In an engaging Q&A session with the game director of *Path of Exile 2*, Jonathan Rogers, players received significant updates about the future of the game, particularly regarding new class introductions and the game's overall direction. Rogers disclosed that new classes will not be a central focus of future patches due to the unpredictable nature of their development cycle. Instead of expecting a new class with every patch, players can look forward to more Ascendancies being introduced regularly.

Rogers shared insights into the challenges faced during the development of the Huntress class, which led to delays in the release schedule. He emphasized the importance of having a fixed release date over promising new classes, stating, I would like it if every release would have a class, but I would say that we actually learned something during the production of this cycle, which is that it was a mistake to have a class as a wedge for the development of your expansion. The unpredictability of class development has led the team to prioritize timely updates over new class introductions.

You Can Expect More Ascendancies Instead

Rogers assured fans that while new classes might not be a staple of every update, the team is committed to releasing additional Ascendancies with each patch. He also expressed enthusiasm about adding more classes even after the game's Early Access phase, stating, As I said, Ascendancies, we can definitely do; maybe even after release, we continue to add even more classes as I’m certainly keen to add more. This approach aims to keep the game fresh and engaging without the delays associated with new class development.

The upcoming patch, *Dawn of the Hunt*, will introduce over 100 new skills, support gems, and unique gear tailored for midgame and endgame play. Rogers highlighted that these changes are part of a broader effort to enhance the endgame experience, promising that bosses will be significantly more challenging. The goal is to extend the time it takes for players to reach overpowering levels, ensuring a more rewarding progression.

Promising the End to Be A Lot Harder

Rogers expressed disappointment with how quickly players had been able to defeat Pinnacle Bosses in the past, aiming for a more challenging initial encounter. He envisioned the first fight with a Pinnacle Boss to be difficult, with the player's first victory in a league taking significant effort. He noted, The first time you fight a Pinnacle Boss, it’s going to be a hard fight and crazy. But as you fight the boss more times and you get more items and you get to optimize your build and stuff, you can get to the point where you kill the boss in fourteen seconds. It’s just that it’s not your first experience.

The balance changes are focused on slowing down the power progression, ensuring players enjoy the journey to becoming powerful without reaching that point too early. Rogers concluded, You should always be able to feel powerful and certainly should have that fantasy there, just not right off the bat. So that’s where a lot of our balance changes are focused.

Path of Exile 2 Game Director is Happy With Its Ruthless Difficulty

Addressing player feedback on the campaign's difficulty, Rogers remains satisfied with the current state of *Path of Exile 2*. He believes that initial complaints about the game's difficulty stemmed from players comparing it to the previous game without fully experiencing the new one. Rogers is optimistic that as players become more familiar with the game, the perceived difficulty will decrease, stating, I don’t think we’re gonna get nearly as many complaints about it this time, and that’s because once you know how to play, you’re going to find the experience a lot easier. He acknowledges that if the difficulty remains a significant issue, further adjustments will be considered, but he is confident in the current balance.