Path of Exile 2 is the perfect game with so much room for growth

First of all, I want to say this clearly:
Path of Exile 2 is already an incredible game.

The combat, atmosphere, pacing, systems depth, and overall direction are outstanding. This post isn’t about criticism for the sake of criticism — it’s feedback from someone who genuinely loves PoE2 and wants to see it reach its full potential.

What follows are quality-of-life, clarity, party-play, and long-term ecosystem suggestions that don’t aim to make the game easier or more casual — but clearer, fairer, and more engaging across different playstyles and energy levels.

1. Combat Readability & Visual Clarity
🔹 Camera Culling

Camera culling works well for tall structures, but many low-height objects (trees, fences, props, interior walls) are not culled even when they block the player’s view.

This can obscure:

ground DoT effects
enemy telegraphs
on-death effects

Suggestion:
Expand camera culling or apply transparency to low-height, non-walkable obstructions when they block visibility. This improves fairness and readability without reducing difficulty.

🔹 Presence AoE Visibility

Some skills and passives rely on Presence-based effects, but during combat it’s often impossible to tell:

the actual radius
who is affected (allies vs enemies)

Suggestion:
Add a toggleable visual indicator for Presence AoE (e.g. a faint circle). This preserves positioning skill while removing guesswork during complex fights.

🔹 Weapon Set Indicator

Weapon sets are now a core mechanic, but during hectic combat it’s easy to lose track of which set is active. This can lead to:

miscasts
unintended resource usage
potentially run-ending mistakes in Hardcore

Suggestion:
Add a clear, always-visible indicator showing the active weapon set.

2. UI & Information Visibility
🔹 Talisman Charge Indicator

Talisman mechanics feel good, but there’s currently no way to know if a talisman is out of charges without opening the inventory.

Suggestion:
Add a small UI indicator showing talisman charge state. This improves flow without changing mechanics or balance.

🔹 Map Attempts Indicator

Maps have limited attempts, but players currently must mentally track remaining attempts.

Suggestion:
Display the number of remaining attempts in the UI. This enables informed decision-making without altering difficulty.

🔹 Map Navigation Waypoints

Using the map overlay blocks combat visibility, but closing it removes navigation context.

Suggestion:
Allow players to place a map waypoint and show a simple directional indicator on the HUD so the map overlay can be closed while navigating.

🔹 Initial “Press to Play” Screen

The initial “Press A to Play” screen followed immediately by character selection feels redundant.

Suggestion:
Skip this screen or allow it to be bypassed to streamline login flow.

3. Resource Fairness & Edge Cases
🔹 Reload Mana Hard-Locks

Reload-based builds can be completely shut down by mana drain effects, especially in small arenas.

Suggestion:

Reloading the same ammo type costs 0 mana

Switching ammo types still costs mana

This preserves resource tension while avoiding binary failure states.

4. Party Play Improvements
🔹 Character Selection Before Maps

In party play, switching characters before a map requires leaving the party, relogging, rejoining, and re-entering.

Suggestion:
Before entering a map for the first time, allow players to select and lock a character for that map’s attempts.

🔹 Temporary Matchmaking

Sometimes players want help right now for a single encounter.

Suggestion:
Add optional temporary matchmaking for specific maps or missions, creating an anonymous party that dissolves after completion.

5. Optional Challenge & Discovery
🔹 Hidden One-Off Dungeons

Maps could occasionally contain optional hidden dungeons, unlocked by specific actions (e.g. killing a rare).

Significantly harder than the base map
Completely optional
One-off per map (failure prevents re-entry)

This rewards curiosity and confidence without affecting progression.

6. Structured Party Objectives

Beyond maps, it would be great to have objective-based instances, similar to Trial mechanics, designed for coordinated play.

Examples:

survive for X seconds
hold or rotate control zones
endure escalating waves

These would:

reward teamwork
emphasize positioning and survivability
add variety without replacing maps

7. Competitive & Guild-Based Content (Optional, Long-Term)

This is not about turning PoE2 into an esport — but about structured, watchable competition.

🔹 Objective-Based Competitive Modes

Instead of pure DPS PvP:

capture objectives
hold areas
complete tasks faster than opponents

These modes:

reduce DPS dominance
reward coordination and utility builds
remain fully optional and self-contained

🔹 Fixed Layouts for Competitive Play

Competitive objective modes should use fixed, non-random layouts to allow:

meaningful planning
fairness
skill-based outcomes

Action combat still provides unpredictability and tension.

🔹 Guild Wars & Recognition

Guild-focused competitions could include:

team-based objectives
MVP highlights
stat-based recognition (most revives, biggest hit, objectives captured, etc.)

Rewards could be:

titles
cosmetics
guild recognition

This strengthens guild identity without affecting PvE balance.

8. Spectatorship & Community Growth

One of the biggest opportunities here is engagement beyond active play.

I love PoE2, but after a long day I don’t always have the mental capacity to play — and watching unstructured PvE gameplay can be just as draining.

Structured, objective-based matches would:

be mentally stimulating without being exhausting
be watchable even for non-players
allow spectators to be part of the community

This creates space for:

guild rivalries
community events
streamed competitions

potential sponsorships that support long-term development

All without compromising PoE’s PvE identity.

Closing Thoughts

PoE2 is already something special.
These suggestions aren’t about making it easier or more casual — they’re about:

clarity over hidden states
fairness over friction
optional depth over forced systems
supporting players across different energy levels

Path of Exile 2 feels like the perfect foundation — and with thoughtful iteration, it could grow into something truly unmatched.

Thank you for building something worth caring this deeply about.