Path of Exile gets its newest expansion in version 3.1 this Friday. In anticipation, GGG have put out a manifesto of sorts to explain all of the new content and changes.
At the core of the nerfs is the Vaal Pact Keystone.
“Being able to leech instantly meant that many threats were completely mitigated by high-damage fast-hitting characters with minimal leech investment,” Grinding Gear Games explains. “Vaal Pact has been changed to no longer grant instant leech, but instead doubles your character’s leech rate and maximum leech rate. This was one of the most heavily-requested nerfs in the history of Path of Exile.”
For example, one of my favorite classes took a pretty significant hit, the Slayer Ascendancy node “Brutal Fervour” no longer grants Maximum Life Leech Rate. Hematophagy and Vitality Void now only grant +3% to Maximum Life Leech Rate (from +5%). This is a pretty heavy nerf to builds like Slayer Cyclone that rely on life leech to sustain their life pool.
In addition to debuffs for several other skills, the game will also make leveling from 95 to 100 take significantly more playtime.
- 95 to 96: 6.5% more experience needed
- 96 to 97: 11.5% more experience needed
- 97 to 98: 18.7% more experience needed
- 98 to 99: 28.25% more experience needed
- 99 to 100: 40% more experience needed
GGG has further detailed how your Atlas will be affected by the patch (you may see changes to your completed maps) and just what you can win by participating in the new Abyss Challenge League, which launches alongside the expansion.
In addition to the new Abyss League and the overall expansion notes, Grinding Gear Games have released another trailer that shows the various themed cosmetic rewards given to player who complete certain challenges in the Abyss League.
