If We Have to Keep the XP Penalty, Let’s Make It Better

The XP loss on death in Path of Exile has always been controversial, but it’s at its worst once you hit level 90. At that point, the grind becomes oppressive, with XP gains per hour dropping off so sharply that a single death can undo hours of hard work. While the penalty is intended to add tension and stakes, the way it currently works makes the game feel punishing rather than challenging.
In my experience, I’ve been stuck at level 91 for over a week, running T14-15 maps. Every time I get close to level 92, I’ll die three times in short succession, and it wipes out all my progress. It’s especially frustrating to die on something like the final Trial boss because of a tornado that kills me before I even have a chance to move out of it, even with 8k ES, 77% capped resistances, and 70% evasion affecting all hits. I feel completely trapped into mindless XP grinding just to scrape together a fresh level, and once I get more than three bars of XP, I find myself thinking, OK, now I can’t do any boss maps, Pinnacle bosses, trials, or anything remotely dangerous for the next week it’ll take me to get to the next level. It’s just awful.
If we’re going to keep the XP penalty, there are ways to make it less oppressive and more balanced. One idea is to flatten the XP curve from level 80 to 100. Instead of the experience required to level up increasing exponentially, it could plateau, giving players a more consistent XP gain across higher levels. This would allow for easier recovery after a death without removing the sense of risk. Players would still need to earn the XP back, but it wouldn’t feel like such an impossible task.
Another option is to introduce higher-tier maps with monsters that scale beyond level 90. Currently, monsters max out at level 82, which means that XP gains drop significantly as players progress past level 90. Adding maps with monsters that scale to level 90+ or even 95+ would give players a way to continue earning meaningful XP while also increasing the challenge and rewards of the endgame. This approach would fit perfectly with Path of Exile’s philosophy of rewarding players for taking on greater risks.
The key is to keep the tension and challenge while giving players tools to recover from setbacks. The current system makes it feel like you’re being punished for engaging with the game’s hardest content. Flattening the XP curve or adding higher-tier maps would give players a fighting chance to bounce back after a death, keeping the experience rewarding instead of oppressive.
Right now, I feel trapped in a cycle of grinding and avoiding any meaningful content until I finally get a fresh level, only to repeat the same grind again. If we have to keep the XP penalty, let’s make it feel like a part of the challenge—not a reason to stop playing.

Wall of text 1 shot me and I only had 1 portal. Rip.

xp penalty cap is the easiest solution imo. Once you reach 100% of a level's XP lost due to deaths, you stop losing XP on death until level-up.

This keeps deaths meaningful for those who want to progress quickly, but effectively adds a mercy mechanic for those struggling.

The only reason NOT to implement this, is if they want to use the XP loss on death as a way of gatekeeping high level - i.e. if it's their intent that only the tip top of players in terms of skill even have a shot at reaching level 100 (rather than it be a question of time investment) then the system will probably stay as is.

Will be interesting to see what they have to say on Sunday.

90? thats still honeymoon period, enjoy looking your xp bar actually move.

After 95-96 is where öppresive grinding starts. Lving is impossible without omen, amelioration worth it value even if it's 1div a piece.

hell even with omen, that 2.5% loss takes 12-15maps just to earn it back.

Buy the omen that reduces xp on death by 75%. But if your build is trash you will go broke.

Keep the exp loss as it is, make people earn their highest levels. There is no controversy, only suboptimal tastes revealed by disgustingly streamlined modern gamers.

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Karr285#4892 wrote:

Wall of text 1 shot me and I only had 1 portal. Rip.

Git good up them resistance.

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spardaknightz#4852 wrote:

The current system makes it feel like you’re being punished for engaging with the game’s hardest content.

I agree with that and do think some of the pinnacle bosses that have a whole array of one shot abilities and 1 attempt on top of an exp penatly are a bit much and push players towards risk mitigation by stocking up keys until they get a fresh level and literally have nothing to lose.

If that boss kills me, eats my key, I can live with that, but losing 10% xp on top of that - it just feels too punishing.

Totally ok with xp loss in maps etc as you can risk control what you run and if you chose to do that juiced -12 max resists at 99% exp, that's on you.

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AliquamGames#5952 wrote:

Keep the exp loss as it is, make people earn their highest levels. There is no controversy, only suboptimal tastes revealed by disgustingly streamlined modern gamers.

You calling me a disgusting modern gamer eh? Modern gammers play fornite and cod. They sure as hell dont put 400hrs into poe 2. Then try and have an adult discussion about their feedback and try to come up with a balance approach.