Path of Exile 2: The Ultimate Waste of Time
There’s a kind of frustration that only a game like Path of Exile 2 can evoke — a lingering, gnawing regret that doesn’t just taint the hours spent playing but also the hours spent thinking about it. And no, this isn’t about bugs or the growing pains of an early access title. It’s about the fundamental design decisions, the unshakable core of the game, that ensures it will never be good. That’s what makes Path of Exile 2 such a colossal disappointment: the realization that the problems aren’t temporary, they’re baked into the game.
The Poison of Bad Design
We’ve all played games in early access that were rough around the edges. Bugs, crashes, and awkward mechanics are forgivable when they’re accompanied by a glimmer of potential. But PoE2 isn’t a game that can hide behind the “early access” excuse. Its flaws are not the kind that can be patched out or refined over time. They are deliberate choices — pillars of the design philosophy — that turn what should have been a celebration of ARPG mastery into a joyless slog.
Playing PoE2 feels like staring into a black hole of wasted potential. The fun, the freedom, the exhilaration of discovery that defined PoE1 are gone, replaced by a rigid, hostile experience that seems almost allergic to the concept of player enjoyment. Every design decision feels like it was made with the express purpose of punishing curiosity and experimentation.
The Mental Toll of a Bad Game
What makes PoE2 truly insidious is how it lingers in your mind. Even after stepping away from the game, the irritation stays with you. It’s the kind of game that occupies mental real estate far longer than it deserves, not because it’s compelling, but because it’s bafflingly bad. Every time I think about PoE2, I feel like I’ve been robbed of a few more precious seconds of my life — seconds I’ll never get back.
Contrast this with PoE1. Even at its most punishing, PoE1 was a game you played for fun. Its systems, while complex, invited experimentation and rewarded creativity. You could lose yourself in its intricacies without feeling like you were wasting your time. With PoE2, the opposite is true: every thought, every moment spent engaging with it feels like a mistake. It’s a game that doesn’t just fail to reward your time — it actively devalues it.
A Philosophy That Won’t Change
The most damning realization about Path of Exile 2 is that it’s not going to get better. This isn’t a case of growing pains or unfulfilled potential. The design philosophy at the heart of PoE2 is fundamentally hostile to players. It’s a philosophy that prioritizes grind over fun, tedium over accessibility, and punishment over reward. No amount of post-release updates or community feedback is going to change that.
Grinding Gear Games has made their intentions clear: they want PoE2 to be an unforgiving, hardcore experience that caters to a niche audience willing to endure its user-hostile systems. For the rest of us, that means the game will never be good. It will never recapture the magic of PoE1. It will never be worth your time.
The Unfortunate Legacy of Path of Exile 2
Path of Exile 2 is more than just a bad game — it’s a cautionary tale. It’s a reminder that even the most beloved franchises can lose their way when developers prioritize ideology over enjoyment. It’s a testament to how poor design decisions can ruin even the most promising sequel.
For me, PoE2 isn’t just a bad game. It’s a mistake — one I wish I could take back. If you’re reading this and considering touching the game, do yourself a favor: don’t. Save your time, save your energy, and save your mental health. Let Path of Exile 2 fade into obscurity, where it belongs. Let it be the game you never think about, because thinking about it is the real waste of time.
