Endgame is Dry — But the Solution is Simple

Hey GGG Team and fellow Exiles,

After extensively testing various systems in the Path of Exile 2 endgame, I’ve noticed a recurring pattern in my gameplay: I’m actively skipping most endgame mechanics. Not because I’m overwhelmed — but because they slow me down in a way that feels unrewarding and unproductive.

Let me break this down.

When I enter a map, I want to flow. I want to kill, move, kill again, and chain that momentum into the next map. The game's pacing — especially with the improved combat responsiveness and smoother animations in PoE 2 — encourages speed and aggression. The core gameplay feels amazing when uninterrupted.

But most of the current endgame mechanics ask me to stop — to click, wait, pick up, or engage in side-objectives. And honestly? It rarely feels worth it.

It’s not that I don’t like interacting with content. The problem is this: if the game asks me to stop, it better be worth the time investment. Right now, many mechanics don't deliver that payoff. Whether it's interacting with an event, opening a delayed loot reward, or even looting a bunch of scattered splinters or tiny currencies — these moments break the tempo and offer little to justify the slowdown.

So instead, I’ve been mapping like this:

Rush in

Kill everything fast

Skip mechanics that interrupt flow

Chain into the next map

Surprisingly, this approach not only feels better — it’s also been more efficient. It makes the game more about fluid momentum and less about fragmented side-interactions. The irony is: the more content the game offers, the more I ignore — simply because it doesn’t match the pace PoE 2’s combat encourages.

Pinnacle bosses aren’t worth running either anymore — they don’t drop anything worth farming consistently.

Why This Matters
PoE 2 has an incredible opportunity: the engine and systems are faster, smoother, and cleaner than ever before. The visceral feel of combat rewards tempo. But right now, the endgame mechanics feel like leftovers from a slower era. If they’re not rethought to match PoE 2’s design ethos, they’ll continue to feel outdated, clunky, and skippable — even if they’re technically “content.”

The Fix Is Simple
Respect the player's time. If you want me to stop — even for a few seconds — give me a reason. Make the reward explode. Make the interaction meaningful. Or better yet, let me interact without stopping. Integrate mechanics into the flow of mapping rather than against it.

Some ideas:

Reward-per-second needs to be higher for any mechanic that halts movement

Reduce “click to interact” frequency and increase automation for minor interactions

Consider autoloot or smart-loot systems for low-value but essential items (e.g. splinters)

Tune mechanics around pacing, not padding

If you want me to stop, make it feel epic — not like a chore.

Because right now? The cleanest, fastest, most enjoyable way to play PoE 2 endgame... is to skip most of it.

And that’s a missed opportunity.

Looking forward to hearing what others think — especially fellow speed-mappers or anyone feeling that strange dissonance between what the game offers and what it actually rewards.

Cheers

Are you not even a little interested in all the Mechanics this Game offers you ? I dont want to discuss with you about your personal intetions for playing PoE2, but exactly what you mention is available in all other games except in PoE2... thats why I personally love it to understand the Math, the SourceCodes, the Mechanics, the Calculations... Swapping Gameplay I had literally the last 20 years at all other moneywasted Games, i really was excited to find a Game what sets focus on Players Expierience instead of draining only Money out from them. (cough cough Diablo 4 cough cough)

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Schnatz#7834 написал:

Are you not even a little interested in all the Mechanics this Game offers you ? I dont want to discuss with you about your personal intetions for playing PoE2, but exactly what you mention is available in all other games except in PoE2... thats why I personally love it to understand the Math, the SourceCodes, the Mechanics, the Calculations... Swapping Gameplay I had literally the last 20 years at all other moneywasted Games, i really was excited to find a Game what sets focus on Players Expierience instead of draining only Money out from them. (cough cough Diablo 4 cough cough)

I do, sir! I actually want to engage with all of the mechanics — I love depth, variety, and complexity. But the issue is: when these mechanics stop feeling rewarding or become tedious, I naturally lose interest in them.

I wish I could auto-loot Breach splinters and feel excited to rush into Xesht, expecting an awesome payoff. But if the interaction feels like a obstacle or the reward doesn’t match the time investment, I just end up skipping it.

I don’t want less depth — I want that depth to flow better with the game's pace.

Hm. I can understand the Statement on Breach-Splinters... but i really want to say you one more last sentence.

The loot is RNG-based, but this does not mean it is bad in any form. The trick is to work with the things you got, finding the most powerful alternative, and not something special declared relying on what you have done on your build so far. Wit all these "strange" Stats nobody wants, like %-Attribude Reducing, or maybe Leech-Stats, nobody wants to think about what possibilities they offer.

I personally do not go for a 5-Ranks-Melee-Stat. You know why ? (Its bad, compared with some better methods, and also cost something around 40 Divine on Trade.)

Greetings.

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Schnatz#7834 написал:

Hm. I can understand the Statement on Breach-Splinters... but i really want to say you one more last sentence.

The loot is RNG-based, but this does not mean it is bad in any form. The trick is to work with the things you got, finding the most powerful alternative, and not something special declared relying on what you have done on your build so far. Wit all these "strange" Stats nobody wants, like %-Attribude Reducing, or maybe Leech-Stats, nobody wants to think about what possibilities they offer.

I personally do not go for a 5-Ranks-Melee-Stat. You know why ? (Its bad, compared with some better methods, and also cost something around 40 Divine on Trade.)

Greetings.

Totally with you on that — digging into weird stats and making them work is one of the coolest parts of PoE, and I love that layer of depth too.

But sir, it still feels dry, mainly because selling is borderline dead right now. You find something neat, think “hey, this might be useful for someone,” then realize... nope, unless you want to stare at your stash tab for 3 hours hoping someone whispers you while you’re AFK making tea.

We need to be able to sell while offline, period. I don’t even care how — in-game auction house, website-based offline sell tabs, carrier pigeon, I’ll take anything at this point.

(Of course, a proper AH would be amazing — but hey, that’s a separate can of worms.)

That said, I don’t want this post to turn into another auction house debate — I’d really prefer to keep the focus on endgame pacing and reward flow.

I concur with OP, there is something really tiresome about the various endgame mechanics. It feels like the designers didn't even play it much themselves.

You can't blame the players for overall not engaging, it's a video game and the game's job is to seduce you into engagement.

This is in stark contrast to POE1 where the endgame mechanics are all kind of interesting, IMHO. Valdo's maps and inscribed ultimatums come to mind, they are so fun I don't mind the trade friction... but others all have their own thing they like best.

I see the Advantage of Trading with an AH, but i personally have given up trying to understand what others need, to make a simple Divine. I always got my stash full with crap i did not need nor sell.

So i changed my strategy to just taking all with me what I, ME, I know that I know it is maybe useful for my own interests.

By not knowing if I will need it, i set all my public stashes on a price, i am willed to sell that Item, but not for less. Because, you got me, I need it for my experiments or crush it for a shard.

Greetings.