7 Must-Have Changes for PoE2 Dawn of the Hunt

Path of Exile 2's first major milestone, Dawn of the Hunt, lands on 4 April 2025, hot on the heels of its Early Access debut on 6 December 2024. With a live stream dropping details on March 27, Grinding Gear Games (GGG) is gearing up to shake things up. The Huntress class is confirmed, a spear is in tow, and a reset is on the horizon - but there's more to this game than that. After 500 hours in Wraeclast's wilds, I've nailed down seven big changes that could make this update a banger. From endgame depth to a crafting overhaul, here's what I'm rooting for—straight from a player's gut, spiced with community chatter and a dash of hope.  

The Atlas is Path of Exile 2's endgame backbone, but it's feeling a bit bare-bones compared to Path of Exile 1's sprawling systems. Don't get me wrong - the bosses are brutal fun, but the map tower loop gets old quickly. Dawn of the Hunt could spice it up with unique encounters - think rare Huntress-themed bosses roaming the Atlas and dropping juicy uniques or currency. X posts like @POEGrind's “Atlas needs side gigs, not just towers” nail it. Small dungeons, rival Exiles, or even a mini-league tied to hunting rare spawns would break up the monotony. Early Access is young, but let's see some meat on these bones!  

Herald of Ice and Thunder dominate builds—Spark setups, Pillar of the Cage stat-stackers, you name it. It's not a crisis (every ARPG has its darlings—POE1 had Lightning Strike leagues), but too many builds lean on Heralds to even function. GGG has hinted at buffing weaker skills rather than nerfing the top dogs, and I'm here for that. Dust off neglected gems - give us a reason to dump the meta without torching what works. Reddit's r/pathofexile has players begging, “Make more skills viable, not just Herald crutch!” A balanced meta keeps the grind fresh - let's see it happen.  

There are rumours that Beastiary is making a comeback - capturing monsters for crafting fits the Dawn of the Hunt vibe. I'd love that, but here's the rub: Path of Exile 2 shouldn't just recycle POE1 hits like Breach or Ritual. Those are classics, sure, but this is a new beast. How about a unique hunting mechanic? Chase bosses across the atlas, set traps or summon NPC allies for epic takedowns. X user @ExileTalk mused: "New game, new tricks - don't rely too much on POE1. Give us something bold that screams Path of Exile 2 - a flavour all its own.  

If you're new to ARPGs, here's the deal: big updates like this reset the economy—everyone starts at zero, gear shifts to Standard, and chaos reigns. POE2's current market is wild—amulets at 300-400 Divines, Exalted-to-Divine ratios at 600:1. A reset with Dawn of the Hunt would draw players back like moths to a flame - it is the lifeblood of leagues in Diablo or Last Epoch. Forum posts on poe.trade scream "Prices are crazy - reset now!" A reset levels the playing field and makes every orb a treasure again. It's a no-brainer—make it happen, GGG.  

5. Crafting Overhaul: Less RNG, More Purpose

A reset's great, but if prices skyrocket again in weeks, what's the point? Crafting's the culprit—Essences are fine but rare, and slamming currencies like Chaos or Exalted Orbs is a dice roll. We don't need POE1's crafting bank just yet, but give us some direction. Maybe a Dawn of the Hunt mechanic where hunting beasts unlocks targeted mods - resistances, speed, whatever - via blind RNG. X chatter like @CraftPOE's “Crafting's a slot machine—fix it!” rings true. GGG's got ideas brewing - I'm excited to see them cooking up something purposeful.  

I dig the Atlas—exploring nodes, uncovering secrets—it's got potential. But juicing up maps with towers? Snooze fest. GGG has teased better rewards, and I'm all ears. Moments of Zen drop random uniques - cool, but mostly rubbish. Vaults and unique maps like Stone Circles underwhelm compared to regular runs. Make the loot worth the hunt - rare gear, currency stacks, something to chase. Add a QoL gem: search the atlas for unique maps with an arrow. Simple, game-changing. Reddit's pleading, “Make Atlas pop—not a chore!”—and I'm nodding along.

Path of Exile 2 looks stunning, but it chugs for some. My 4090 purrs, but friends on 3080s limp below 60 FPS in juicy maps - lag spikes, texture pops, the works. Early access, sure, but as Dawn of the Hunt piles on the content, we need polish. Smoother performance, faster loading, less stuttering when Breach's hands explode - that's the dream. X user @POETech griped, “Love it, but my rig's crying—optimize!” A tighter game means more fun for mid-range PCs and consoles. Let's get that engine humming.

I've poured 500 hours into Path of Exile 2—it's a gem, rough edges and all. But Dawn of the Hunt is GGG's chance to flex. Early Access might stretch past a year—summer 2026 feels right with five more classes like the Druid teased. That's fine if updates like this deliver. I'm picturing a Huntress tearing through a revamped Atlas, crafting gear that doesn't suck, and a market where I'm not broke on day two. The community hype is real-X and Reddit is abuzz with "This could be huge! Nail these changes and I'll happily grind another 500.

Dawn of the Hunt drops April 4—Huntress, reset, and maybe these seven fixes. What's on your wish list? Endgame spice or crafting love? Drop your thoughts below and keep an eye on MMOJUGG for more! Hang in there, Exiles.