WTF is GGG Doing With PoE2 Size??
Summary
- Grinding Gear Games (GGG) is demonstrating extreme ambition and a high workload capacity with the development of Path of Exile 2.
- The Gemling Legionnaire node introduces unique quality-to-effect scaling for over 200 individual skill gems.
- The Martial Artist’s Fist of Stone node fundamentally alters the functionality of every glove item in the game.
- These design choices represent a massive, ongoing commitment to manual balancing and custom asset editing for all future content.
The Ambition of Gemling Legionnaire
Grinding Gear Games is arguably the most ambitious company in the gaming industry regarding their approach to Path of Exile 2. A primary example of this is the introduction of a new node for the Gemling Legionnaire. This node adds an additional “quality-to-effect” modifier to over 200 different skill gems.
This decision creates a permanent increase in development scope. For as long as Path of Exile 2 exists, every single new skill gem added to the game will require a specific, manual level of editing to account for the Gemling Legionnaire’s mechanics. In the case of Fireball, for example, the node causes the skill to randomly add more projectiles based on the gem’s quality. This level of granular detail for hundreds of skills highlights an incredible amount of work the developers are taking on.
System-Wide Item Overhauls
The complexity extends beyond skill gems into itemization. The Martial Artist’s Fist of Stone node changes the modifiers on every single pair of gloves in the game, regardless of whether they are normal, magic, rare, or unique.
GGG is intentionally creating a massive volume of custom scenarios for specific classes and ascendancies. While this is wonderful for the depth of the game, it raises questions about how the team manages the time required to maintain such a ballooning system. We are lucky to have a developer like Grinding Gear Games in the ARPG space, but the sheer scale of these interconnected systems is staggering.