Summary
- Dawn of the Hunt in Path of Exile 2 introduced the underpowered Huntress class, but buffs are on the way.
- GGG may introduce the Druid class next, but changes are ongoing to improve the current game state.
- Playing the Lich Ascendancy with Essence Drain and Contagion builds now is recommended before potential future nerfs or changes.
Despite its overall poor reception due to the many nerfs and the resulting slower pace, Path of Exile 2's Dawn of the Hunt introduced several new elements that are worth checking out. The new Huntress class for Path of Exile 2 didn't stick the landing due to spear skills being underpowered and underperforming, but GGG is making some changes to buff them, and more may come in the future. Although the Huntress is the new shiny piece of content introduced with Dawn of the Hunt, Path of Exile 2 players shouldn't miss out on the chance of playing one of the new Ascendancies for the previous base classes.
With GGG reportedly having finished most of the Druid, it could be the next class to be introduced in the game, possibly as soon as in a couple of months. This may vary due to the work GGG has lined up for Dawn of the Hunt and fixing the current state of Path of Exile 2, but it's not impossible that the game comes out of early access this year. As such, many things may and will change, like they did with the balance patch in Dawn of the Hunt, and one of the most unique Ascendancies in the game may not remain the way it is.
Path of Exile 2 Is Buffing the Sorceress and Other Classes
The developer behind Path of Exile 2 announces a sweeping range of changes for the Sorceress and other classes in the popular action RPG.
Path of Exile 2's Lich Ascendancy Explained
Path of Exile 2's new Ascendancies include the Amazon and Ritualist for the Huntress, the Smith of Kitava for the Warrior, the Tactician for the Mercenary, and the Lich for the Witch. The latter is particularly exciting because it tries to have gameplay functions for "becoming an undead character," including nodes about management of Life, Mana, and Energy Shield or the Unholy Might buff for allies. Now is the perfect time to play the Lich because it not only is in a great state, and it is new, but there are some great builds for it already.
Why Path of Exile 2 Players Should Play The Lich Ascendancy
One of the most popular "League-starter" builds in Dawn of the Hunt so far is the Lich with Essence Drain and Contagion - a tried and true build that also worked in Path of Exile 2's predecessor. These skills pair nicely because they can make short work of packs of monsters and bosses alike, dealing Chaos damage over time. This is the epitome of skill combos in Path of Exile 2, as it was made for the original PoE years ago, but it is fully functional and still very good in the sequel.
Another good reason to try the Lich now is that it pairs perfectly with one Unique Item - Atziri's Disdain. This was already available on launch in December of 2024, but now it is very inexpensive one week into the update, with a price of around 1-to-3 Exalted Orbs in Path of Exile 2's Standard League for Dawn of the Hunt. In Hardcore, it is considerably higher at 25-to-30 Exalted Orbs, but it makes sense, considering the scope of the League. Still, this is pretty cheap compared to the prices this item skyrocketed to before Dawn of the Hunt, often going for 1 Divine Orb.
Last but not least, players should try this Ascendancy now because it may very well receive nerfs or changes in the future. Path of Exile 2's nerfs in Dawn of the Hunt sparked a massive controversy, and while GGG is making good changes now to address fan feedback, things may be different when the next big update drops. What follows is that the Lich may not be the same in the future, and not only from a numerical point of view. For example, in Dawn of the Hunt, some Ascendancies got new nodes replacing old ones or were changed in big ways, meaning that the current state of the Lich (which is very good) may be altered further down the line.
Path of Exile II
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 100%
- Released
- December 6, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Nudity, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Language, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
- Developer(s)
- Grinding Gear Games
- Publisher(s)
- Grinding Gear Games
WHERE TO PLAY
Path of Exile 2 takes place in the land of Wraeclast, a dark continent populated by unique cultures, ancient secrets, and monstrous dangers. A sinister threat, long thought destroyed, has begun creeping back on the edge of civilisation, driving people mad and sickening the land with Corruption.
Path of Exile 2 features a brand new campaign with six acts, 100 distinct environments, 600 monsters and 100 bosses.
Path of Exile 2 features twelve character classes, 240 Skill Gems, hundreds of equipment base types, a six-act campaign, more than a hundred unique boss fights, a deep endgame system and so much more.
Play with your friends without losing any progress with couch co-op, cross-play and cross-progression.
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash, MMORPG
