Why the Path of Exile 2 Passive Tree Needs a Major Overhaul

The Path of Exile 2 passive skill tree is a bloated, overwhelming mess that saps the fun out of building a character. With over 1,500 nodes staring you down, it’s like being handed a phonebook and told to pick 122 pages to define your hero. That’s barely 8% of the tree—hardly enough to feel like you’re mastering anything, let alone maxing out your character. From the moment I saw it, I’ve hated its sheer scale. It’s not just big; it’s needlessly bloated with nodes that feel worthless to most builds, especially for the class you’re playing.

Take my Ranger, for example. I’m wading through clusters of melee or spellcasting nodes that have zero synergy with my bow-focused build. Why are these even in my face? The tree’s size doesn’t add depth—it adds clutter. Half the nodes seem like filler, offering pitiful stat boosts that barely move the needle. It’s demoralizing to spend hard-earned points on a +5 Strength node just to inch toward something actually impactful. By the time I hit level 80, I’m not excited about my build’s power; I’m exhausted from navigating a maze of irrelevance.

Here’s the kicker: Path of Exile 2 dangles this illusion of choice, but with only 122 points (99 from levels, ~23 from quests), you’re locked into a tiny slice of the tree. You can’t experiment without wasting points on travel nodes or useless stats. Hardcore fans might love the grind, but for me, it’s a slog that makes every level-up feel like a drop in the bucket. I don’t want to min-max a spreadsheet; I want to feel like a badass shaping a unique character.

How It Could Be Fixed





1. Slash the Tree’s Size: Cut the node count by at least a third. Consolidate weak nodes (like +5 attribute boosts) into fewer, punchier options. Make every point feel meaningful, not like a tax to reach the good stuff.



2. Hide Irrelevant Nodes: Add a filter to dim or hide nodes that don’t synergize with your class or equipped weapons. If I’m a Ranger using a bow, don’t make me scroll past minion or mace clusters. Let me focus on what matters.



3. Give More Passive Points: Bump the cap to 150–200 points. This would let players explore more of the tree, experiment with hybrid builds, and actually feel like they’re maxing out their character without breaking the game’s balance.



4. Class-Tailored Paths: Redesign starting areas so each class’s early nodes scream relevance. If I pick a Witch, give me spell or minion nodes upfront, not a generic stat buffet that feels like it’s for someone else.

I get that Path of Exile 2 thrives on complexity, and some players live for it. But when the passive tree feels like a second job, it’s not rewarding—it’s punishing. A leaner, more focused tree (or at least the option to make it feel that way) would let me spend less time planning and more time slaying.

Your starting nodes literally change based on character, and I hate that because Poe progression always was about freedom.

You wanna play witch infernalist? You actually don't have fire nodes at the beginning, these are reserved for sorceress wtf lol.

You have spell casting nodes or melee nodes next to ranger because playing ranger class doesn't mean you have to play bow.

This is unique about PoE, you can choose any class and make it work with whatever you want. Spellcasting warrior? Why not.

Now, travel nodes taking too much of points and too long travel distance is something that I can agree on, it is the main issue of limiting build choices, because more or less you have to choose certain setup depending on what you're doing and there is not much wiggle room if you already have chosen the direction on your tree.

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Now, travel nodes taking too much of points and too long travel distance is something that I can agree on, it is the main issue of limiting build choices, because more or less you have to choose certain setup depending on what you're doing and there is not much wiggle room if you already have chosen the direction on your tree.

I couldn't agree more, it comes across as more restrictive. I think that has somewhat to do with the travel of nodes and the lack passive points

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Your starting nodes literally change based on character, and I hate that because Poe progression always was about freedom.

That is a fair point to make.