Path of Exile 2 has seen significant changes since its Early Access launch, largely welcomed by the community. A recent announcement from Grinding Gear Games addresses a key player concern: the prohibitive cost of respeccing passive skills at higher levels. This change will make adapting to balance adjustments and build nerfs much easier.
Early in the game, players gain the ability to respec their passive skill tree for a fee. While Grinding Gear Games intends to discourage excessive respeccing, the current system, particularly in Early Access, has been criticized for its steep scaling cost. Respeccing becomes increasingly expensive at higher levels, making it difficult to experiment with builds and adapt to balance changes. This issue becomes particularly problematic when considering the dynamic nature of Early Access, where skills and mechanics are constantly being tweaked.
New to PoE, why are respecs so punishing?
byu/DrearyMountain inPathOfExile2
This high cost has proven especially frustrating when significant balance adjustments, like the recent changes to Cast on Freeze, necessitate build revisions. The previous cost of 1200 gold per stat point was a major deterrent for many players.
Respec Costs Reduced by Up to 50%
Grinding Gear Games has responded to player feedback and confirmed a substantial reduction in respec costs. In an official blog post, they acknowledged the overly aggressive scaling cost curve and announced a planned reduction of approximately 40-50%, making mid-to-late game build adjustments far more accessible. This change, along with the previously announced fast travel between checkpoints, will arrive in an upcoming update.
Combat in Path of Exile 2Active combat skills being used in Path of Exile 2.
Further Balance Adjustments Incoming
While the exact release date and full patch notes are yet to be revealed, the blog post hints at further balance changes, likely necessitating the use of those cheaper respecs. Skeletal Arsonist Spirits will see an increase in cost, while high-level damage over time for Tornado and Vine Arrow will be adjusted. Additionally, Magnetic Salve will now only utilize Lightning Arrows generated by the player, rather than the entire party.
Positive Outlook for Path of Exile 2 Early Access
Despite the inevitable frustration of nerfs, the overall reception to Path of Exile 2’s Early Access updates has been positive. With continued responsiveness to player feedback, the next update promises to be another step in the right direction.
