From a Passionate Player to a Frustrated One: Why I Stopped Playing Path of Exile 2 (For Now)

From a Passionate Player to a Frustrated One: Why I Stopped Playing Path of Exile 2 (For Now)

I came to Path of Exile 2 looking for something to fill the space left by Baldur’s Gate 3 — a game I absolutely loved.
I knew they weren’t similar games, and that was never the issue.

Before that, I tried Diablo, but quickly realized that, for me, it felt like a weaker cousin compared to what GGG had created. Then I played Path of Exile 2 for the first time — and I fell in love with it.

I have almost 1,000 hours in the game.
To me, Path of Exile 2 was amazing.

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What made me love the game

Two things, above all:
• Hunting for loot
• Crafting my own gear

Even though it was hard, it was possible.
I didn’t need to be a trade-market mogul to progress. I could find good items, go broke, get rich again, and that cycle motivated me. I pushed characters to high levels, got tired, started new ones, crafted again, experimented again.

That loop gave me energy.
It made me want to keep playing.

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What changed this season

This season, I started excited with a new character — and quickly ran into two very frustrating realizations.

1. Physical (melee) characters feel disproportionately punished

Right now, the game strongly feels like this:
• Melee characters are punished in most situations
• Defensive systems for close combat feel weak
• The game heavily favors staying at range

In practice, you’re pushed into ranged playstyles not because you prefer them, but because they’re safer and more viable.
That reduces build diversity and limits player expression.

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2. Endgame feels like effort without reward

The game starts well.
But in the endgame, it simply doesn’t deliver.

You play, play, play — and get frustrated.

Now worse than before:
• The game is harder
• Loot is worse
• The market is inflated
• Desired items feel practically unreachable

Even if you manage to accumulate currency, many items just don’t realistically exist for most players.

The feeling becomes:

You play a lot and get nothing meaningful in return.

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Crafting: from excitement to frustration

Crafting used to be one of the most enjoyable parts of the game.

That feeling of:

“I missed the perfect roll by one mod, but I was close.”

That feeling is gone.

Today:
• Crafting feels like pure RNG
• Omens and meaningful crafting tools barely drop
• Control is almost nonexistent
• “Perfect” items seem locked behind Soul Wells and gambling systems

This removes the joy of planning, farming with purpose, and building something that feels earned.

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A concrete example

I am currently level 93, on my second character of the league, trying to rediscover the fun.

Even so:
• I haven’t been able to complete all steps needed to fully socket support gems
• I run maps and content without real progression
• I don’t feel forward momentum

At some point, the unavoidable question appears:

“Why am I playing this?”

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The contrast with Path of Exile 1

When I burned out on PoE 2, I went back to Path of Exile 1.

Yes, it’s complex.
Yes, there are countless systems.
But that complexity was exciting.

With help from the community and content creators, I found my way.
Every mechanic, every option, every variation made me want to keep playing.

In PoE 2:
• The campaign is better
• The visuals are better
• The systems are more intuitive

And yet… the desire to keep playing disappeared.

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Final thoughts

After two weeks of trying to push through, I stopped playing.

Maybe I’ll come back.
But right now, the game feels:
• More difficult
• More punishing
• Less rewarding
• Less fun

I understand the intention to make the game more long-lasting. But when difficulty becomes the goal instead of the means, and when reward requires extreme dedication, the game starts speaking only to those who can play it like a job.

Variety and progress have always been the soul of Path of Exile.
They are what turn hours played into the desire to come back.

At the moment, that soul feels diminished — and that’s why, for now, I’ve gone back to Path of Exile 1, which ironically feels far more rewarding and enjoyable.

This is not an attack on the game.
It’s honest feedback from someone who genuinely loved Path of Exile 2 — and hopes to love it again.

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