The developers of Path of Exile 2 have actually fulfilled the biggest fan wish with the announcement of adding the Druid as the next class to the game. However, they still express disappointment.
Why is there celebration? For a long time, the community of Path of Exile 2 has had a favorite when it comes to wishing for a new class in the game. Fans already wished for the new class in March. This refers to the Druid, who can fight both as a human and as a beast and can always switch between forms as a shapeshifter.
Thus, the class has not only the typical human form but also three additional forms available. In bear form, players perform strong attacks and can trample over enemies. In wolf form, players can execute quick attacks together with their own pack, freezing enemies as well. Things get fiery in wyvern form, where they can scorch opponents with dragon breath.
The class was introduced by the head of Path of Exile 2 at Gamescom in the summer of 2023, immediately generating great hype, even though it was not yet ready for release at that time. More than two years later, the players’ dream will indeed come true in the expansion “The Last of the Druids” on December 12, 2025, bringing joy to the fans.
Here you can see the trailer for the new class:
The question of endgame
What about the endgame? While the new Druid class is clearly set to be the highlight of the upcoming season, there is also a season mechanic where players can craft their own temples. Following the motto “Craft your Dungeon,” players can assemble different rooms and battle increasingly tough enemies.
This appeals to many players who have been looking forward to the new class and its animal forms, finding the new season mechanic interesting. However, those who are not interested in these two major innovations are mainly looking at the endgame.
In the endgame, there are few new features. The developers are only adding the previous season mechanic as a card type and making some balance changes to make underutilized items more attractive. The fog that obscured too much of the map and the enemy group size in the endgame have also been adjusted.
However, a major overhaul of the endgame is absent. This is something some players had hoped for, leading to a discussion among fans.
What are the players saying? A lively discussion among fans is currently raging on Reddit. Two factions have formed in this discussion. The majority are very excited about the new class and the exciting season mechanic. The other group finds it less exciting and looks at the endgame, which is receiving little new content this time. On Reddit, it sounds like this:
- IndridColdxxx: “I am very excited, but others have legitimate doubts, as changes to the endgame were promised. Otherwise, I can hardly wait.”
- ryo3000: “I’m hyped for the release because the Druid looks cool, but I completely understand why people are disappointed with 0.4. This was supposed to be the patch for endgame content, but it’s not. Even though the ‘Dead Game’ cries are exaggerated, I understand the frustration; I honestly expected more.”
- Yorunokage: “I am neither angry nor disappointed, but I believe that prioritizing the endgame overhaul over this huge league would have been better. I like such leagues, but the timing may not have been optimal, as the endgame urgently needs a revamp.”
- quizglo: “People hold GGG to higher standards because they release such blockbusters quarterly that our expectations have collectively risen. If the endgame is only revamped in 3 or 6 months instead of now, it’s not the end of the world for a game that I will continue to play for another 10 years.”
In the past, the developers have repeatedly postponed expected updates because they struggled with the quarterly update cycle. Therefore, the Druid arrived a season later than planned, as they rebalanced all skills with the previous patch.
So it is hardly surprising that the developers did not manage to introduce a new season mechanic, a class with many different skills, and four different forms, along with a major endgame change simultaneously. After all, only 3 months have passed since the last patch. The Druid also came a season later than planned, as they rebalanced all skills with the previous patch.
The developers of Path of Exile 2 still have a long way to go until release. The head of the game has now admitted this in a conversation with MeinMMO, revealing when his game will finally exit early access on Steam: Path of Exile 2 has yet again a new release date, and the head himself reveals when it will be ready
