A game-changing update has just landed for Path of Exile 2, bringing massive overhauls to the ARPG’s endgame. In a move that surprised many, Grinding Gear Games decided to push out several planned improvements for the next season earlier than expected. While The Third Edict has been a solid step towards creating a true successor to one of the best Diablo-like games, there was still room for growth. Thankfully, the new PoE 2 patch 0.3.1 addresses some of the community’s most persistent requests, significantly boosting map clear speeds and completely removing the dreaded tower mechanics.
“It’s no secret that we need to make some improvements to the endgame, and the plan has been to do some pretty major changes in 0.4.0,” Path of Exile 2 game director Jonathan Rogers openly admitted in a recent video. “But we realized that it might be nice to iterate on some of the more mechanical changes in 0.3.1 and just save the new content for 0.4.0. That way we can get a chance to test some of these things a bit earlier.” Due to a change in their release schedule, GGG couldn’t launch all their planned adjustments with The Third Edict, so instead of delaying until December, they’re rolling out these crucial changes immediately.
First and foremost, the notorious towers on the Atlas map are no longer essential for spreading modifiers. This particular requirement had been a major source of frustration for players since launch, often feeling like tedious busywork with little reward. Now, tablets come with a fixed number of ‘charges’ that are used up when you directly apply them to waystones. Depending on how many modifiers are already active, you can use up to three tablets on any given map. While towers won’t vanish entirely – you can still run them for improved Atlas visibility and a guaranteed tablet drop – their mandatory nature is gone.
Another significant area of concern has been the excessively large and time-consuming maps. Grinding Gear Games acknowledges this, agreeing that “the time to complete a given map is a bit too long.” To address this, the 15 largest zones have been shrunk, and monster pack sizes in lower tiers have been reduced by 30% to better align with the enemy density found in the campaign’s interlude act. This reduction is temporary; as you advance through the tiers, pack sizes will gradually increase, returning to their current season levels by tier 15. Following a design philosophy from the original Path of Exile, more open map layouts will now feature slightly decreased monster density to prevent players from feeling overwhelmed.
Furthermore, a major shift is coming: every endgame map will now feature a boss fight. Rogers elaborated, “Something we have never really been happy with was the base experience of how you complete a map.” He described how tracking down scattered rare enemies often devolved into simply chasing minimap icons, which they found “not that enjoyable.” Consequently, all maps will now require you to defeat a dedicated map boss for completion. This means “You no longer need to kill any rares and you can do as much or as little of the rest of the map as you please.”
However, there’s no need to fear an overly difficult boss encounter every single time. To maintain balance, maps previously featuring a boss will now instead present an “extra challenging” and formidable variant, offering the same heightened rewards and map tier upgrades you’ve come to expect. Additionally, generating maps will now “always guarantee at least one to three extra random features.” These can include exciting elements like Breach, Delirium, Ritual, Expedition, shrines, strongboxes, essences, wisps, rogue exiles, and summoning circles, ensuring fresh experiences.
You might naturally wonder how these new features interact with existing map modifiers or any tablets you’re utilizing. The good news is that these additional elements are dynamically generated at the last moment and will intelligently avoid duplicating features you’ve already applied. For instance, “If you have a mod that adds an Expedition, which can’t have more than one in a map, we’ll make sure to select something else instead.” This intelligent generation also means the icons for these major features have been removed from the Atlas overlay, as their presence is now determined when the map is created.
Beyond these core changes, several other fine-tuning adjustments have also been implemented. Citadel spawns have seen a substantial increase of 66%, while modifiers that cover the ground with chill, shock, or ignite effects will now impact a significantly smaller area. Furthermore, Atlas Tree passive nodes have undergone minor alterations. Nodes that previously offered major rewards for maps with a specific boss, such as Crystal Realm’s bonus essence, will now apply to zones featuring a marked, powerful boss encounter. Importantly, many other passives that boost your effectiveness against map bosses will still function against the less formidable variants you’ll come across.
Finally, Grinding Gear Games is introducing a very welcome tweak to Alchemy Orbs. Once a go-to for crafters, their utility diminished significantly with The Third Edict’s introduction of tiered currency options. To restore their value, Alchemy Orbs can now be applied to magic items in addition to basic ones. This change is particularly impactful as it makes them a viable and convenient method for rerolling your map waystones. Keep in mind that when an Alchemy Orb is used on a magic item, it will overwrite any existing modifiers with four brand-new, randomly chosen ones, as if it were applied to a base-rarity item.
The Path of Exile 2 patch 0.3.1 is scheduled for release during the week of Monday, September 29. For a comprehensive overview of all altered maps and new modifiers, you can consult the full details provided by Grinding Gear Games. Rogers wrapped up by stating, “There are still a lot of other new features and content that we want to add to the endgame, but we believe that these changes are a good step towards improving the base experience of mapping,” signaling further exciting developments to come.
For more insights, don’t forget to check out our latest rankings of the top Path of Exile 2 classes for The Third Edict and Rise of the Abyssal. And to ensure your gameplay is as precise as possible, explore our recommendations for the best gaming keyboards of 2025.
What are your thoughts on these significant endgame adjustments? Are you relieved to see the mandatory towers become a thing of the past? Share your opinions and connect with fellow ARPG enthusiasts in the PCGamesN community Discord server!