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

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SpinHall#6044 wrote:

Skill Gem - Press I to view your inventory
Skill Gem - Left-Click the skill gem to pick it up
Skill Gem - Place the Skill Gem in a Socket
Skill Gem - Left-Click to bind a skill
Skill Gem - Left-Click on a Skill Slot to bind the skill
Skill Gem - Press Right-Click to use your new skill

Do you think this messages could help you in your experience?

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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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kalenen86#3521 wrote:

The developers want you to suffer. they hate you. fun is last on the list. punishment ontop of punishment ontop a punishment.

white mobs slapping you harder than your daddy ever could. i cba to even list it all because its too long

the game doesnt educate you on shit. your expected to know it all