Highlights
- Path of Exile 2 introduces a new Mercenary class, offering unique ranged gameplay and impressive weapon customization options for players to explore.
- The Mercenary class utilizes a crossbow with three different firing modes, specialized ammo skills, and attachments like grenade launchers and flash grenades.
- With WASD movement, instant crossbow firing, and exclusive combat mechanics, the Mercenary class in Path of Exile 2 provides a fresh and exciting experience for both new and veteran players.
Path of Exile 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to Grinding Gear Games' free-to-play ARPG Path of Exile and is currently expected to release no sooner than 2025. Although it was originally announced as a massive update to the original game, the developer decided in 2023 that Path of Exile 2 would be a standalone sequel instead. The sequel is bringing a host of improvements to the original game, but its most significant change will come with six brand-new character classes. Among those new classes is the Mercenary class.
Based on what has been revealed so far, Path of Exile 2's new Mercenary class has thoroughly excited fans of the first game, as well as newcomers. The Mercenary class is unlike anything Path of Exile has seen before, and it is already showing signs of being a new favorite among players. However, there are several new mechanics the Mercenary class is bringing to the table, so both new and veteran players may do well to educate themselves on it before Path of Exile 2's release.
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Breaking Down Path of Exile 2's Mercenary Class
Path of Exile 2's Mercenary Class Is a Ranged Class
One of Grinding Gear's primary goals in designing Path of Exile 2's Mercenary class was to ensure it made players feel as though they were playing a top-down shooter. One of the ways they have accomplished this is by allowing the use of the WASD keys for movement, rather than solely relying on click-to-move with the mouse. Additionally, unlike Path of Exile's regular bows, which need to be drawn back before firing, the Mercenary's crossbow can be fired instantly. As Path of Exile 2's Mercenary class is a ranged class, the new WASD movement options and the instantaneous response of the Mercenary's crossbow when the player attacks set it apart from every other class in Path of Exile.
Path of Exile 2's Mercenary uses a crossbow that can switch between three different modes of fire. The Power Shot Crossbow acts as a sniper rifle, in which it fires single high-damage projectiles. The Burst Shot Crossbow is similar to a shotgun, as it fires a widespread barrage of multiple projectiles simultaneously. Finally, the Rapid Shot Crossbow fires like an automatic assault rifle and is different from the others in that it can be fired while the player is moving.
Path of Exile 2's Mercenary Class Comes With Ammo Skills and Attachments for the Crossbow
Apart from the versatility that three different crossbow types will add to Path of Exile 2's Mercenary class, players can apply various ammo skills and attachments to their crossbows. Currently, there are three known ammo skills — Armor-piercing, Incendiary, and Permafrost — and each crossbow will handle ammo skills differently. Armor-piercing ammo is fairly self-explanatory, whereas Incendiary and Permafrost are unique. When used, Incendiary ammo can ignite enemies, with more projectiles increasing the fire's strength. Permafrost, on the other hand, is useful for slowing enemies and potentially freezing them in place.
Crossbow attachments act as Skill Gems in Path of Exile 2, meaning they can also be augmented with Support Gems, just as with normal skills. At the moment, there are three known attachments for the crossbow: Grenade Launcher, Flash Grenade, and Oil Grenade. It can be assumed that the primary attachment for the crossbow is a Grenade Launcher, with its grenade type being the feature that can be altered. The Grenade Launcher fires normal grenades, whereas the Flash Grenade and Oil Grenade stun and slow enemies, respectively. Oil Grenades can also be set on fire to ignite unarmored enemies.
There is likely much more to Path of Exile 2's new Mercenary class, so Grinding Gear may unveil more about it as the sequel's release grows closer. Until then, players who sign up will have an opportunity to participate in a closed beta for Path of Exile 2 happening on June 7, 2024.
Path of Exile 2
Grinding Gear Games' Path of Exile 2 is an action RPG that takes place years after its predecessor's events. A free-to-play project with multiplayer, POE2 features a six-part campaign along with an endgame.
- Platform(s)
- PC , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PS5
- Developer(s)
- Grinding Gear Games
- Publisher(s)
- Grinding Gear Games
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
