It looks like GGG has heard some player complaints over the last few weeks. One of the core critiques is the amount of grinding in POE. The current Atlas and Maven system has a ton of problems, but it’s still fun for those farming it for loot. But for more casual players, the Maven system takes a ton of work to set up. Players have to put a lot of effort into getting Watchstones and unlocking Atlas Passives.
Path of Exile 3.16 is a plan for the first phase of different changes to the endgame. Studio head Chris Wilson said that these changes are very early, and may shift around a bit. The big batch of the endgame rework will come in Path of Exile 3.17, but Path of Exile 3.16 will include some minor fixes. The general tenor of the changes is huge for the need to farm. Players won’t have to put as much time in.
Overall Changes Recap for the Future
The general changes are very preliminary, but Chris did reveal some details about the future of the endgame. It’s important to note that these changes will be spread over the next two patches. Grinding Gear Games will be planning for the 3.17 patch to be a big rework on the level of the introduction of the Maven. So most of these reworks will be pushed into a greater redo of the Atlas Passives in 3.17.
- +1 Awakening Bonus will be given from 2 maps, rather than 4.
- From 8 regions total to 4 total.
- Watchstone need will be reduced by half as a result.
- 16 Conquerors will reward the same level of reward in Watchstones, compared to 32 currently.
This will be a big push to making the farm much simpler. Having to manage too many Watchstones and Conqueror influences is a bit of a nightmare.
During the conversation, Chris said many different things about chase Uniques as well. He revealed that GGG is planning to move away from a certain style of “chase items”. Currently, many POE players will target their farming efforts against various specific bosses or maps. The Atlas system has already focused this a fair bit with the Atlas Passive system.
Chris also said that the company will be fine even after the drops in this league. The company will continue to float along and will try to do better in the future.
