Path of Exile 2 reverses a build-breaking class nerf, as a new patch makes its hardest mechanics easier

Path of Exile 2 patch 0.5.2 is here, and Grinding Gear Games has deployed a wide range of changes reaching across much of the RPG's endgame and several of its core mechanics. In particular, you'll notice better payouts from high-tier Remnants and more efficient Azmerian Wisps, while some of the harder encounters including Ritual and Delirium have been brought down to a more manageable difficulty level. Notably, however, GGG has already reverted a set of build-ruining balance changes that it says were "accidentally included" in the update.

The Gemling Legionnaire Mercenary has become a very popular build in Path of Exile 2 Return of the Ancients, capable of zipping through maps and obliterating packs in an instant with its high-damage grenade spam. GGG is typically wary of mid-league nerfs unless absolutely necessary, given the investment required for players to craft and perfect builds, so people were surprised to find some rather significant changes to the class's Advanced Thaumaturgy ascendancy passive, which grants bonus effects to your skills based on their gem quality.

Specifically, the update halved the bonus it was providing to Flameblast, knocked the chance for Hammer of the Gods to not consume Glory down from a 50% cap to just 30%, and swapped out the 40% reduced detonation time on Cluster Grenade to instead provide 20% of its damage as extra fire damage. Between these three adjustments, it felt almost build-bricking, leaving Mercenary players wondering whether they would be forced to respec. The good news is that GGG has confirmed these were not supposed to be included, and has already reverted them in a hotfix.

With that drama resolved for now, let's look through what's actually changed, and it's mostly good news. If you're getting deep into the endgame, you might have noticed that Remnant encounters were feeling strangely underwhelming. GGG has now "significantly improved the rewards" from these when in tier 14 maps or higher, and reduced the chance for three-slot inscriptions to appear from tier ten onwards. It's also adjusted the Bond and Prismatic runes slightly to make them a little less deadly.

Azmerian Wisps that are able to move between monsters will now always target the closest rare in the map when they look for a new target, ensuring you aren't chasing them all over the place. There's also a new keystone on the Atlas passive tree, which gives you the choice between having them move 50% faster (if you're comfortable keeping up) or stopping them from despawning if there are no players nearby (if you're not).

Both Delirium and Ritual have been made slightly less punishing. Game Director Jonathan Rogers notes that Delirium has been "a bit too hard compared to other mechanics," so GGG has halved both the toughness and damage that enemies gain as you progress deeper into the fog. For Ritual's Rite of the Nameless, he says boss stacking was getting "a bit over the top." Unique bosses will now always be staggered, although killing each of them will trigger the next to spawn, so you won't have to wait around if you're already strong enough to handle it.

GGG has also nerfed a few of the deadliest creatures. Among these are It That Hates (Rogers notes this leads player kills for non-boss monsters, at more than a million this season) and the Krell Skullcrawler (with its own headcount of nearly 500,000). When you reveal a new section of the ocean using an Expedition Logbook, it'll now guarantee at least one Grand Expedition in the region. Runesmithing Knowledge spots in the campaign and Logbooks now have quest markers to help you find them more easily, and you're able to bring Farrow to your hideout if playing in the current league.

Elsewhere in the patch notes, the Mortuary map that could be accessed through Atlas Master Jado will now give you the option to replace one of your limbs, borrowing the effect found in Atziri's Temple. Take Mysterious Rites in the Atlas passive tree, and you'll find ten additional Omens in the first set of favors offered by the special Queen's Ritual. There's also a new Necrotic Catalyst (and a refined variant) that adds Minion Modifier enhancements to either rings or amulets. You can snag these via the Genesis Tree.

Path of Exile patch 0.5.2 is out now. If you're on controller, you'll also find a new quick-action menu that's available in the endgame Atlas map. By default, you can pull this up by holding the left-side face button (most commonly X or Square).