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Now that Path of Exile 2 is available, Diablo 4 fans and PoE 2 fans are up in arms, discussing where the games vary. While both games are perfectly fine and fun to play, Grinding Gear Games made bold choices and decisions for its gameplay that might seem “risky” for Blizzard. This, combined with the incredible hype for PoE 2, in general, has people talking.
Is there anything from Path of Exile 2 that Diablo 4 could do in the future? These are primarily pretty big changes that would take a season or expansion to do — not likely things you’d see updated in patches. I cannot stress enough that I enjoy both games. However, the riskier choices of Grinding Gear Games are really paying off.
Note: This article is subjective and solely relies on the writer's opinions.
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What could Diablo 4 learn from Path of Exile 2 for future updates/expansions?
This isn't a take-down of Diablo 4 at all. All games, including Path of Exile 2 can be improved. It's just that there are some very interesting things that Grinding Gear Games is doing right now, and it would be nice to see Blizzard shake things up in a future expansion.
- Improving itemization would make more gear feel special (everything is Legendary so nothing is Legendary).
- An MTX shop that doesn’t feel predatory or take advantage of fans.
- Diablo 4’s bosses feel mediocre and uninteresting compared to Path of Exile 2.
- Diablo 4’s classes are more streamlined, instead of the tactical depth of Path of Exile 2.
- The Paragon board isn’t half as interesting as the Passive Skill Tree.
- Diablo 4 lacks a system of Ascendancies to improve the baseline classes with fun, new abilities/playstyles.
1) Improving itemization would make more gear feel special (everything is Legendary so nothing is Legendary)
Diablo 4’s “Legendary” items seldom feel Legendary, compared to Path of Exile 2’s equipment. The crafting system is leagues better than the D4 system of improving gear, that’s for sure. Plus, most Legendary gear doesn’t really feel … special. Uniques are, for the most part, great, but everything beneath that feels mediocre.
In Path of Exile 2, however, you can get some remarkable affixes on even Blue/Yellow drops, and then upgrade those further in even better ways. Whereas Diablo 4 at best gets one or two new affixes, and it more often than not gives you the thing you want the least. D4’s done quite a few itemization changes in the past, but there’s still room for improvement.
2) An MTX shop that doesn’t feel predatory or take advantage of fans
I’m not suggesting Diablo 4 needs to add stash tabs or anything to its shop, but honestly, Path of Exile 2’s system is much better. Most PoE 2 players feel perfectly fine spending money in the shop because, at the end of the day, it is, or will be, free-to-play. I also think Diablo 4 should go the F2P route, but that’s a discussion for another day.
When most of the great cosmetics are 20+ dollars, and vastly outstrip the quality of cosmetics you get by simply playing the game, there’s a pretty serious disconnect. While I own and love the Warcraft x D4 cosmetics, they are not priced in a way that’s fair to fans. Nothing in the D4 shop is.
Admittedly, there are some expensive cosmetics in the Path of Exile 2 shop - though I'm not counting any of the Supporter Packs, because that's not a direct, in-game purchase. Where the two games differ, is that while some things are overpriced in PoE 2, none of the important items are. Everything in the Diablo 4 store is wildly, grossly overpriced.
PoE 2 by design is free-to-play, and does have things to make gameplay a bit easier in the shop - mostly Stash tabs. None of these are ridiculously priced, and ultimately go to fund a free-to-play game. This is a far cry from a retail-priced game with 20+ dollar cosmetics.
3) Diablo 4’s bosses feel mediocre and uninteresting compared to Path of Exile 2
While I love Diablo 4 just in general, the bosses aren't interesting or challenging when compared to the ones in Path of Exile 2. Bosses come in two flavors: easy, or Godlike Uber bosses. There’s not a whole lot of variance there. I do think PoE 2 needs to ease up on the insta-kill mechanics, though, that’s for sure. Neither game is without flaw.
Some fights in PoE 2 are miserable for Melee, for example, but others aren’t as good for ranged users. I think the bosses, whether a main campaign boss or an optional side boss, really all stand out from each other. In general, D4’s optional bosses could use some love.
4) Diablo 4’s classes are more streamlined, when compared with the tactical depth of Path of Exile 2
One of the great things about Path of Exile 2 is that you have some pretty amazing cross-class options, whereas Diablo 4 is very regimented. Now, this has been relaxed a tiny bit with the Runeword system, but it’s not really the same.
In general, I think Diablo 4’s class system is really quite good. Each build is exceptional at something, and there’s a bit of flexibility. There’s always one build that is at the top of the charts, though. I would love to see some kind of cross-class options, or more depth to the skill trees in the future.
5) The Paragon board isn’t half as interesting as the Passive Skill Tree
I don’t know if this is a “hot take”, but the Paragon Board is terrible. Any system where I feel like I have to spend a whole day simply plotting dots on a board, and then randomly picking up skills to slot into it somewhere, then grinding those to get higher levels in them? Misery, pure misery. It’s mindless, tedious, busywork and I don’t like it.
Is the PoE 1 Skill Tree better than PoE 2’s? Some would say so. I prefer 2’s because it’s a bit less complex. I like how each class has specific things and branches they can go for. But the Paragon Board? It’s one of the worst designs I’ve seen in an RPG. I say this despite having played Final Fantasy 12 and its License Board System.
6) Diablo 4 lacks a system for Ascendancies to improve the baseline classes with fun, new abilities/playstyles
Ascendancies are still very much a work in progress in Path of Exile 2, but I’d like to see something like this happen in a future expansion of Diablo 4. Maybe a prestige class system, where you can upgrade, and try out some new powerful abilities/gameplay styles.
Some Ascendancies are completely game-changing, while others just enhance what you already do. I think there’s some room for this in the game. The trick would be to make sure you don’t overload the game with too much stuff. Perhaps we could swap out the Paragon Board for something like Ascendancies? I’d be a fan, but I know some would almost certainly disagree.
Check out our other Path of Exile 2 guides and features
- Path of Exile 2 Class tier list (for beginners)
- Path of Exile 2 Passive Skill Tree guide: How to plan out your build
- Path of Exile 2 beginner tips
- Path of Exile 2: Skill Gems and Gem Cutting guide
