Path of Exile 2's new league, Dawn of the Hunt, is set to launch on April 4th, 2025, bringing a wealth of exciting content and updates to the game. This major patch, version 0.2.0, introduces new gameplay mechanics, classes, ascendancies, skills, items, and endgame improvements, making it a significant milestone in the game's development.
New Class: The Huntress
The centerpiece of this update is the introduction of the Huntress, a versatile class that combines melee and ranged combat. Armed with a spear and buckler, the Huntress offers a dynamic playstyle, allowing players to seamlessly transition between close-quarters combat and long-range attacks. Her unique abilities include Parry, which stuns enemies and enhances follow-up strikes, and Disengage, which creates explosions and grants frenzy charges when used after a successful parry.
Combat Style
The Huntress thrives on mobility and adaptability:
● Spear Skills: These allow her to engage enemies both up close and from a distance. Skills like Explosive Spear and Lightning Spear showcase her ability to deal massive damage while maintaining crowd control.
● Buckler Mechanics: Her buckler enables a unique Parry ability, which stuns enemies and opens them up for devastating counterattacks. For example, using Disengage after a parry creates explosions and grants frenzy charges.
Unique Abilities
The Huntress introduces innovative gameplay mechanics:
● Taming Beasts: She can tame rare monsters, turning them into companions with unique modifiers. This adds a strategic layer to her gameplay.
● Elemental Combos: Her spear skills can chain elemental attacks, creating some of the longest combo chains seen in Path of Exile 2.
Gameplay Synergies
The Huntress is designed to weave in and out of combat, using her mobility to dodge attacks and reposition strategically. Her abilities often interact with Frenzy Charges, enhancing her elemental spear skills and overall damage output.
Passive Skill Tree
Starting in the lower-right quadrant of the passive skill tree, the Huntress has access to nodes that emphasize evasion, dexterity, and elemental damage, making her a highly agile and lethal character.
The Huntress also brings 22 new skills to the game, such as:
● Whirling Slash: Creates a whirlwind that blinds enemies and explodes upon leaving the area.
● Lightning Spear: Chains lightning between enemies for crowd control.
● Explosive Spear: Plants spears that detonate after a delay, dealing massive damage.
Additionally, the Huntress can tame rare beasts, turning them into companions with unique mods, adding a strategic layer to her gameplay.
New Ascendancy Classes
The update introduces five new ascendancy classes, expanding build options for both the Huntress and existing characters:
1. Ritualist (Huntress): Harnesses the power of animal sacrifices for temporary boosts.
2. Amazon (Huntress): Focuses on traditional combat techniques mastered to perfection.
3. Lich (Witch): Sacrifices life to enhance energy shields and specializes in chaos and curses.
4. Smith of Kitava (Warrior): Forgoes traditional armor mods to forge powerful armor notables.
5. Tactician (Mercenary): Utilizes Blackguard training for immense firepower and crowd control.
League Mechanic: Azmerian Wisps
The Azmerian Wisps league mechanic introduces a new challenge where wisps empower monsters as they travel through them. Defeating these empowered monsters rewards players with Talismans, powerful socketable items that enhance gameplay.
Endgame Improvements
The Dawn of the Hunt update significantly enhances the endgame experience with:
● Seven new endgame maps, each offering unique challenges and rewards.
● Revamped Atlas Passive Tree, providing more strategic options for players.
● Introduction of Fracturing Orbs, enabling new crafting possibilities.
Additional Features
The update also includes:
● 25 new skills and 100+ new support gems, offering diverse build opportunities.
● Over 100 new unique items, adding depth to itemization.
● Revamped crafting systems, including Recombination Crafting for Expedition.
Release Details
Path of Exile 2's Dawn of the Hunt league launches on April 4th, 2025, at 12 PM PDT. Players can start fresh in a new economy while retaining old characters and content in the Standard league.
Conclusion
This update promises to redefine the Path of Exile 2 experience, offering players new ways to explore, strategize, and conquer the challenges of Wraeclast. Are you ready to embrace the hunt?
