Grinding Gear Games has announced a series of significant changes to Act 3 areas in Path of Exile 2, aimed at reducing overall completion time and improving navigation. The changes, expected to deploy within days after April 7, 2025, include reducing area sizes, removing frustrating dead ends, and adding quality-of-life improvements to prevent excessive backtracking.
Act 3 Overhaul Tackles Player Frustration Points
According to data collected by Grinding Gear Games, Path of Exile 2's Act 3 currently takes significantly longer to complete compared to other acts in the campaign. To address this issue, developers are implementing layout changes across multiple areas to streamline the player experience without diminishing the act's content.
The announcement comes just one day after their previous update post on April 6, 2025, showing the team's commitment to rapid iteration based on player feedback and gameplay data.
Area-Specific Improvements
The changes target ten specific areas within Act 3, each receiving tailored adjustments:
The Drowned City & Utzaal
Both areas will have significant dead ends removed and their overall size reduced. In The Drowned City, a particularly frustrating dead end leading to an inaccessible door is being eliminated, while Utzaal will lose two similar dead ends that currently cause unnecessary backtracking.
The Apex Of Filth
This area's spiral shape is being redesigned to create a smaller, more navigable space. Developers noted they're breaking continuity with the Past version to prioritize gameplay flow.
What's Changing in The Azak Bog?
Currently a large square that requires extensive exploration, The Azak Bog is being transformed into a more rectangular shape with the boss positioned at the end opposite from the starting point. This change aims to reduce exploration time and variance between playthroughs.
Improved Navigation in Jungle Areas
Several jungle areas are receiving navigation improvements. The Infested Barrens will feature a new bottleneck that ensures players find the critical Waterways entrance. Jungle Ruins will have a more visible exit to Infested Barrens with the checkpoint moved closer, while Chimeral Wetlands will have the Temple of Chaos entrance repositioned closer to the Machinarium entrance to reduce backtracking.
Soul Core Additions
Both Jiquani's Machinarium and Jiquani's Sanctum will receive additional Soul Cores, reducing the time players spend searching these areas for necessary progression items.
Quality-of-Life Improvements
Beyond specific area redesigns, the update includes an important quality-of-life change: increased timeout durations for areas containing side-areas. This adjustment prevents the frustrating scenario where main areas reset after players complete side content, forcing them to re-clear previously conquered territory.
These timeout extensions should significantly reduce repeated clearing and improve the overall flow between main areas and their side content.
When Will These Changes Take Effect?
According to the announcement, players can expect these improvements to be deployed within a few days following the April 7, 2025 announcement. Grinding Gear Games has also committed to monitoring the impact of these changes to determine if further adjustments are needed.
For Path of Exile 2 players currently progressing through the campaign, these changes should make the Act 3 experience more streamlined and less time-consuming when they arrive, addressing one of the community's key concerns about campaign pacing.
The full details of the changes can be found in the official forum announcement.
