7 things we learned from DarthMicrotransaction's Path of Exile 2 interviews

A few of the Path of Exile 2 developers recently sat down for an interview with popular Twitch streamer DarthMicrotransaction. They talked about how they work towards adding new content to the game, while improving the existing things to make the gameplay more enjoyable. Patch 0.3 is the next Major update and Grinding Gear Games has already started releasing teasers for the update.

Here are a few notable things that the developers mentioned during the interview.

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Seven things we picked up about Path of Exile 2 from the interviews

1) Future PoE 2 updates will not suffer any major delay

Colossal Guardian boss fight (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

With patch 0.3, Path of Exile 2 will receive a major update every four months. Game Director Jonathan Rogers previously stated that they became too focused on adding or improving things, which led to delays, but now they are working to bring in one feature at a time.

In the recent interview, the Head of Environmental Art at GGG, Blake, revealed that collaboration among departments has resulted in improved work quality. Proper communication allows teams to share their vision and work on it, instead of guessing what others may want.

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2) New maps in Path of Exile 2 patch 0.3

PoE 2 Atlas (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

The new teaser for Path of Exile 2 patch 0.3 revealed the name of the league and teased a new Act. If that’s the case, there will be a new biome and enemies. During the interview, Blake revealed he is working on new endgame maps. Some may appear in the upcoming update.

Another Environmental Artist, Fabian, revealed that many of the upcoming maps are a result of combining two already existing tilesets. It helps bring a fresh experience for players, while making things easier for the developers. There are also a few QoL changes across several maps, including fewer narrow corridors to prevent players from getting bottlenecked.

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3) Trap-based boss fight incoming

Act 3 Sandswept Marsh boss (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Boss mechanics are not uncommon and were even present in the first game. However, the 0.3 update may bring a trap-based mechanic that players can use during the boss fight. Lead Level Designer, Steven, revealed that he implemented a way for players to interact with a spike trap to use against the boss.

Steven clarified that he isn’t sure how much of the trap system was used, but the development team did implement something similar. Mechanics like these can make a fight much more interesting, and if it's popular with players, we may see more in future updates.

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4) Music is essential for storytelling

Act 1 town (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Each Act in Path of Exile 2 has a different theme, featuring distinct music across different areas. These aren’t there for the aesthetics, but also express the situation a player is in. It is much more noticeable during boss fights, as explained by Music Director Kamil. During the boss fights, if players listen carefully, they can understand the changing tone of music.

A boss going into the second phase will suddenly have much more intense music. There are also sound cues before the boss performs a powerful attack, allowing players a chance to escape. Kamil also revealed that the next area will have tribal-based music, which is menacing and overwhelming at the same time.

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5) Focus on balancing consistency and realism

Balancing the gameplay remains a priority (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Having a fun gameplay loop is a priority for Steven, and to do that, striking a balance between consistency and realism is essential. Since this is a fantasy game, realism can add flavor to the gameplay. An example Steven provided was the Dreadnaught in Act 2, where having wide pathways connecting a moving arena would break the immersion.

However, it’s not always required, as creating a believable environment is more important. It will allow better immersion and gaming experience, without the need to make everything realistic.

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6) Player feedback is essential for improving the game

PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt League (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Path of Exile 2 is a game in development, and not everything will hit the bullseye from the get-go. To make the game as per the player’s liking, the developers are always looking for feedback. The player complaints regarding map size and how tedious they can get for backtracking are good examples.

Not only does the feedback help improve the future content, but it also allows them to go back and make meaningful changes. While Steven did not promise they would fix everything right away, they are making improvements to make the experience consistent across all in-game activities.

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7) Developers have creative freedom

Act 3 Utzaal area (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

While nothing to be surprised about, all of the developers mentioned that there aren’t rules or strict guidelines they need to follow. Everyone is free to pursue their ideas without any specific direction, giving them considerable creative freedom.

Fabian and Blake revealed that the corpse splitting in half during Act 3 was Jonathan's idea. Before that, the corpses were static items that looked generic and were almost removed. This further helped demonstrate the prowess of the Vaal civilization’s technology.

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Path of Exile 2’s next league is called The Third Edict, as per the recent teaser. A full reveal for the next update and its features will be revealed on August 20, 2025. We have already made a list of things that may be coming. If you’re interested, check out: 5 biggest things we expect from Path of Exile 2 patch 0.3.0.

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Check out other related articles:

• 7 things that might get nerfed in Path of Exile 2's 0.3.0 League
• Path of Exile 2 August League will follow new Last Epoch season yet again