POE 2 Teasers Day 9 - 0.5.0 - Campaign Shortcuts and a Leak - Path of Exile 2
Summary
- Grinding Gear Games (GGG) is introducing “tells” and shortcuts across Acts 1, 2, and 3 to help players navigate the campaign.
- The design philosophy aims to let veterans move faster with less gear, while rookies explore more, finding more loot and experience to naturally outgear difficult content.
- Specific visual cues include locust trails in Act 1, ground cracks in Act 2, and NPC explorers in Act 3.
- A minor leak suggests the scope of campaign layout changes is massive, making previous knowledge of zone layouts largely irrelevant for patch 0.5.0.
The Philosophy of Campaign Tells
In Path of Exile 1, certain zones feature visual indicators to guide efficient players. Notable examples include:
- The Ledge (Act 1): Three seashells near the waypoint indicate the correct direction to progress.
- The Grain Gate (Act 8): Corpses of guards outside building entrances signal the correct path through the maze; entrances without corpses lead to optional side areas with extra monster packs.
For Path of Exile 2, the goal is to provide shortcuts that are not immediately apparent to rookies. This creates a natural difficulty balance:
- Rookie Players: Explore the full map, fight more monsters, and reach bosses at a higher level with better gems (e.g., Rank 9 gems) and more currency.
- Veteran Players: Take direct paths, reaching bosses faster but with weaker gear and lower-level gems (e.g., Rank 7 or 8). They rely on mechanical knowledge and deterministic items, such as specific resistance rings or runes, to overcome the power deficit.
Act 1 Implementation: Hunting Grounds and Crowbell
The Hunting Grounds is a large, sparse area that has been streamlined for knowledgeable players:
- Locust Trails: Upon completing the first ritual encounter in the Hunting Grounds, a trail of locusts will appear. Following this trail leads directly to the entrance of Freethorn.
- Blood Trails: To find the Crowbell boss, look for dead animal corpses. A trail of blood leading away from these corpses points the way to the boss.
- Signposts: Roads now feature signposts explicitly indicating the direction of Ogham Village.
Act 2 Implementation: Macedon Badlands
The Macedon Badlands contains the Lightless Caverns and the Abyssal encounter required to unlock the Well of Souls.
- Ground Cracks: Players can now find cracks in the ground within the Badlands. Following these cracks leads directly to the Abyssal lair.
- Strategic Choice: This allows veterans to quickly decide whether to target the Well of Souls immediately or skip it to focus on primary objectives and skill points.
Act 3 Implementation: Jungle Areas and Navigation
Navigation in the dense jungle areas of Act 3 has been improved through NPC interaction:
- Explorer Camps: Interacting with explorer NPCs in the jungle will cause them to point toward the next area and reveal its location on the minimap.
- Matlan Waterways: This zone has been reworked to be significantly more linear. While previously a maze, it now functions as a straight path with a small detour to pull a lever, similar to the “Gorge” map layout from Path of Exile 1.
Leak Discussion: Scope of Campaign Changes
A minor leak from a GGG staff member on a speedrunning Discord suggests that the campaign overhaul is more substantial than officially communicated:
- Layout Reworks: Most areas have received at least minor layout tweaks, while many others have been completely reworked.
- Access Points: Some zones are now accessed from different areas than in previous builds.
- Speedrunning Impact: Practicing current layouts (from 0.4.0 or earlier) for the 0.5.0 league start is discouraged, as the “map meta” has shifted.
- Venom Crypts Shortcut: As an officially confirmed example of these changes, the Venom Crypts (an optional side area in Act 3) now features a new exit. Completing the Crypts dumps the player at the entrance of the second main zone of Act 3, providing a significant shortcut for those who complete the side quest.