Summary
Path of Exilelaunched as a sort of spiritual successor toDiablo 2when the reception ofDiablo 3was shaky, and from there it evolved to the point that there is now a new standalone sequel coming in the form ofPath of Exile 2, which is a bigger and improved version of the original. WhilePath of Exile 2doesn’t have the massive 10 Acts of the original, it does promise to shake up the formula in big ways, especially by adding a whopping total of 5 classes to the current game’s total, but actually, 6 will be entirely new. This is becausePath of Exile 2is cutting the Scion, and there may be several reasons for this.
Path of Exile’s Scion classwas quite popular when it first launched and became all the rage when Grinding Gear Games added Ascendancy classes, which are much like class specializations inDungeons and DragonsorBaldur’s Gate 3. Each Ascendancy class has its defined identity and its niche use cases, making them all more or less suitable for players to choose from based on the builds they are pursuing. Enter the Ascendant, the Ascendancy class for the Scion, which encompasses them all for some very interesting combos and incredible potential - somethingPath of Exile 2is seemingly doing without.
Path of Exile’s Scion and Ascendant Trivialized Build Choices
Path of Exile 2’s Skill Tree Approach is Different to PoE’s Scion
A big reason why the Scion may be missing fromPath of Exile 2is that the new class system makes it so there are two classes per attribute or attribute combination. What this means is that there’s a lot more variety when it comes to what each class has to offer, even for those dedicated to the same sets of attributes.
Path of Exile’s classesare more streamlined, instead. They include the following:
InPath of Exile 2’s skill tree, not having the Scion means there is no class encompassing all attributes that sits at the center of the tree, which is arguably the best spot to be in because it’s easier to access any part of it. The Scion trivialized other classes to a degree, offering some of the best nodes of each Ascendancy with the Ascendant and easy access to the entire tree at any given point, making it perfect for many builds.
Why Path of Exile 2’s Classes Benefit From Not Having The Scion
Path of Exile 2’s Classes Have More Defined Identities
Some ofPath of Exile’s Ascendancy classes were still better than the Ascendant in their respective niches, but others often spent entire seasons (Leagues, inPath of Exile) at the bottom of the usage charts precisely because the Ascendant existed.Path of Exile 2’s gameplayis much different from that of the original, with Skill Gems dramatically changing what players can do and the limits they have with builds, so dropping the Scion feels like a calculated risk. This gives more weight toPath of Exile 2’s own classes, and that is a good thing.
The Scion may be missing from Path of Exile 2’s lineup, but it doesn’t mean it’s going to be absent from the game forever. In fact, the Scion was added to Path of Exile later on, and it wasn’t immediately available for players, but rather one had to almost finish the entirety of Act 3 to unlock the class.
Path of Exile 2’s Ascendancy classesare not known for the time being, but that is likely to change with the June beta. As it stands, classes are as follows:
Path of Exile II
WHERE TO PLAY
Path of Exile 2 is a next generation free-to-play Action RPG created by Grinding Gear Games. Journey across the deadly continent of Wraeclast, meeting multiple immersive cultures while facing off against evil in many forms. Path of Exile 2 features twelve character classes, 240 Skill Gems, hundreds of equipment base types, a six-act campaign, more than a hundred unique boss fights, a deep endgame system and so much more. Play with your friends without losing any progress with couch co-op, cross-play and cross-progression.
