5 things to know about Path of Exile if you are coming from Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2 was a great starting point if you were overwhelmed by the first game. The various quality-of-life updates that simplified and modernized aspects like crafting and movement made the game easy to understand. A few mechanics from PoE1 were also introduced, like Expedition, Breach, and Delirium, allowing you to learn without complicating things too much.

With PoE1 getting a new expansion, it may feel like the best time to test your knowledge about the game. But before that, there are a few things you should know, as not everything is exactly the same.

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PoE1 will surprise players coming from Path of Exile 2

Despite being similar, Path of Exile 1 will feel very different in terms of gameplay and the overall content. Here are five reasons why:

1) No WASD Controls or dodge roll (yet)

M&K still doesn't allow WASD movement option (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Path of Exile 2 gives you the option to choose between the legacy controls of point-and-click, or go with modern controls using WASD. Most of the time, using your keyboard is much more convenient and chances are, you also went with the modern controls.

Sadly, this isn’t an option in PoE1 just yet. Moving around is done using your mouse, which might take a day or two of getting used two. However, if you have a mouse with extra buttons, a few builds in the game can be controlled with just one hand.

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2) Lot of build options to choose from

You can play Righteous Fire build with one hand (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

PoE1 features over 270 skill gems and 19 Ascendancies, for players to mix and match. Compared to PoE2 with only 136 skills and 17 Ascendancies, this gives players a lot of choices to start their journey. It’s true that the sequel may end up having a lot more after the final release, but at the moment, PoE1 has more options.

Having more options also means more build diversity, allowing you to try more skills and play what you want. However, build diversity doesn’t necessarily mean each skill is perfectly balanced. That’s why new Leagues shake up the meta to have players try different skills.

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3) Skill gems and support gems work differently in PoE1

Skills need to be equipped on your gear (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Using skill gems in PoE1 is very different. There is no skills tab where you can slot gems like PoE2, instead you’ll need to slot them inside the armor/weapon sockets. But the story doesn’t end there, as the socket’s color also needs to be the same as the gem you’re trying to equip.

The same goes for support gems, but there’s an additional thing to keep in mind. These support gems aren’t active unless the sockets are linked. To do that, you’ll need Orbs of Fusing and hope that every socket gets a link in few tries.

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4) More endgame content compared to Path of Exile 2

PoE1 features a lot of unique boss fights (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Path of Exile 2 has plenty of endgame content to explore, it all dwarfs in front of the first game. With multiple Atlas expansion and League mechanics, there’s enough content to keep you busy for months.

There’s also the upcoming Secrets of the Atlas expansion, which will expand the endgame of PoE1. The full reveal will be on June 5, 2025, but apart from a new League, Atlas expansions usually bring new boss fights, and may even change how the endgame works.

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5) A lot more crafting options

PoE1 features extensive crafting (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

If you like crafting in Path of Exile 2, you’re going to love PoE1. The game offers a variety of gear crafting options that were introduced over a decade of Leagues. Many of the features like Expedition and Essence were first introduced in PoE1.

Apart from the ones you already saw, there’s Harvest crafting/Horticrafting by visiting The Sacred Grove, Betrayal crafting by taking down Immortal Syndicate, Beast crafting with the help of Beastmaster Einhar, and Resonator crafting from Delve.