Unlike Diablo 4, Path of Exile 2 makes its Rares count in a post-Unique world

Grinding Gear Games, the developer behind Path of Exile and Path of Exile 2, wants its titles to have distinct itemization strategies regarding Rare and Unique items. This is an aspect that Diablo 4, an ARPG that some consider a direct competitor to the POE entries, could improve.

Itemization — or "gearing," as it is known colloquially — is one of the pillars of any loot-based game. Equipping the right items with the specific stats can make your build feel like a million bucks, and if trading is involved, it can instantly turn you into a very rich gamer.

ARPGs and other genres often include a specific class of items that are a cut above the rest. These gear pieces are known as Unique items. They possess fixed modifiers and, oftentimes, exclusive, unique modifiers; hence, the name. Uniques are generally given greater attention, as the special modifiers can effectively change entire builds or create new playstyles altogether.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective.

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Path of Exile 2 approaches itemization very differently from Diablo 4

Rare items overshadow most Uniques in Path of Exile (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Following the content-loaded showcase of the upcoming Dawn of the Hunt update, Jonathan Rogers and Mark Roberts, the game directors of Path of Exile 2, sat down to conduct a post-showcase interview with YouTuber ZiggyD. The conversation eventually landed on the topic of Uniques and how the developers design such items without the concept of meta builds or the market in mind.

The conversation highlighted that the design philosophy often revolves around the distinction between Rare and Unique items and their apparent power difference. For example, the developers design certain Uniques to be extremely powerful in the early game, but only for a limited time, after which players are likely to swap them with more powerful Rare items. They acknowledge that Rare items are expected to fuel most of the build, if not all of it.

Jonathan Rogers answered a direct question about what they want Uniques to be in Path of Exile 2:

"I mean there's always a tension, because we want Rares to still matter... like, we don't want your character be only full of Uniques... When you find them [early-game Uniques], they should be powerful... for a little while. But there's also some kind of combo thing you might be able to do with them at endgame."

What combo this should be is not always readily apparent — neither to GGG nor to Path of Exile players going fresh into a new balance patch.

You might dismiss a meagre, low-level Unique seeing your current Magic items do better things for your build. Yet, a few weeks later, it might become desirable as the meta gets figured out and obscure interactions come to light.

Jonathan Rogers feels that experimentation is an important spice for an ARPG, saying:

"I feel like a game has to have that stuff in it in order to feel like there's lots of interesting ways to experiment. The feeling of being the first person to discover some new interaction is an amazing thing."

Rare items in Path of Exile titles and all the possible affixes on them are often stronger than most Unique items and can sufficiently power a build by themselves.

Despite the limited crafting options, POE2 still puts effort into empowering Magic-tier items through specific interactions. This increases the build-crafting options. In a way, a god-roll Magic item can be your very own Unique centerpiece for the build you're making.

Unique items still have hidden or overt potential that are build-defining at all stages of the game. In the ARPG space, these are known as "Chase Uniques," such as the Mageblood or Headhunter belt in Path of Exile 2, and even Diablo 4's Mythic Unique items, such as Harlequin Crest and Ring of Starless Skies.

It's good to have this on your hand, but your build is fine with a rare shield, too (Grinding Gear Games)

That brings us to Diablo 4, a different breed of loot-goblin simulator where Uniques and things even better than them completely eclipse what came before.

The Unique-item grind in Diablo 4 is much more prevalent than in POE2, as almost all the best builds involve meta-defining Mythic Unique items. Rare and, oftentimes, Legendary items fall behind the curve, as player power in Diablo 4 is often obtained from the Codex Aspects rather than the item affixes themselves.

This means anything under the Unique-rarity threshold loses value fast, especially because Diablo 4 doesn't offer "slow seasons" often. Whatever you're using before you get your first decent Unique is just a leveling stick for a few hours and will be replaced.

Even after a loot rebalance, Diablo 4's power creep still seems to prevent early-game items from being valuable long-term. This, however, could change soon. The title is expected to see a slower leveling pace in Season 8 (releasing April 29, 2025), which means Rare items could be useful for longer.

As for Path of Exile 2, Dawn of the Hunt releases on April 4, 2025.

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Check out our other Path of Exile 2 features and guides:

• Path of Exile 2 patch 0.2.0 will add third Mercenary Ascendancy, likely with hirelings
• Path of Exile 2 Huntress class: Overview, Skills, and Ascendancies
• Path of Exile 2 Amazon Ascendancy overview and passives
• Path of Exile 2 Smith of Kitava Ascendancy overview and passives
• Path of Exile 2 Ritualist Ascendancy overview and passives
• GGG is doubling down on Towers in Path of Exile 2 patch 0.2.0, now with bosses and league mechanics
• Every new League mechanic in Path of Exile 2 Dawn of the Hunt (0.2.0)