Path of Exile 2 has brought exciting changes to the table, from revamped crafting systems to the removal of support gem limits. However, beneath these innovations lies a glaring problem that threatens the game's balance: Power Source Imbalance. Right now, gear provides an overwhelming majority of character strength, leaving other essential systems like the passive tree and ascendancies lagging behind. This disparity not only affects gameplay but also diminishes the depth and strategy that PoE 2 is known for.

• The Anatomy of Character Power
• The Power Source Imbalance
• Getting To A Better Baseline
• Why This Matters?

Now, we'll dive into the root causes of this imbalance, explore its impact on player progression, and discuss actionable solutions to bring PoE 2 closer to a harmonious baseline.

↖ The Anatomy of Character Power

In Path of Exile 2, your character's strength comes from several sources:

Ideally, these systems should complement each other and offer comparable levels of power. A well-rounded build would balance investments across all these areas. Unfortunately, that’s not the case right now.

↖ The Power Source Imbalance

1. Gear Dominance

Gear has taken center stage as the primary driver of character strength in Path of Exile 2. While it's natural for items to play a significant role in any ARPG, the current system leans too heavily on gear, especially weapons. For example:

• Weapons: Even for spell builds, weapons like wands and staves dominate damage output due to their modifiers. Attack builds rely even more heavily on weapon stats for base damage scaling.
• Gem Level Modifiers:These modifiers on gear are wildly overpowered. A single weapon with gem levels can provide up to **95% more damage**, completely overshadowing contributions from the passive tree or ascendancies.

This imbalance creates a frustrating experience where players with subpar gear feel severely handicapped, regardless of their skill choices or passive tree investments.

2. Player Progression

Path of Exile 2 has made strides in improving player progression through guaranteed drops—like rare items or crafting orbs—at key points in the campaign. These systems aim to mitigate bad luck and ensure players can keep moving forward.

But Here's The Catch: Even guaranteed drops can't compensate for bad gear. If your weapon is weak, a new support gem might only boost your damage by 20-30%. That;s helpful but far from game-changing. On the flip side, players with great gear are already breezing through content, making these drops feel trivial.

This disparity creates a stark divide between players who understand how to optimize their resources and those who don;t. While rewarding knowledge is important in a game like Path of Exile, the current system amplifies the gap between experienced players and newcomers in an unhealthy way.

3. Gem Level Modifiers

Let's talk about why gem level modifiers are so problematic. These modifiers can add up to Seven Levels on a two-handed weapon, plus additional levels from amulets, gloves, and jewels. The sheer amount of power they provide is staggering:

• A crossbow with +6 gem levels boosts explosive grenade damage by 56%. Add an amulet with +3 levels, and you're looking at 95% More Damage compared to no gem level modifiers.
• Even mediocre gear with gem levels often outperforms perfectly rolled items without them.

This reliance on gem levels skews gameplay in a way that makes other systems—like the passive tree—feel irrelevant by comparison. Why invest in nodes that provide incremental benefits when a single item modifier can double your damage?

↖ Getting To A Better Baseline

So, what's the solution? Gear needs to be rebalanced to reduce its overwhelming influence on character power. Here are some actionable steps Grinding Gear Games (GGG) could take:

Toning Down Gem Level Modifiers

Gem level modifiers should be capped at more reasonable values:

These changes would shift some of the power back to the passive tree and ascendancies while still allowing gear to feel impactful. Additionally, crafting these modifiers should require more investment, similar to Path of Exile 1's system.

Strengthening the Passive Tree & Ascendancies

The passive tree needs more build-defining options that rival the power of gear upgrades. For example:

• Introduce more niche nodes that cater to specific mechanics (e.g., unique interactions for elemental conversion builds).
  
• Make ascendancies more specialized rather than generically strong across all builds. Classes like Warbringer show promise by offering unique mechanics like inverted armor scaling or war cry bonuses.
  

By creating meaningful choices in these systems, players can feel rewarded for strategic planning rather than relying purely on RNG for gear drops.

↖ Why This Matters?

Path of Exile has lways been about depth and complexity—rewarding players who invest time into learning its systems and mastering its mechanics. But when one aspect (gear) overshadows everything else, it undermines that depth and makes progression overly reliant on luck rather than skill.

Balancing power sources isn't just about fixing numbers; it's about preserving what makes Path of Exile special: the ability to craft unique builds that thrive through ingenuity and strategy.