New Player Experience is Brutally Unwelcoming – Please Rethink Your Design Approach

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leventdost02#0252 wrote:

Dear GGG team,

I recently purchased and started Path of Exile 2 as a new player with high expectations. I had already heard that the game had a steeper learning curve than most ARPGs, and I was mentally prepared for a challenge. But what I experienced went far beyond “challenging” — it felt punishing, unwelcoming, and even unfair.

Let me explain what happened:

I chose Ranger as my first class. The game handed me a basic bow and dropped me into the world with little to no direction.

After some progress, I found a skill gem (Lightning Arrow), but the game offered no explanation on how to use it. I had no idea where to socket it, how to activate it, or what effect it would have. I got stuck for nearly an hour trying to figure out how to equip and fire my first real skill.

Once I finally solved that, I encountered the first boss: The Bloated Miller.

It hit like a truck.

It spammed adds all around me.

I died at least 10 times.

And this was the first boss in the game.

Please understand: I’m not upset that the boss was strong. I’m upset that the game gave me zero tools to understand what I was up against. There was no onboarding, no guidance, and no forgiveness. Just raw, merciless combat thrown at a player who’s still learning how to socket a gem.

And the worst part? This was just the beginning. These events happened in the very first minutes of the game. If I were to describe all the frustrating experiences that followed — from confusing mechanics to overwhelming encounters and design decisions that feel intentionally punishing — it would probably take an entire documentary series. That’s how much friction I faced in such a short amount of time.

This design might impress veteran PoE players, but it actively pushes away newcomers. A new player shouldn’t feel like the game hates them. They should feel invited to grow into the experience — not punished from minute one.

For comparison: In other ARPGs like Diablo, you start easy, learn gradually, and raise the difficulty when you choose to. In PoE2, the game seems to assume I’ve played for years. But I haven’t. And I paid for this experience.

Please reflect on this. If the goal is long-term success, accessibility is not optional — it's essential.

Sincerely,
A new player who wanted to love PoE2 but got pushed away at the gate.

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leventdost02#0252 wrote:

Dear GGG team,

I recently purchased and started Path of Exile 2 as a new player with high expectations. I had already heard that the game had a steeper learning curve than most ARPGs, and I was mentally prepared for a challenge. But what I experienced went far beyond “challenging” — it felt punishing, unwelcoming, and even unfair.

Let me explain what happened:

I chose Ranger as my first class. The game handed me a basic bow and dropped me into the world with little to no direction.

After some progress, I found a skill gem (Lightning Arrow), but the game offered no explanation on how to use it. I had no idea where to socket it, how to activate it, or what effect it would have. I got stuck for nearly an hour trying to figure out how to equip and fire my first real skill.

Once I finally solved that, I encountered the first boss: The Bloated Miller.

It hit like a truck.

It spammed adds all around me.

I died at least 10 times.

And this was the first boss in the game.

Please understand: I’m not upset that the boss was strong. I’m upset that the game gave me zero tools to understand what I was up against. There was no onboarding, no guidance, and no forgiveness. Just raw, merciless combat thrown at a player who’s still learning how to socket a gem.

And the worst part? This was just the beginning. These events happened in the very first minutes of the game. If I were to describe all the frustrating experiences that followed — from confusing mechanics to overwhelming encounters and design decisions that feel intentionally punishing — it would probably take an entire documentary series. That’s how much friction I faced in such a short amount of time.

This design might impress veteran PoE players, but it actively pushes away newcomers. A new player shouldn’t feel like the game hates them. They should feel invited to grow into the experience — not punished from minute one.

For comparison: In other ARPGs like Diablo, you start easy, learn gradually, and raise the difficulty when you choose to. In PoE2, the game seems to assume I’ve played for years. But I haven’t. And I paid for this experience.

Please reflect on this. If the goal is long-term success, accessibility is not optional — it's essential.

Sincerely,
A new player who wanted to love PoE2 but got pushed away at the gate.

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Justice90#6812 wrote:

Yea…unless you went into settings and manually turned off tutorials before starting the game, this just isn’t true. It literally stops you from progressing and holds your hand through how to socket a skill and set a keybind.

I also bought PoE 2 new to the franchise. Sure, it’s immediately punishing with the first boss but it’s not THAT bad. It seems like what you’re asking for is a game that’s accessible to children without fully developed brain function and this game is not geared towards that audience.

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leventdost02#0252 wrote:

For comparison: In other ARPGs like Diablo, you start easy, learn gradually, and raise the difficulty when you choose to. In PoE2, the game seems to assume I’ve played for years. But I haven’t. And I paid for this experience.

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Prügelprinz#6281 wrote:

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leventdost02#0252 wrote:

For comparison: In other ARPGs like Diablo, you start easy, learn gradually, and raise the difficulty when you choose to. In PoE2, the game seems to assume I’ve played for years. But I haven’t. And I paid for this experience.

You dodge his super slow attacks and prioritize killing his minions once they spawn. What is the big deal? How easy do you want it to be?

Btw: I am new to PoE, too.

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For comparison: In other ARPGs like Diablo, you start easy, learn gradually, and raise the difficulty when you choose to. In PoE2, the game seems to assume I’ve played for years. But I haven’t. And I paid for this experience.