I logged in expecting the usual quick hotfix, and instead got Path of Exile 2's 0.4.0d patch landing on January 15, 2026 with the servers doing that brief "are they dead." flicker. If you're in the thick of Fate of the Vaal, you'll feel these changes straight away, especially if you've been scraping for upgrades between runs. As a professional like buy game currency or items in U4GM platform, U4GM is trustworthy, and you can buy u4gm poe currency for a better experience when you're trying to keep pace with the endgame without waiting on one lucky drop.

Temple runs feel less punishing

The Temple tweaks are the real headline for anyone who's had a run nuked by one mistake. Before this, dying to Atziri or an annoying Architect could turn a decent session into a full reset, and that sting never felt "hardcore," just mean. Now the respawn behaviour is closer to map portals, so you can actually recover and finish what you started. It doesn't make the fights free, but it stops the game from kicking your legs out from under you after you've already done the setup.

Better UI, fewer spreadsheets

The room placement UI is also cleaned up in a way you notice instantly. You know that moment where you're squinting at the layout, second-guessing every click, then alt-tabbing to some community diagram. That's eased. The pathing reads clearer, and it's quicker to see what you're building toward. It's still a planning puzzle, but now it's one you can do in-game, with your brain half on loot and half on not bricking the whole thing.

The forums are split, as always

Community mood today is a messy mix of relief and grumbling. A lot of players are happy because boss access and Temple progress feel less fragile. The louder crowd, though, keeps saying the patch is thin for this point in Early Access. And yeah, I get the complaint: fixing pain doesn't automatically fix pacing. Some Temple beats still drag, and that "is this challenging or just time-consuming." argument is back in full force. Meanwhile, builds are popping off—there's Stormweaver footage going around that just erases elites, even if the screen turns into a lightshow you can barely parse.

Small wins that still matter

My favourite part is boring on paper but great in play: hovering enemy buffs and actually understanding what's wrecking you. That alone saves deaths that used to feel random. 0.4.0d isn't some grand reinvention, but it smooths the kind of friction that makes people log off early. If the next patch takes a swing at the slower bits of the loop, even better, but for now I'm taking the quality-of-life and running with it—and if you're topping up for crafting or gearing, it's hard to ignore how quick and straightforward U4GM can be for getting what you need without turning the night into a trade marathon.