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There are many things players have been asking for to arrive on Path of Exile 2, yet none of them has been as requested as the Druid class. Well, for all ARPG fans out there, this shapeshifting fighter is about to join the roster. On top of that, there’s a new league coming with The Last of the Druids update, and it is one of the most unique ones we’ve seen in the game so far, which includes the ability to create your own dungeon as you make your way to the challenging final boss.
The Druid Class Arrives on Path of Exile 2 on December 12
Let’s start with the two big news: the Druid class and the release of The Last of Druids for Path of Exile 2. Both of them will launch on December 12, and if you already have the game, you’ll be able to jump straight into the action and grab this shapeshifter.
Compared to other ARPGs, the Druid in Path of Exile 2 is quite unique. As soon as players get access to this new Strength/Intelligence hybrid, they will be able to shapeshift into three forms: bear, wolf, and, drum roll please, Wyvern.
The bear form will focus on using Rage to cast powerful abilities. You can generate this resource by spamming Maul on enemies, and then spend it to perform a devastating attack. Some of the abilities coming to bear form include Ferocious Roar, which increases the strength of your next attacks while also weakening an enemy’s armor. You can even add a Meta Gem to Ferocious Roar that allows you to use a Warcry from another class, giving your bear those abilities.
The second form is the wolf one, and it feels a bit more agile and deadly. Instead of just embracing the fierce side of this animal, the wolf can embrace Lunar magic, with some spells freezing enemies in place. The wolf can also summon other wolves to fight alongside the druid after killing Marked enemies. And speaking of marks, just like Ferocious Roar for bear, the wolf form can also add meta gems to the Pounce skill, which allows you to use Mark skills from other classes.
Last but certainly not least, the wyvern form, and one that greatly surprised us. The wyvern focuses on a more long-range style of play, with several breath attacks, yet also allows players to wail on enemies with its claws. The main gimmick of the wyvern is the ability to eat corpses after a fight, which generates charges for the wyvern skills. Your charged skills will get more destructive effects, such as your melee ability turning into an AoE skill. Also, you can finish off some enemies by eating them just as they are in a near-death state.
Beyond the animal forms, the Druid of Path of Exile 2 also has several human skills that embrace the spellcasting part of the class. You can make your enemies wet to enhance the shocking effects, but you can also water the plants the Druid summons to increase their potency. Those weak vines you summon will become stronger with water, causing more damage to foes. This will create a lot of fun and destructive combinations as you experiment with all the dozens of new support gems coming to The Last of the Druids update.
And since there’s a new class, that means two new Ascendancy Classes—first, the Shaman. This class will use rage as a spellcaster to increase spell damage, and also focus on using Runes and Idols to create an elemental mayhem during a fight. The second class is the Oracle, and this one is pretty original regarding its mechanics. You’ll be able to use the Foresight ability to get a future vision of your fight. If you use the skills shown in the vision, they will deal more damage. Furthermore, you’ll be able to damage both an enemy’s vision and the actual enemy with Converging Paths. This is undoubtedly one of the most interesting approaches to the Druid and the Ascendancy Class, and the one we think will become the fan-favorite.
The Fate of the Vaal League Launches Alongside The Last of Druids
One of the most exciting parts of The Last of the Druids update is the Fate of the Vaal league, which might be the most engaging and creative league we’ve seen in Path of Exile 2 so far.
As soon as you delve into the Vaal’s underground temple, you’ll access a console that will allow you to create your own dungeon. You read that right. Players will get six rooms they can place however they want, then dive into them to fight creatures and earn loot. However, there’s also a strategy layer to it, as you’ll need to place the rooms correctly to get the most out of them. To level up a Smithy, you’ll need to place Golemworks next to it, so it is all about creating your ideal dungeon, but also solving a puzzle before entering it.
Of course, each time you enter the temple, new rooms will become available, increasing its size, but also the rewards. There is also a time-traveling mechanic of sorts, which will send you back in time to use some of the old civilization devices to Corrupt some of your items, find Corrupted Souls, and even replace some of your limbs to get some combat buffs.
There are way more things coming to The Last of the Druids update of Path of Exile 2, such as increased experience and loot from monsters, a lot of optimization improvements, giving players at least 25% more frames (depending on everyone’s system), and much more. So, if you want an excuse to return to Wraeclast, this update might be the perfect one.
