Path of Exile 2's campaign in patch 0.5 remains thrilling for many, but a POE 2 Currency persistent issue frustrates new and veteran players alike: early weapon balance. Certain weapon types feel significantly underpowered compared to others, creating uneven progression and forcing players into specific playstyles from the start.

The Disparity in Early Acts

In Act 1 and beyond, not all weapons perform equally. Spears and staves, for example, often feel too weak for comfortable clearing. Players relying on these options struggle with clear speed and boss damage, while other bases like certain one-handers or alternatives hit much harder with minimal investment.

This imbalance stems from base damage, scaling modifiers, and how skills interact with different weapons. Melee options in particular can feel clunky and slow, making ranged or hybrid choices far more appealing for smooth leveling. New players may drop off after hitting these early walls.

Over-Reliance on Gem Levels

One of the biggest culprits is the dominance of +skill level modifiers on weapons. A weapon with strong +levels can provide massive damage boosts—sometimes accounting for a huge portion of total output—while even well-rolled alternatives without this stat feel like vendor trash.

This creates a "must-have" situation where players vendor or ignore otherwise solid gear. Unique weapons suffer too, often invalidated unless they roll high gem levels. The passive tree and ascendancies contribute less to power spikes, putting nearly all early pressure on finding that perfect weapon drop or upgrade.

Impact on Playstyles and Classes

The problem hits certain classes harder. Huntress or Monk players using suboptimal weapons face tougher campaigns. Melee builds in general feel weaker than ranged counterparts during leveling, leading to frustration and fewer viable league starters.

Quarterstaves, for instance, only shine after specific skills unlock, leaving early acts unenjoyable. This narrows build diversity and punishes experimentation, contrary to Path of Exile's philosophy of freedom and creativity.

Why It Matters for the Game's Future

Early weapon balance affects player retention. The campaign is the first impression for thousands of players. When progression feels unfair or gated by RNG weapon luck, it discourages newcomers and even sours the experience for veterans running fresh characters.

GGG has made strides in other areas with patch 0.5, but addressing weapon disparities—through base damage adjustments, better scaling across types, or reducing gem level dependency—would improve flow dramatically. More even power distribution between weapons would open up fun options without forcing meta chases.

Hope for Improvements

The community continues voicing these concerns, hoping future patches refine early game feel. Better vendor options, more balanced base stats, or targeted buffs to underperformers could solve the issue without overhauling systems.

Until then, players adapt by prioritizing weapon upgrades aggressively and sticking to stronger options. PoE2 has incredible potential, but smoothing out these early rough edges would make the journey to cheap POE 2 Divine Orbs endgame far more enjoyable for everyone.