Grinding Gear Games is preparing to launch the first major expansion for Path of Exile 2 since its early access release three months ago. The update, titled Dawn of the Hunt, promises significant additions to the action RPG, including a new character class, expanded endgame content, and quality-of-life improvements that address player feedback.
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| The powerful character representing the new content in Path of Exile 2's expansion, Dawn of the Hunt |
The Huntress Arrives
The centerpiece of the Dawn of the Hunt update is the introduction of the Huntress, Path of Exile 2's newest character class. Game director Jonathan Rogers explained that the Huntress is designed around a unique combat style that leverages spears as her signature weapon. Unlike other weapon types in the game, spears offer both melee and ranged capabilities, creating a dynamic combat flow where players alternate between close-quarters fighting and distance attacks.
For every melee combo, we want there to be a ranged skill you have to do before that to unlock it. And for every ranged combo, we want there to be a melee thing you have to do before to unlock that combo, Rogers explained. This design philosophy has resulted in an extremely agile character that constantly moves across the battlefield, offering a distinctly different playstyle from existing classes.
Beast Taming Mechanics
The Huntress introduces a new Beast Taming mechanic that allows players to capture and summon creatures as companions. Using the Tame Beast skill, players mark a monster and have a short window to defeat it, trapping its spirit for later summoning. Importantly, these companions retain all the modifiers from the original creature, encouraging players to hunt for monsters with the most beneficial attributes for their build.
When you get the Tame Beast skill, you effectively use it on a monster and you get some number of seconds to kill the monster while it's got that tame thing on it, Rogers detailed. And then if you do that, then effectively it gets trapped. Its spirit gets trapped and then sucked into your character, and then you can summon it as a companion.
Endgame Overhaul
Dawn of the Hunt significantly expands Path of Exile 2's endgame experience, addressing one of the community's primary concerns about content longevity. The update introduces over 40 new encounters including strongboxes, wisps, and bosses that can interact with each other to create varied combat scenarios.
We didn't have enough what we would call 'overlapping axis of randomness,' Rogers admitted when discussing the initial endgame limitations. The new system creates what he describes as a combinatorial explosion of possible outcomes that should keep the gameplay fresh even after hundreds of hours.
The Atlas endgame map system is also receiving a major update with a new primary objective focused on stopping corruption. This mechanic allows players to choose between corrupted or cleansed versions of maps, each offering different enemies, bosses, and rewards to support various player strategies.
Map Portal Improvements
One of the most welcome changes coming in the update addresses the frustrating Map Portals mechanic. Currently, players must use precious portal charges when they die or need to return to their hideout for trading or storage.
In the upcoming update, players will be able to enter and exit maps freely without consuming portals, as long as they haven't died. Portal charges will now represent the number of revives available during a map run. Additionally, when players die and revive, they'll spawn at the last checkpoint without having to run through empty areas.
Grinding Gear Games is also working on an even more significant quality-of-life improvement: instant respawns at checkpoints without loading screens when players die in maps, eliminating the need to return to hideouts and re-enter maps after each death.
Unique Items and Balance Changes
The Dawn of the Hunt update introduces over 100 new unique items to the game. One particularly notable addition is a shield that allows players to parry projectiles, potentially changing how the Huntress class operates by removing the need to engage in close combat.
Rogers expressed some concern about this item's power level: So one of the ones that might be broken is there's a shield that allows you to parry projectiles... It effectively means if you've got that unique that you no longer have to be close to monsters anymore.
The update also includes a comprehensive balance pass aimed at addressing some of the overpowered build combinations that emerged shortly after launch. The goal isn't necessarily to slow player progression but to eliminate situations where specific combinations create disproportionately powerful builds with minimal investment.
A Fresh Start Recommended
As with previous Path of Exile updates, Grinding Gear Games recommends players start fresh characters with the Dawn of the Hunt expansion. This approach aligns with the studio's seasonal model, where players are expected to play intensively for one or two months, complete their character's journey, and then take a break until the next major update.
We are a game where you come for a season, you play the game for a month or maybe two months, and you get through the content, you get to the point where you feel like your character is finished in some sense, and then you stop and you go play something else, Rogers explained, highlighting the studio's philosophy on player retention and game longevity.
Path of Exile 2's Dawn of the Hunt update launches on April 4, 2025, marking an important milestone in the game's early access journey and setting the stage for what Grinding Gear Games promises will be a massive year for the action RPG.