The Spectral Helix skill is a quirky

The Spectral Helix skill is a quirky

Aimed at Ascendants, the Spectral Helix skill is a quirky ability inspired by the Vaal Spectral Throw skill  POE currency trade . It launches your equipped melee weapon (multiplicatively, if you use multiple projectile support gems) in a spiral outwards, bouncing off walls—a fun way to turn swords into spinning projectiles. Probably the most interesting new skill is Explosive Concoction, which is designed for the Pathfinder. It can only be cast when you're not holding any weapons, and it lets you throw exploding bottles with extra properties based on any elemental flasks you may have on your potion belt. Suddenly you're a crazed potion-hurling alchemist.


(Image credit: Grinding Gear Games)
Grinding Gear also plans to rework the early game. While some (speedrunners especially) love that you can now breeze through the first half of the game, Path Of Exile has undeniably become easier over time, and it wants to bring back some of that old fear.

Rather than just making enemies tankier or more damaging (although enemy stats are being revised) they do want to eliminate some dominant strategies and reduce exploitable tactics. Flasks are being tweaked so you're not just mashing hotkeys to chug every potion simultaneously and refilling them faster than you can drain them. Some highly abusable attack-while-teleporting skills have been brought more in line with other movement skills, and support gems that outright multiply the amount of damage you do are getting a firm whack from the nerf bat.

This decision was partially inspired by player reactions to Path Of Exile 2 at Exilecon in 2019. The show-floor demo was a tough cookie, with tougher enemies capable of wiping out half your health with a solid (if well telegraphed) hit, and bosses being genuinely menacing. This raised tension made for a great experience, and they want to bring the original PoE more in line with it by the time the sequel drops buy POE divine orbs . Personally, I kinda miss being menaced by Act 1's minibosses.