Zizaran's Explosive PoE 2 Developer Interview – 15 Key Takeaways That Shook the Community

What really happened in Zizaran's fiery Path of Exile 2 interview with GGG? We've compiled the 15 most important moments, covering build diversity, combat pacing, defense mechanics, player agency, and future direction. If you're a PoE 2 fan, this is essential reading.

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📘 Table of Contents

1. Why This Interview Shook the PoE Community
2. Interview Context & Guests
3. Top 15 Developer Responses to Core Issues
4. Key Design Problems That Players Are Complaining About
5. Was GGG Being Honest or Just Doing PR?
6. What Does This Mean for PoE 2’s Future?
7. How Player Feedback Is Changing Development
8. Conclusion: Why Zizaran’s Interview Matters

1. Why This Interview Shook the PoE Community

This was the most revealing developer interview in Path of Exile 2’s development so far. Zizaran directly confronted GGG about community frustrations — from build diversity and mobility to defensive scaling and meta reliance. The conversation was raw, direct, and at one point, emotionally intense.

Jonathan (GGG co-founder) even raised his voice and later apologized, showing how passionate both sides are about PoE 2's future.

2. Interview Context & Guests

• Host: Zizaran (veteran streamer & community figure)
• Guests: Jonathan (GGG Co-founder), Neon (Senior Designer)
• Format: Podcast-style open Q&A, centered around raw player feedback
• Date: Early April 2024

📺 Want to watch the full developer interview yourself? You can check it out here: Watch the full Zizaran × PoE 2 Interview on YouTube.

3. Top 15 Developer Responses to Core Issues

1. Build diversity is dead? GGG plans to make more archetypes viable early on.
2. Class imbalance? Major Ascendancy updates coming to underused classes.
3. Monsters are too fast? Swarm mechanics will be reworked to reduce speed disparity.
4. Player movement feels sluggish? New mobility tech and smoother combos in the works.
5. Damage outpaces defense? Devs admit current survivability design is weak, revamp planned.
6. Armor is useless? Jonathan agrees the system failed and may be rebuilt entirely.
7. Is Mastery gone? Being reevaluated; likely replaced with something more intuitive.
8. Speed meta punishes gearing? Implicits may help mitigate “naked running” issue.
9. Ascendancy reset? Partial respec may become available post-release.
10. Chaos resistance access too late? Devs are reviewing early game mitigation options.
11. Forced push mechanics annoying? Enemy knockback redesign coming by skill type.
12. Animation lock ruins flow? Changes to skill responsiveness and cancelability planned.
13. Slow builds can’t survive? Intent to balance speed-centric and tanky playstyles.
14. Vendor system too limited? Expect new reward layers like mystery merchants and rune socket access.
15. Gem leveling, socket access, charm slots? Improvements planned across all three systems. More artificer’s orbs may become quest rewards. Charm slots may be raised to 6. Gem XP quality-of-life is also incoming.

4. Key Design Problems That Players Are Complaining About

⚔️ Defense vs. Offense Imbalance

Right now, glass cannon is king — there’s no real incentive to build tanky. GGG admits systems like Armor and Evasion lack impact and need a major overhaul.

⏱️ Combat Pace Feels Unfair

Players are outrun and overwhelmed by hyper-fast enemies. Zizaran challenged: “Is this still an ARPG, or is it just monsters playing us?” Jonathan got defensive — literally and emotionally — but owned it and promised major pacing changes.

🧠 Meta Dependency & Lack of Build Freedom

The community feels that creativity is punished. If you don’t copy a top-tier build, you’re doomed. GGG promises to loosen numeric restrictions and design more forgiving build systems that encourage innovation.

5. Was GGG Being Honest or Just Doing PR?

• Jonathan lost his cool — but then apologized. That rawness made the conversation feel real.
• Neon stayed calm, offering thoughtful support especially around defense issues.
• GGG committed to fixing all 15 core issues — many before launch.
• The PoE community is calling this “the most honest dev dialogue we’ve ever seen.”

6. What Does This Mean for PoE 2’s Future?

• Game pace will slow down: More deliberate movement and decision-making.
• Build freedom expands: Viability for non-meta styles will rise.
• Dev-player dialogue opens: Quarterly interviews may become standard.
• PoE1 improvements coming: PoE2’s character engine and highlight systems may port to PoE1.

7. How Player Feedback Is Changing Development

Zizaran gave voice to long-ignored concerns — not just yelling, but asking hard questions that mattered. Jonathan said, “He’s not attacking us — he’s showing us the fear players have.” This was a turning point in GGG’s attitude toward feedback. Real change is now on the table.

8. Conclusion: Why Zizaran’s Interview Matters

Zizaran didn’t just host a Q&A — he shook the table. His interview triggered real introspection at GGG, and may reshape how they listen to their players. He reminded everyone: influencers aren’t just marketers. Done right, they’re bridges, challengers, and catalysts.