Path of Exile 2 Patch Notes: Major League Improvements Revealed

Path of Exile 2’s The Third Edict expansion continues to evolve with a significant patch arriving later this week. This update introduces a host of refinements to the game’s first seasonal league, Rise of the Abyssal, along with adjustments to core mechanics like sprinting and numerous bug fixes. Players can expect smoother gameplay, better balance, and improved responsiveness across both new and existing content.

Since the launch of The Third Edict on August 29, developer Grinding Gear Games has been closely monitoring player feedback. The upcoming patch 0.3.0b aims to address many of the concerns raised by the community. Key changes focus on improving the experience in the Rise of the Abyssal league, where certain enemy abilities have been rebalanced for better readability and fairness. For example, the Vessel of Kulemak boss now features a more clearly telegraphed arena-wide cleave attack, and while its Teleport Slam can no longer be dodged, it deals significantly less damage. Other adversaries like Abyssal Stranglers and the Shepherd of the Pit have also seen reductions in the damage output of specific skills.

Beyond league-specific adjustments, the patch brings widespread improvements to Act IV and various enemy encounters. Bosses such as The Scourge of the Skies, Kurtog, and the Great White One now feature more abilities that cannot be avoided, encouraging strategic play rather than pure evasion. On the other hand, bosses like Yama the White and Torvian, Hand of the Saviour have received tweaks to improve telegraphing and cooldown timing, making their mechanics more manageable. Enemies like Quill Crabs now deal reduced damage, contributing to a more balanced combat flow.

One notable quality-of-life change involves the sprint function, a new mobility feature allowing players to transition from a roll into a run. Previously, characters remained locked onto enemies while sprinting, sometimes causing unintentional turns when using abilities. The patch resolves this, ensuring sprinting disengages target lock entirely, providing smoother navigation and escape options.

The update also tackles a long list of bugs, including issues with the Warbringer’s Answered Call Notable Passive failing to summon Ancestral Spirit minions correctly. Various client and instance crashes have been addressed, along with fixes for skills, item interactions, and map progression blockers.

In a recent statement, Path of Exile 2 director Jonathan Rogers acknowledged that development has taken longer than initially anticipated, confirming the game will not leave early access in 2025. He emphasized that The Third Edict represents the team’s commitment to addressing player concerns and refining the experience before completing the remaining acts.

Below is a comprehensive overview of the changes included in patch 0.3.0b.

Rise of the Abyssal Changes

Abyssal Monsters can now be bound as Spectres. The Vessel of Kulemak’s Teleport Slam can no longer be avoided, and its damage has been reduced. Telegraphing for its arena-wide cleave has been improved, and dodging it is easier during the final phase. The “Area is overrun by the Abyssal” Map Modifier now spreads Pits across a larger area. The Strider of the Pit’s Spear Slam now has a global cooldown, and they cease tracking with their Storm skill at a distance. Reduced damage from Abyssal Stranglers’ Crystal Wall. Shepherd of the Pit moves slower and deals less damage with ground effects. Lightless Moray’s invulnerability visual effect improved; ignite chance and damage from its explosion reduced. Abyssal Monsters now introduce skills gradually over the first three Acts. Motion blur effect removed when Abyssal Pits close.

Other Changes and Improvements

One-time Rare Monsters in the Campaign no longer retain fixed hidden modifiers when used as tamed beasts or spectres. Sprinting no longer maintains enemy lock-on. Instance Management (Ctrl+click) now works on the Well of Souls jump button. /hideout and similar commands can be used from the Well of Souls. Map areas now include versions without Map Bosses. Vendor windows remember search text per NPC until logout. Two-boss fights correctly restart if a player resurrects after killing only one boss. Soul Siphoner modifier reworked: inner ring reduces damage dealt, outer ring reduces Skill Speed per skill use; both deal Physical Damage over Time. Forge Hammer no longer costs mana when recalling; other skills like Warcries cannot empower that use. Doedre’s Dark Design now deals Spell Damage instead of Secondary Damage. Added missing Duration and Ground Effect types to His Foul Emergence Skill. Temporarily disabled Rogue Exiles: Taua, Ulfred, Drusian, and Doran. Derelict Mansion Map Boss arena no longer requires finding a tome; remains open after death. Razed Fields Map no longer blocks entry to the boss arena. Barrier outside Arastas church cannot be broken early. Improved telegraphing for Yama the White’s future sight skill. Increased cooldown for some of Torvian’s skills; reduced projectile speed and freeze buildup. Unavoidable skills added for The Scourge of the Skies, Kurtog, and Great White One. More lenient tracking for Azmadi’s triple lacerate skill. Portals usable after defeating Siora, Blade of the Mists. Oswin, the Dread Warden removes all debuffs upon death. Reduced likelihood of Treant Foulspawns firing projectiles while walking. Reduced damage from Quill Crab’s quill projectiles. Updated descriptions for Lifetap Support, Tabna’s Pillar, Navali’s Rest, Meditate, Infernal Cry, and Thunderous Leap.

Bug Fixes

Fixed Ancestral Spirits not summoning via Warbringer’s Answered Call. Fixed inability to dodge roll when partially surrounded. Fixed non-functional “Abyssal Pits in Area always have Rewards” modifier. Fixed Whirling Slash travel distance not scaling with attack speed. Fixed Spectres and Tamed Beasts benefiting from out-of-combat regeneration during combat. Fixed Crossbow reload failures, especially when weapon swapping. Fixed Persistent Skills not activating in Demon Form. Fixed Brutus’ Brain Support interaction with Starkonja’s Head Unique Helmet. Fixed Frost Bomb limit not working with Spell Cascade Support. Fixed unobtainable Ahn’s Citadel Support. Fixed Defy II Support only affecting Melee Attacks. Fixed Twin Bow’s unintentionally high Attack Speed; now 1.1 seconds. Fixed Ember Fusillade retaining extra projectiles from Wildshards. Fixed Resonating Shield, Shield Wall, and Fortifying Cry shockwaves not scaling with area damage. Fixed mislabeled Infusion Duration passives; renamed Sorceress Notable. Fixed Grisly Pyre not displaying damage from consuming ignites. Fixed Forge Hammer usability issues. Fixed Map Device microtransactions placing players inside the device. Fixed duplicate spawn during Act 4 Boss fight. Fixed Travel Skills unusable in Azmadi’s arena. Fixed Wayward Isle Map completion issues. Fixed lingering damage reduction on Siora and Thariel. Fixed Manoki defeat not completing The Jade Isles Map. Fixed Wetlands Map Boss pathing issues. Fixed Razed Fields Boss arena entry bug. Fixed portal usage issues in Wetlands, Lofty Summit, Derelict Mansion, and Ornate Chambers Maps. Fixed missing telegraphing for Mighty Silverfist’s unavoidable attacks. Fixed rare monster packs spawning in invalid locations in Rugosa and Hidden Grotto Maps. Fixed missing Monster Categories for Skeletal Cobras and Tawhoa Mystics. Fixed water slow debuff in Solitary Confinement unaffected by Slow Potency. Fixed missing block chance and skills for Tawhoan Tower Shield, Golden Targe, Blacksteel Crest Shield, and Desert Buckler basetypes. Fixed expedition progression blockers related to Logbooks and Dannig. Fixed travelling merchant in Khari Crossing not appearing after killing monsters. Fixed Simulacrum Splinter storage limit in Delirium Stash Tab. Fixed Uncut Gems sorting in Gem Stash. Fixed Unique Items from 0.3.0 not storing in Unique Stash Tab. Fixed missing endgame cutscene from Interludes. Fixed Player 2 unable to interact with Well of Souls in Couch Co-Op. Fixed UI navigation issues after using salvage bench in co-op. Fixed inability to travel to The Ziggurat Refuge from waypoint on controller. Fixed game not unpausing after Vaal Orb application on controller. Fixed missing description for Amanamu’s Void debuff. Fixed Gambler items not displaying base type defenses. Fixed inability to filter with negative numbers in Trade Market. Fixed missing selected Hideout on cross-platform login. Fixed “Show only Available” option in Cosmetics window. Fixed invisible part of Passive Skill Tree in controller right-panel mode. Fixed desync with Forge Hammer, totem placement, and Earthshatter. Fixed client crashes related to controller input, Essence Stash Tab, Merit of Service Shield, Tempest Bell, Storm Lance, and other instances.

(Source: GameSpot)