playing with your buddies is fun, and clearing the content together makes things a lot simpler. But th??ere are numerous instances of players encountering an infinite loading screen in between a quest when they're playing in a party. If any one of you or your friend's game gets stuck, the ent??ire session will have to be cut short.

Hopefully, the issue will be solved quickly, as GGG has been busy acknowledging other bugs like the missin??g Tinkerer's T?ool. There is another workaround that might work, but I won't advise it. Downgrading to 23H2 could potentially solve the problem, but I would avoid it personally. Downgrading your Windows has its own share of issues, and the process is pretty complex.

Make sure that overclocking is disabled as well. If there?? are optimization issues, overclocking your?? system can also lead to crashes. If you use overclocking, make sure to turn it off from the BIOS settings till the infinite loading screen issue gets fixed.

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Like every other RPG and its predecessor, Path of Exile 2 puts a lot of importa?nce on inventory management, which rises as you keep collecting more items.

If you've played the OG Path of Exile, you'll have a sound grasp of how to manage your inventory and the items present in it. So far, there haven't been too many changes in how inventory management works in Path of Exile 2. This is a merit in some ways and a demerit in others. Unfortunately, if you're someone who doesn't love to micromanage your in-game inventory, there is some tough ne??ws.

Can you auto-sort your inventory in Path of Exile 2

Unfortunately, there is no system of auto-sort when it comes to your inventory in Path of Exile 2. This is identical to the system present in Path of Exile. Whatever you pick? up on your journey will be stacked ??at the next empty slot in your inventory.

To manage, you'll have to go to your inventory, click on an item, and move it around. You can do the same w?hen it comes to selling any item present in your inventory. Despite the lack of an auto-sort system, you can somewhat automate inventory management with the help of Affinities.

How to move your items in Path of Exile 2

While you can always move your items by selecting them inside your inventory, using Affinities will help i??mprove management. This management system works in tandem with your Stash, which lets you save your extra resources.

In your Stash, you can assign a resource to a particular. This can be any resource that you want, and for example, let's assume that we have assigned our first Affinity for Currency. Whenever you have your Stash opened, press the control button and click on Currency in your inventory. It will automatically get ??stored in the ??corresponding tab (that you assigned for Currency).

The process is the same for any other type of resource as well. Even if you have a different tab opened, the item that you want to store will automatically get sent to its dedicated location insid??e the Stash. This is a really neat way to manage the extra resources, and it saves? a lot of time in the long run.

Can you increase your inventory in Path of Exile 2

There's no way to increase your inventory in Path of Exile 2. Whether you're in the early or late game (eventually, we all will get there), the inventory size will be fixed. It's always going to be a 12x5 gri?d, and it will all come down to inventory ma?nagement in the long run.

If you're just getting started, it makes sense to pick everything up. The items that aren't worth your time can be sold for resources, and that will help your in-game progression. If you've been encountering lags, make sure to check out this guide to remove the problems.

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If you're one of the lucky few to have gained access to Path of Exile 2, chances are that you've been hit with a strong bit of stuttering ??and lag.

The first day of early access hasn't been free of issues thus far, with the launch getting delayed by a certain amount of time already. Players have been able to join the party now, but there are several issues. One of those becomes evident in the first area that serves as part of the tutorial. Both my colleague and I encou?ntered lag in the same area, and here are a few tips and tricks you can try if you find this same issue.

Best tips and tricks to fix lag in Path of Exile 2

Both my colleague and I have PC hardware that is capable enough to run Path of Exile 2 without any stutters and lags. However, both of us encountered? the same problem at the tutorial town, which means that there might ??be slight optimization issues.

If that's indeed the case, the best and only solution will be to wait. If I have to guess, a fresh patch will be released shortly by GGG, which could fix issues like this. Again, let's not forget that it's just the first day of early access, and such problems are expected to some extent.

In the meanwhile, here are a few steps you can take from your side to ease the issue. Do note that we will have a detailed guide on the best graphics settings on PC to ensure there's minimal lag and stutter. For the time being, here? are some tricks to try.

• Update your graphics driver - Perhaps the most common suggestion, an outdated driver can often become the cause of a graphical issue when a new game is launched. Make sure to update to the latest version for your available GPU.
• Lock FPS - While your hardware might have the capacity to create more FPS than 60, it's best to lock the value for the time being.
• Run at Medium - Same as the previous point; your system might be capable enough, but it's best to put a check till GGG releases a few patches.

For the time being, these might be the only steps you can take on your own. If your system meets the requirements and you're still getting a lag while Path of Exile 2, the only help will be a new patch.

The post How to fix lag in Path of Exile 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

It's hard to believe it's been over a decade since the original Path of Exile entered Open Beta. The stor?y behind the ARPG was simple enough: a small group of ARPG fans felt the genre had become stale and lacked new releases, and they aimed ??to fix that.

Over the next decade developer Grinding Gear Games would continue to update and add to Path of Exile, turning it into one of the staple ARPGs in the genre. With consistent quarterly updates, PoE ballooned into a massive game wit??h a simply i?nsane amount of content.

Today, Grinding Gear Games releases the sequel to its popular ARPG, Path of Exile 2. While PoE still has a massive fan base—and will continue to receive its frequent updates�em>PoE2 seeks to serve as an updated version of the game with more streamlined and modern sys??tem??s, a more tactical approach to content, and of course, a fresh set of paint.

Path of Exile 2 (PC [Reviewed], PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: Grinding Gear Games
Publisher: Grinding Gear Games
Released: December 6, 2024 (Early Access Launch)
MSRP: $29.99

I had the opportunity to play Path of Exile for about ten days leading up to its release. As a longtime fan of Path of Exile, with nearly 2,000 hours of playtime, I was excited but also somewhat nervous about getting my hands on the sequel. Could a sequel in Early Access really build upon a game that I adore so much while also having enough content to make it worth playing over its predecessor, which had been re?ceiving new content for over 10 years? Well thankfully, the answer is ?quite simply yes.

Grinding Gear Games has managed to create a sequel that not only builds upon the original but innovates in a way that makes me believe we can truly exist in a world where both are actively maintained and played. Similar in many ways, but di??fferent enou?gh to make them each their very own game.

Don't let the Early Access moniker fool you. While PoE2 is launching into EA with only 6 of its 12 classes and 3 of its 6 playable acts, even in its current form the ARPG has more content than most $70 AAA games. And for those who get through the acts and are wanting more, GGG recently revealed a massive trove of end-game content awaiting players who reac??h it.

In Early Access, the six playable classes are Merce??nary, Monk, Ranger, Sorceress, Warrior, and Witch. Each of the classes is unique in playstyle but also comes with two of their eventual three ascendancy classes, allowing you to further specialize your character to? fit the playstyle you are going for. Most of my time was spent switching between the Mercenary and Monk, the two classes that, in my opinion, are the most unique additions.

The Mercenary specifically makes use of the all-new movement system available in PoE2. While the original only supports movement by clicking with your mouse, the sequel allows you to pick between the same style, or you can move using the WASD keys. W??ith the Mercenary class, which wields a crossbow, being able to move with WASD and aim using your cursor feels like a completely different game. I thought for sure I'd prefer to stick with the system I had used for thousands of hours. But after trying the new WASD movement, I honestly had trouble going back. I found myself using it even while trying out the melee-oriented Mon??k class. They've nailed the new movement, and those worried about the change shouldn't be; it feels right. But even if it's not for you, you can still use the click-to-move style of the original.

For comparison, playing as a Mercenary feels like a t??actical top-down shooter. You'll get access to varying types of ammunition that you can load into your crossbow, ranging from fast-firing bolts that feel like a machine gun to slow buckshot-spread ammo that feels like? a shotgun. As you level and unlock more Support Skill Gems, you'll be able to create strategies that allow you to switch between ammo types.

For example, a powerful strategy I found is using ice-shots to freeze e?nemies, before switching to fragmentation shots that explode said frozen enemies, dealing massive amounts of damage and allowing me to weave in the two attack types based on if I was fighting groups of enemies or a single enemy like a boss.

It took me about 25 hours to get through all three acts available in the Early Access, having done most of the optional content along the way. Speaking of optional content, it works a little differently in PoE2. While some side quests still give you level-appropriate gear to try out, others grant permanent buffs to your character, like resistances. Everything can?? be tracked on a new and improved world map that shows the act you are in as well as all optional content and even bosses that you can encounter, as well as where to find them.

Bosses in Path of Exile 2 is where the biggest changes have been made. In the original, most bosses, except for a few stand-out ones and end-game pinnacle bosses, are relatively easy and are often able to be bursted down quickly. That's not the case in PoE2. Each boss encounte?r is a big deal, using multiple telegraphed attacks and a plethora of s?kills that can literally one-shot your character. You'll have to be a bit more tactical and learn the bosses and their mechanics as opposed to just zerging them down. And there are a ton of bosses as well, with many main storyline encounters as well as a plethora of side-bosses you can seek out to slay as well. There are over 100 unique bosses in the Early Access build, which is very impressive to say the least.

Most of the systems in Path of Exile 2 will be familiar to fans of the original. They haven't reinvented the wheel in term??s of its core systems; the passive tree is still massive, loot explosions of loot without a proper loot filter still exist, etc. However, each of the systems has been streamlined and massively improved to be more accessible to both new and returning players. In many ways, PoE2 feels as though GGG took everything from the original ARPG they built over the last decade and said, alright, let's do it again, but with everything we've learned along the way.

Due to time constraints, I didn't get to try out the end game. In its Early Access st??ate, you'll finish Acts 1-3 at around Level 45. Then, you'll play through them again on 'Cruel Difficulty,' which offers some subtle changes, increased difficulty, and increased rewards. After completing Acts 1-3 on Cruel, you'll be around Level 65, which is where the end-game begins.

Even the storyline in Path of Exile 2 is lightyears ahead of other games in the genre, except for maybe more story-driven ARPGs like Grim Dawn and Titan Quest. Of course, at the time of Early Access release, we're only getting half the story with Acts 1-3, which of course means that right as the story really starts to ra?mp up, we reach the current end. According to GGG, they've changed the current ending slightly so that it makes sense as you head into the end-game, but the true proper end will return once the future acts are added.

I get why Path of Exile 2 has the Early Access moniker since GGG plans to have double the classes and campaign acts, not to mention other types of content added before launch. But even in its current state, Path of Exile 2 has set a new bar for the ARPG genre. I'?m ready to pour thousands of hours into it over the years to come, and I'm confident that GGG will only make it magnitudes better over the next year as they continue to grow the game towards its full release. See you on the shores, exile.

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In Path of Exile 2, six classes will welcome you to early access, and you can customize ??all of them further with the help of the Ascendancy system.

Like in the first game, your chosen class will determine your character's playing style, abilities, strengths,? and weaknesses. Using Ascendancies, you can personalize them even more while improving their endgame potential. Ahead of the launch of the early access, the developers have discussed key details about all 12 Ascendancies that will be available? immediately.

All Class Ascendancy in Path of Exile 2

Before discussing the different? options??, let's look at all 12 choices for the six classes.

• Stormweaver (Sorceress)
• Chronomancer (Sorceress)
• Titan (Warrior)
• Warbringer (Warrior)
• Deadeye (Ranger)
• Pathfinder (Ranger)
• Blood Made (Witch)
• Infernalist (Witch)
• Witchhunter (Mercenary)
• Gemling Legionnaire (Mercenary)
• Invoker (Monk)
• Acolyte of Chayula (Monk)

Every class Ascendancy has certain nodes?? that unlock new abilities and skills. The number of nodes isn't the same, and they can differ even for the same class. For example, Stormweaver has 10 nodes to unlock, while Chronomancer has eight. That doesn't naturally mean that Stormweaver is better.

From my understanding, the Ascendancy system appears to be a special?ization option. Naturally, they will create differences in every build when you factor in the skill tree associated with any character.

So far, there doesn't appear to be any Ascendancy, which seems overpowered. Ultimately, your choice will depend on your class, as that comes first. That said, your decision when choosing a? specialization is reportedly going to be permanent. Hence, you'll wa??nt to make the best choice as there will be no coming back from that.

Additionally, we will get more classes during early access (six will be avail?able at launch, but a total of 12 are planned). Every class wi??ll ultimately have three specialization choices, taking the total to 36. It will be interesting to find out the impact of Ascendancy in the build of a character.

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Path of Exile 2's full launch is still a fair time away, but you can enjoy ??all the content starting the next few days with early access.

Like the first title, Path of Exile 2 will be completely free-to-play when it eventually gets its full launch. If you want to play in early access, there are a couple of possible ways to do so. One of them is suitable for those who have played Path of Exile rigorously. The other method is great for those who will be playing the second title and haven't enjoyed/played Path of Exile yet.

Path of Exile 2 early access date

Early access goes live on December 6, 2024, and will be available on PC, PS5, and X??box Series consoles. It will also be available on MacOS, but the developers haven't announced a release date for the platform.

Early access will start at 11 am PST/2 pm EST on December 6, and it will begin at the same time across all regions. If you're located outside the US, you can calculate your local t??ime from the zone differences.

How to participate in Path of Exile 2 early access?

As I said earlier, there are two ways to play early. If you're a new player/never spent any money in Path of Exile, getting an early access pack is ?the best solution. There ar??e three different packs available, and all of them offer early access on December 6.

If you have purchased any top-tier supporter pack in Path of Exile in the past, you'll be granted early access to Path of Exile 2. If you've spent $480 or more in Path of Exile (lifetime), you'll also be able to play early. Do note that the expenses will be considered for one platform (if you play Path of Exile on PC and consoles, you must have surpassed spending over ?$480 on any one console).

If you've spent over $480, you'll get an email confirming your eligibility. As of writing, you can buy the early access packs on PC and X?box. The purchase opti??ons for PlayStation consoles will be available on December 6, and you can go for the supporter pack you want.

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There will be a bit of mystic magic being called upon Diablo 4 Season 7 in the form ??of different Powers of Witchcraft that? will be available to the players.

In sim??ple words, these Powers of Witchcraft can be considered as new powers or abilities that can be taught t??o your character. These powers have three different sources - Eldritch, Psyche, and Growth & Decay schools of the Hawezar sorcery. There will be a total set of 24 choices to pick from, and you'll have to earn something called the Restless Rot to unlock them. Let's take a look at how the different powers are shaping up, as revealed on the Campfire chat on November 21.

All Eldritch Powers of Witchcraft in Diablo 4 Season 7

There will be seven different powers to ?pick from as far as the Eldritch school is conce??rned.

All Psyche Powers of Witchcraft in Diablo 4 Season 7

There will be six Psyche powers to pick from.

All Growth & Decay Powers of Witchcraft in Diablo 4 Season 7

There will be seven dif??ferent choices available from th??is particular school.

All Lost Powers in Diablo 4 Season 7

There will be? four choices available fo??r players to unlock.

Do note that the stats and effects of the Powers of Witchcraft could change when it finally launches in Diablo 4 Season 7.

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If you're looking for an extra incentive to enjoy the content of Diablo 4 Season 6?, there's a Welcome Back?? Boost waiting for you.

A mid-season Campfire Chat on November 12 discussed the significant changes to the existing builds and classes. While there are some significant shifts and tweaks, the Welcome Back Boost can be a great incentive for those who may have taken a break from the game. Alternatively, it can be the perfect jump start for beginners who might be playing Season 6 for the first time. Either way, you won't want to miss out on this bonus to help yourself clear the content in the ongoing sixth season of Diablo 4.

Diablo 4 Season 6 Welcome Back Boost explained

The Welcome Back Boost does precisely what its name suggests - it boosts. We are talking about an Eternal Realm character, and you'll be able to boost it all the way up to level 50 instantly. This will allow you to ignore the grind of building a class up and then pick from the available builds. This will also unlock all Altars of Lilith for that Eternal Realms character.

Finding the boost isn't rocket sc??ience, as it will be automatically offered to you as part of the seasonal content. You can use only one character of your choice, and there are two ?huge advantages. The first significant advantage is the ability to skip the early in-game guide and just take the character instantly to the next level, where you can grind for the relatively endgame content.

The bigger advantage is the instant access to Altars of Lilith, which is a fantastic contributor to your Renown. Having access to all 160 of them from the very start will greatly boost your character's ??power.

The benefits of Altars of Lilith are not restricted to a single character, unlike the Welcome Back Boost. Of course, you might not find much use for this benefit if you're a veteran, but it's entirely different for beginners. Do note that unlocking the Altars of Lilith with the Welcome Back Boost might be exclusive to the Eternal Realm characters in Diablo 4 Season 6.

What's the best use of the Welcome Back Boost in Diablo 4 Season 6

There's no way to go wrong with your choice, as long as you're not using it on a character already at Level 50. That's a sub-optimal way of using the boost, and the benefits accrue only once. If you own the Vessel of Hatred DLC, you'll get an additional boost.

You could also use it on old seasonal characters who are present in Eternal Realm, but they're yet to reach endgame levels. Irrespective of your decision, the Welcome Back Boost is a smart little addition that allows you to enjoy all the Diablo 4 Season 6 content in an easier fashion.

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It's a good time to be a Blizzard fan. Not long after revealing a release date for the upcoming World of Warcraft: The War Within expansion, Blizzard revealed the opening cinematic as well as a release date for the first Diablo 4 expansion, Vessel of Hatred. Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred will be releas?ed on all platform??s on October 8, 2024.

The cinematic trailer is just as hellish as you've come to expect from Blizzard and its Diablo 4 cinematics. Tempte?d by the Prime Evil Mephisto, Neyrell??e heads to the new jungle region of Nahantu.

Players will follow Neyrell to Nahantu where they ?can play as the new Spiritborn class, recruit mercenaries to?? join them in combat, and participate in an all-new PvE co-op activity with friends.

Following the recently released Season 4: Loot Reborn, this feels like a great release time for the expansion. The Loot Reborn season essentially changed how loot works in the popular ARPG, paving the way for a great opportunity for some new Diablo 4 content using the new systems.

Diablo 4: Vessl of Hatred will be released on all platforms on?? October 8, 2024.

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