Path of Exile 2: Here Are the Biggest Changes in Patch 0.2.0
01.04.2025 - 16:39:13
Game Guides , Path of Exile 2
Grinding Gear Games put out a banger of a reveal event. Needless to say, Patch 0.2.0 is going to change things up in a big way, for better or worse.
If you want to find out only the best changes in Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt, read further to learn more!
Patch 0.2.0 (Dawn of the Hunt) will officially release on April 4th — you can find PoE 2 [0.2.0] Release on Apr 4th - All Infos for a full rundown of what to expect at launch, including new classes, gear, and system changes. we are putting the word out there that our PoE 2 Store will be stocked with all of the new items showcased in the event. So do visit our online shop once Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt launches on April 4!
Biggest Changes in PoE 2 Patch 0.2.0
New Class: The Huntress
The headlining feature of Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt is a new class called the Huntress. GGG has now provided us with new information about what you can expect from the spear-wielding Azmeri Warrior.
For one, the Huntress can naturally wield a new type of shield called the Buckler. Unlike STR-based shields that allow you to block incoming attacks, the new DEX-based shield enables you to parry attacks.
What’s interesting is that when you parry a melee attack, the attacker is stunned in the process. This is quite significant from a survival standpoint, considering that the Huntress can either be played as a ranged attacker or a melee fighter.
In addition, the Huntress can make use of Frenzy Charges to enhance her skills. For instance, her Explosive Spear causes bigger explosions and leaves a fiery ground afterward when it consumes a Frenzy Charge. This presents you with a lot of incredible build ideas; you just have to be creative on how you will utilize this mechanic.
Now, here is the biggest reason why you should play the Huntress in Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt. She is the only class in the game that can tame wild beasts and make them her companions.
When a monster is tamed, check the Skills Tab. You can also socket support gems just like you would minions and skills granted by certain equipment.
If you want to learn more about the Huntress, check out our dedicated article.
Huntress Ascendancy Classes
Similar to the other PoE 2 classes, the Huntress also has two ascendancy classes available to her in Patch 0.2.0.
The Ritualist veers away from the normal ways of the Azmeri Tribe, embracing the darker side of their traditions. She has some interesting ascendancy nodes to say the least.
Unfurled Finger allows her to wear a third ring. This is quite awesome because she can either wear an endgame Breach Ring or another Ventor’s Gamble for additional Spirit and item rarity.
As the Whispers Ask grants the Ritualist the ability to sacrifice slain monsters. By doing so, she gains one of their modifiers for a brief period, possibly for around 10-30 seconds.
Trained as an elite guard, the mighty Amazon puts her skills to the test to destroy any monster that tries to harm the Azmeri Tribe. What makes her formidable is her ascendancy node called Predatory Instinct.
To put it simply, Predatory Instinct lets the Amazon know of the enemy’s weaknesses. Once the enemy’s HP drops to a certain threshold (where the weakness is indicated on the health bar), the Amazon is able to deal significant amounts of damage.
Elemental Infusion allows the Amazon to infuse her weapons with elemental damage depending on the charge. Power Charges grant cold damage, Endurance Charges grant fire damage, and Frenzy Charges grant lightning damage.
Between the two ascendancy classes for the Huntress, it seems that the Ritualist is the winner because of her overpowered ascendancy nodes. The fact that she can equip three different rings makes her a force to be reckoned with.
Speaking of which, we have some endgame Breach Rings in our PoE 2 Store if you want to make the Unfurled Finger ascendancy node count!
New Ascendancy Classes
Each base class in Path of Exile 2 will get a third ascendancy class in Patch 0.2.0. However, only three have been revealed so far. What are they, you ask?
Smith of Kitava
Let’s start with the Warrior’s Smith of Kitava. This ascendancy class can forge weapons via Against the Anvil and grant powerful bonuses to them, allowing the Smith of Kitava to deal insane amounts of damage with the right mods!
Additionally, he has the ability to summon an animated copy of his weapon. Now, imagine he’s wearing a high physical damage two-handed mace! The Smith of Kitava could wipe out screens of enemies using area-of-effect skills like Stampede and Hammer of the Gods!
What we really love about the Smith of Kitava is that he has Smith’s Masterwork—an ascendancy node that allows him to add overpowered effects to normal body armor.
For example, Support Straps grant the body armor 20% increased strength. This is actually pretty helpful, especially since most Warrior Builds in PoE 2 allocate Giant’s Blood to equip a couple of two-handed weapons at a time.
The Warrior Class is at the bottom of the barrel in terms of popularity at the moment. With the Smith of Kitava in Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt, we might see the Warrior skyrocket to fame!
Tactician
The Tactician is the third ascendancy class for the Mercenary. He still specializes in crossbow attacks but even more so than the Gemling Legionnaire.
Right Where We Want Them is an ascendancy node that essentially makes pinned enemies unable to perform their typical functions for a brief period (similar to being frozen). The ascendancy node prior to this one, Suppressing Fire, makes it so that all projectiles that come from the Tactician’s weapon can cause “Pin” to build up.
The Tactician seems to want to lead by example. This is exemplified in the “Watch How I Do It” ascendancy node, which grants nearby allies added attack damage equal to 25% of the Tactician’s main hand weapon.
It is possible that the Tactician can be tweaked as a bonafide minion build, especially for attack-based minions. Perhaps, we can see a Skeletal Sniper Tactician in the future.
Lich
If you have played the original Path of Exile, the Lich closely resembles the Occultist. This Witch ascendancy class can make enemies explode on death due to Rupture the Soul. You have to kill cursed enemies, though, so you might need to activate the meta-skill Blasphemy to streamline the process.
Do you have a pretty good rare jewel in PoE 2? If so, the Lich has an ascendancy node called the Crystalline Phylactery that greatly enhances the modifiers of a jewel. Insert any jewel in the special socket to take advantage of the boosted effects.
New Spirit Gems
Among all these additions, there are brand-new skills expected to shake up the meta. If you want the full list of every new ability introduced, see New Skills in PoE 2 Patch 0.2.0 Revealed, which details how each addition changes build potential.
Bind Spectre
Also known as the Raise Spectre skill, Bind Spectre allows you to raise slain monsters to fight alongside you. These spectres, just like the skeletal minions that already exist in the game, require Spirit to summon.
The Spirit cost of these spectres depends on the power of the monster you wish to revive. So, the more powerful the monster is, the more Spirit you need in order to keep them active.
Because of how Bind Spectre works, you have complete freedom in how you establish your minion army. Do you want to populate your group with a plethora of lowly minions? How about summoning only a group of elites that can smash foes into oblivion? Perhaps you want to incorporate other skeletal minions into the party? The choice is up to you!
Summon Rhoa Skill
Rhoas already exist in the game, though you cannot ride on them until now. The aptly named Summon Rhoa Mount is a new persistent skill that enables you to mount a Companion Rhoa.
By the looks of it, only bow and spear wielders can ride on the Rhoa which, by default, means the Ranger and the Huntress. Of course, other classes can ride the mount so long as they equip the aforementioned weapon types.
You will need additional Spirit to summon the Rhoa Mount. Check out our PoE 2 Spirit Guide to learn how to get more of this particular resource.
New Support Gems
Spectral Volley
If you are planning to play as the Huntress in Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt, then you might want to try the Spectral Volley. This new support gem gives you the ability to fire spectral projectiles.
The initial hit (that does not contain any spectral projectile) deals considerably less damage. However, once you hurl the spectral projectiles on the enemy, you can expect them to die in an instant, assuming that you have relatively good gear.
Enormity
The spectres you have created using the Bind Spectre skill can be empowered by the new Enormity support gem. This essentially enlarges the minion, granting it more life, damage, and size to match.
The only downside to Enormity is that the said minion now requires more Spirit to activate. Still, this new support gem could be useful, especially for spectres that are already powerful right off the bat.
Syzygy
Warriors have a new support gem they could utilize to a much greater extent. Syzygy basically empowers slam attacks to stun enemies that are suffering from Ignite or Fully Broken Armor.
Once the enemies are stunned with a skill that is supported by Syzygy, they will be permanently intimidated. Now, it is unclear what Intimidate does at this point in time (since the patch notes for Dawn of the Hunt have not been released yet). However, if Intimidate in PoE 2 is the same as in the original game, then that means that enemies with the “Intimidate” status take increased damage from subsequent attacks.
New Unique Items
GGG will introduce new unique items in Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt. Apart from the unique items we have talked about in the past, some have just been revealed. They are:
GGG is introducing a number of new Uniques in Patch 0.2.0, like Chernobog’s Pillar, The Coming Calamity, Saitha’s Spear, and Calgyra’s Arc. To see more of these and how they synergize with various builds, check New Unique Items in PoE 2 Patch 0.2.0, especially if you want to plan gear around these items.
Chernobog’s Pillar
Warriors who would like to take advantage of Ignite to burn enemies to a crisp will find this first unique item quite useful. Chernobog’s Pillar is a new unique shield in PoE 2 that grants fire damage per 1% chance to block attacks.
Those who intend to use Chernobog’s Pillar will have to allocate increased block chance nodes on the passive tree or insert jewels with “Chance to Block” modifiers to maximize the shield’s unique effect.
The Coming Calamity
Just when you thought the Herald Skills would be nerfed to the ground, GGG has then decided to add a new unique item that allows you to use them all at once!
The Coming Calamity is a new unique body armor that pretty much gives you free access to all the Herald Skills. Besides that, this body armor essentially removes the elemental resistance of nearby enemies, making them more susceptible to the Herald Skills!
Take note that this does not mean the Herald Skills won’t receive changes in one way or another in Patch 0.2.0. Despite that, The Coming Calamity is an interesting unique item nevertheless. Because of how potentially powerful this is, you can expect that this will not be a random drop.
Saitha’s Spear
Aggravated bleeding is not a new mechanic in PoE 2 at all. But, what is new is aggravated Ignites and that is possible with the new Saitha’s Spear.
If the enemy suffers from both bleeding and Ignite, Saitha’s Spear will cause both of those ailments to be aggravated, essentially making them deal more damage.
Keep in mind that wielding Saitha’s Spear prevents you from using projectile attacks, implying that this was specifically created for close-range combat.
Calgyra’s Arc
Although you can parry melee and ranged attacks while wielding a buckler, you can only parry projectiles at mid-range. Calgyra’s Arc removes that limitation, enabling you to parry projectiles even when they are fired from a long distance.
Azmeri Wisps
GGG has borrowed a certain mechanic from Path of Exile's previous expansions and brought it to PoE 2. You will now encounter Azmeri Wisps randomly during the campaign and in maps. The first time you will see these things is in Grelwood in Act 1, where you will find a specific NPC that hunts and investigates them.
If you have not played the original game before, wisps are basically ethereal entities that empower any monster that they encounter, granting them special bonuses depending on the type of wisp that passes through. For example, enemies touched by the Wisp of the Great Bear get more HP and a chance to stun with their attacks.
When you approach the wisps, they will move faster and try to get away from you. If you have kept your distance after pursuing them, they will slow down, giving you a chance to catch up. Do not take too long to do that, though, because if you are no longer actively chasing the wisps, they will disappear into the woods never to be seen on the map again (to be clear, you need to open up a new map if you want to see the wisps again).
Wisps can also possess rare or unique monsters. When they do, they grant extra abilities to the monsters they possess, making them harder to defeat. However, if you manage to defeat them successfully, you will have a chance to get new items called Talismans.
Talismans are new PoE 2 Currencies that you can insert into a specific type of gear. For instance, the Boar Talisman allows you to gain Rage on melee hits if you insert it into a pair of gloves.
Now, Azmeri Wisps can appear at random on your maps. If you want to increase your chances of seeing one while mapping, there are a couple of things you can do. First, you could allocate the “Guiding Light” Atlas Passive node, which grants a 100% increased chance to contain Azmeri Spirits on your maps.
Second, there is a new Precursor Tablet modifier that does the same thing, albeit at a significantly reduced rate.
New Crafting Options
Crafting in Path of Exile 2 Early Access is pretty lackluster. This is even more so when you have played the original game, where you can add modifiers deterministically if you want to.
While GGG does not want to put the same style of crafting in PoE 2, the company will introduce new crafting options in Patch 0.2.0 nonetheless. They are:
Rune Tiers
In Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt, runes now have three different tiers: Lesser, Normal, and Greater. The Normal Rune is the same as the one that already exists in the game. Lesser Runes, on the other hand, are ones that will most likely be readily available in the early parts of the campaign.
The ones you are really after are Greater Runes because they provide a considerable increase depending on the type of rune you have socketed into your gear.
High-Tier Essences
Essence monsters can now be corrupted with a Vaal Orb. By doing so, you have a chance to get one of the new high-tier essences, namely the Essence of Hysteria, the Essence of Horror, the Essence of Insanity, and the Essence of Delirium.
Essence of Horror will turn a magic item into a rare one that has a “50% Increased Effect of Socketed Runes and Soul Cores.” This particular essence can only be used on gloves and boots. If you want to increase your HP by socketing the Soul Core of Jiquani, for example, you can make great use of the Essence of Horror for sure!
The Essence of Insanity makes belts gain two corrupted enchantments when you use a Vaal Orb on them. It is unclear if GGG will add new possible corrupted enchantments in Patch 0.2.0 because the ones that you can get right now are mediocre at best. The only thing noteworthy is the “+ to Maximum Fire Resistance” modifier.
Fracturing Orb
Do you have an awesome rare item that you want to improve so badly but you are reluctant to do so because of the chance that you might brick it? Well, the good news is that GGG is introducing the Fracturing Orb in Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt.
The Fracturing Orb is a very useful PoE 2 Currency for crafting because it locks one modifier (out of several that are already on the rare item) in place. This means that even if you use something like PoE 2 Chaos Orbs to reroll the rare item’s modifiers, the fractured modifier will still be there regardless of how many items you reroll.
As you can see, the Fracturing Orb is a great way to lock in some desired modifiers, such as the “+3 to Level of All Minion Skills” on a rare amulet.
Recombinator
Experienced PoE 1 crafters will certainly love this next crafting option. GGG will finally add the Recombinator to Path of Exile 2!
For those who do not know, the Recombinator allows you to place two completely different rare items and combine them to make a powerful new one! According to the developers, you could choose the mods that you want from each item, with a chance to get all of them.
Of course, because of the potentially overpowered outcome, the more modifiers that you want, the lesser your chances of successfully combining the two items together. If the recombination fails, the items will be destroyed in the process!
Now, there are a few important things to keep in mind when it comes to the Recombinator. For one, you can only combine two items of the same type. In the example above, GGG has combined a couple of rare crossbows and turned them into a crossbow with a mix of mods from the base ingredients.
On top of that, the Recombinator can be unlocked by completing your first Expedition. This is an endgame system that you can find in one of your maps (look for the Expedition icon).
Lastly, you will need a specific type of currency that you need to spend every time you wish to recombine some rare items. This entices you to do more Expedition Encounters on your maps.
And oh, one more thing! Talk to Gwennen if you want to use the Recombinator.
Balancing Changes
GGG did not mince words when it comes to character balancing in PoE 2. To put it simply, expect Patch 0.2.0 to be a nerf fest, where the builds that you now know will completely change for better (or worse) in Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt.
One thing the developers mentioned is that attribute stacking will no longer be as impactful as it once was. This could mean that unique items such as the Hand of Wisdom and Action and Morior Invictus might be nerfed considerably.
Apart from that, one-shot mechanics might be thrown out the window. Now, we have played the original game for quite some time and the thing is, there will always be a mechanic one can take advantage of to kill bosses in a single blow.
This means that if Hammer of the Gods can one-shot pinnacle bosses in the past, there will be a new skill that can take its place; we just have to find out what it is.
The developers also put major emphasis on nerfing the current meta builds, such as the Spark Stormweaver and the Attribute-stacking Gemling Legionnaire. Builds that are average performers in the current meta may still be viable in Patch 0.2.0.
You can also expect some of the existing ascendancy classes to have new nodes in Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt. The developers mentioned that the Chronomancer and Pathfinder will have one and two additional ascendancy nodes, respectively.
With how GGG makes balancing changes, you can presume that the existing skill gems in the game will receive some form of adjustment.
We will make a separate article detailing all of the major balancing changes once the patch notes are out, so be sure to check our website for the latest updates!
Endgame Content
One of the criticisms of Path of Exile 2 Early Access is that the game lacks endgame content. Fortunately, the developers have addressed that in PoE 2 Patch 0.2.0. Here are some of the new endgame content you can expect:
Corrupted Nexus
In some parts of the Atlas, you will find a new structure called the Corrupted Nexus. Maps that surround that Corrupted Nexus are also corrupted and they contain new rewards that you cannot get anywhere else.
You can enter the Corrupted Nexus and eliminate every monster you come across. Upon defeating the last rare monster, one of the several corrupted bosses will appear. Killing it successfully will “cleanse” the surrounding maps, granting them new modifiers, new enemies, and some exciting rewards!
One of the items that you can get from Cleansed Maps is the Fracturing Orb. Defeating monsters in these maps will have a chance to drop the said PoE 2 Currency. However, there are also Cleansed Maps that can guarantee a Fracturing Orb when you complete them.
Anyway, to progress through the Atlas and gain passive skill points, you now have to defeat the bosses inside the Corrupted Nexus. Doing so will reward you with the Crystalline Shard of Knowledge. You may have to eliminate these bosses using different tier Waystones if you want to get subsequent Atlas Passive Points.
Improved Towers
We already know prior to the reveal event that the Towers will have endgame content in Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt. What we didn’t know is that Towers are going to affect more maps now per tablet. Because of this massive change, you will see fewer towers on the Atlas.
Apart from affecting more maps, you can now insert three tablets into a single tower as well. You will need to unlock the second and third slots by inserting three-mod and six-mod waystones, respectively.
Rogue Exiles
You are not the only Exile in the world of Wraeclast. There are others who want to survive just like you. In Patch 0.2.0, you will occasionally encounter one of the 12 Rogue Exiles, each with different attacks and abilities.
Just like you, the Rogue Exiles are equipped with various items. What’s cool about this new endgame content is that the opposing Exiles are outfitted with a combination of rare items and uniques, which makes fighting them more challenging and fun!
If you can defeat them successfully, they will drop more valuable loot. However, if you get eliminated by them, they will teleport away (and probably laugh at you on their way out).
Unique Tablets
There will be six new unique tablets in Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt. Out of the several, only one of them was revealed—the Grand Project.
The Grand Project is a new unique precursor tablet that enables you to access any map within the Tower’s range. This is GGG’s way of solving the issue, where there are no lines connecting to certain nodes on the Atlas.
Unique Strongboxes
You can expect several unique strongboxes in Patch 0.2.0. Only two of them have been revealed so far. The first one is Ogham’s Legacy—a distinct strongbox with a dead monster on top of it. When you activate this strongbox, it will continuously revive the monster when it’s slain (depending on the number indicated prior to opening the chest).
Each time the monster is revived, it will gain one additional modifier. This makes it so that the subsequent respawns make the enemy more challenging to defeat. Don’t worry, your efforts will be rewarded handsomely.
The second unique strongbox is Ixchel’s Torment. What’s interesting about this is that it drops a random unique item that has a corrupted modifier. Of course, things won’t be that easy because you have to eliminate all monsters that spawn after activation. Do you have what it takes to beat them all?
Map Respawns
While the developers were reluctant to increase respawn chances in maps back then, it seems that they have a change of heart. You can now respawn up to five times depending on the number of modifiers on the waystone you have used to open the map.
Waystones that have only a few modifiers will give you more chances to respawn and get back into the action. However, if you put a six-mod waystone into a map, you can only respawn once. We believe that the philosophy behind the one-respawn rule on more difficult waystones is that you do not typically enter challenging maps without being properly geared.
Final Thoughts
Phew, what a doozy! GGG has outdone itself by providing us with tons of new content in the endgame. Although balancing changes will always be a part of Path of Exile 2's major updates, it will be interesting to see what new builds can spawn as a result of those adjustments.
It is also worth mentioning the new crafting options that are going to be available in Patch 0.2.0. The fact that you can lock a particular modifier via Fracturing Orb or create a new powerful one by combining two rare items via the Recombinator, things get even more enticing from a farming standpoint.
GGG has made the endgame more exciting as well. The Corrupted Nexus and the Cleansed Maps are going to take up most of your time when you complete the campaign.
Towers not only have endgame content within them but they also cover more maps now than ever before. Besides that, the new unique precursor tablets can make maps more engaging to do!
With all of the changes in patch 0.2.0 — new ascendancies, uniques, skills, atlas/endgame updates — many existing builds will change, and new ones will rise. If you want inspiration for what builds might perform best under the new systems, take a look at 10 Best Path of Exile 2 Builds in Early Access.
Don’t forget to visit our PoE 2 Store once the game’s first major content update drops on April 4!