In an announcement video hosted on the channel of streamer Darth Microtransaction, Grinding Gear Games outlined what to expect from Path of Exile 2's first patch of the new year. Game director Jonathan Rogers characterized it as a quick turnaround update to address common complaints, with more far reaching balance changes planned for when PoE2 gets a new League. Some 0.1.1 highlights include:
- Adjustments to make endgame mapping "more rewarding."
- Quality of life tweaks like being able to override runes and other socketables.
- Four new Towers and significant changes to the one already in the game.
- The addition of respawns to pinnacle content, starting with Arbiter of Ash.
Speaking in an extended interview after the seven minute video, Rogers and fellow PoE2 game director Mark Roberts explained that the respawn system would see a wider rollout to other pinnacle fights shortly, maybe even in 0.1.1, but that Arbiter of Ash was the only one they were ready to guarantee for the update due to time constraints. Players will have six respawns by default in the fight, with that number decreasing at higher difficulties.
The new Towers seem like a particularly hefty addition, with the single one present at PoE2's early access launch in December set to be augmented with an additional four. Along with this change to the endgame, 0.1.1 will see the loot and monster numbers on endgame maps tweaked, with Rogers saying it should result in a "more rewarding" mapping experience.
As for what's next after 0.1.1, Rogers said that GGG "has a huge amount of much more meta-shifting changes" planned. "One of the best things about having the game in early access with the endgame is that we now have a much better idea of where we want character power to be, and what the balance of bosses and monsters should be relative to that," Rogers explained. "But those types of changes are going to have to wait until we're ready to make a new League with a new economy for people to play in."
