Path of Exile 2 is on the horizon, and with it comes Dawn of the Hunt, an update promising sweeping changes to skills, ascendancies, and itemization. Grinding Gear Games (GGG) has teased several balance adjustments, aiming to refine the gameplay experience, improve underused mechanics, and curb overpowered strategies. This article delves into the expected buffs, nerfs, and reworks coming with Dawn of the Hunt.

Major Gameplay Adjustments

1. Combat Fluidity and Enemy Scaling Adjustments

One of the core criticisms of Path of Exile has been the disparity between early and late-game combat feel. Dawn of the Hunt introduces a rework to enemy AI and attack animations, ensuring a smoother flow in engagements. Key changes include:

• Reduced animation lock times for melee skills

• More telegraphed attacks from high-damage enemies

• Smarter AI that prevents excessive off-screen one-shots

• Base movement speed adjustments for both players and monsters

These changes are designed to make combat feel more reactive and engaging without punishing players for minor positioning mistakes.

Skill Buffs and Reworks

1. Totem and Minion Adjustments

Totem and minion builds have often swung between extremes—either overwhelming the meta or being nearly unplayable. Dawn of the Hunt looks to strike a balance with the following buffs:

• Flame Totem: Increased projectile speed and wider hit detection

• Ancestral Warchief: Base attack speed increased by 15%

• Golems: Summon limits slightly increased for certain non-elemental golems

• Animate Weapon: Now auto-summons weapons from corpses within a small radius

These buffs aim to make minion and totem builds more viable without returning them to their previously overpowered states.

2. Self-Cast Spell Revamp

Self-cast spell builds have often been overshadowed by trigger mechanics or totem usage. To bring them back into the spotlight, GGG is adjusting several core spells:

• Fireball: Base damage increased by 12% and explosion radius slightly enlarged

• Ice Nova: Cooldown reduced, and synergy with Frostbolt improved

• Lightning Tendrils: Increased damage per channel tick and better targeting AI

These tweaks encourage players to consider self-casting as a competitive alternative to trigger-based spellcasting.

Expected Nerfs

1. Ailment Stacking Builds

Ailment-based builds have been dominant in Path of Exile due to their high damage scaling and accessibility. Dawn of the Hunt introduces the following nerfs:

• Shock Effectiveness Cap: Now maxes out at 40% instead of 50%

• Poison Stacking: Damage per stack reduced, but base poison duration slightly increased

• Burning Damage Mods: Effectiveness reduced by approximately 10% across multiple item affixes

These changes target extreme cases where ailment-stacking builds outpace all other archetypes.

2. Instant Leech and Recovery Mechanics

Sustain mechanics have enabled many tanky builds to ignore game mechanics. GGG is tuning down instant leech to make sustain more balanced:

• Instant Leech Sources: Reduced effectiveness by 20%

• Life on Hit: Now scales better with attack speed but has a lower base value

• Vaal Pact: No longer doubles leech rate; instead, it increases it by 60%

These nerfs make sustain more of a strategic choice rather than an automatic survival tool.

Ascendancy Changes

1. Buffs to Underused Ascendancies

Several ascendancies have struggled to find a niche. The following reworks aim to make them more competitive:

• Guardian (Templar): More defensive auras and improved minion synergy

• Berserker (Marauder): Rage retention improvements and added damage per rage stack

• Trickster (Shadow): Better interaction with Damage over Time mechanics

2. Nerfs to Overpowered Ascendancies

Some ascendancies have been too dominant. Dawn of the Hunt introduces the following adjustments:

• Occultist: Profane Bloom explosion damage reduced

• Necromancer: Minion damage multipliers lowered slightly

• Deadeye: Tailwind effect toned down at higher investment levels

These changes ensure that no single ascendancy becomes a mandatory pick for competitive players.

Itemization Adjustments

1. Crafting Changes

Crafting in Path of Exile has always been a mix of RNG and deterministic crafting. GGG is adding:

• More deterministic crafting options for high-tier mods

• More accessible mid-game crafting recipes

• A rework to Exalted Orbs to make their crafting usage more reliable

2. Unique Item Reworks

Several underused unique items are receiving buffs, including:

• The Brass Dome (Chest Armor): Now provides additional physical mitigation scaling with Strength

• Windripper (Bow): Now has increased shock and freeze effectiveness

• Atziri's Acuity (Gloves): Partial restoration of instant leech effect

These changes make previously neglected items more viable in endgame builds.

Conclusion

Dawn of the Hunt is shaping up to be a massive update for Path of Exile 2, refining mechanics, balancing ascendancies, and diversifying viable build options. While some nerfs may disappoint certain playstyles, the overall changes should lead to a more balanced and enjoyable experience. As we await the official patch notes, these anticipated adjustments provide a glimpse into what's to come in the ever-evolving world of Path of Exile.

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