As Path of Exile 2 continues to evolve, Grinding Gear Games (GGG) has shared a detailed update on changes being made to Act 3 areas. These revisions focus on improving player flow, removing unnecessary confusion, and streamlining map layouts. While many of these adjustments are minor on the surface, they reflect GGG's continued commitment to refining the campaign experience and ensuring smoother progression throughout the act.

Here's a comprehensive breakdown of each change coming to Act 3 in Path of Exile 2, including how it improves overall gameplay.

1. The Drowned City - Removal of Dead-End Section

A key section of The Drowned City featured a dead end and inaccessible door, which was originally tied to temporarily cut content. This design led players into an area with no clear reward or purpose, creating frustration and wasted time. To avoid confusion and reduce unnecessary exploration, this dead-end section is being removed entirely for now, with the possibility of its return when the missing content is restored.

Impact: Faster navigation and fewer dead ends that break player immersion.

2. Utzaal - Dead End and Treasure Vault Fixes

Utzaal faced a similar problem to The Drowned City, with dead ends that served no functional purpose. One such area led to the entrance of the Treasure Vault, which isn't currently accessible. These sections have been redesigned to either be removed or adjusted to better guide the player through the intended route.

Impact: Improved player guidance and reduced aimless exploration.

3. The Apex of Filth - Shortened Spiral Layout

The Apex of Filth is designed as a spiral-shaped map, but the developers felt the area's continuity created excessive traversal without meaningful gameplay moments. The updated layout breaks the spiral, effectively shrinking the map while retaining its thematic identity.

Impact: More focused encounters and less time spent running in circles.

4. The Azak Bog - Rectangular Layout for Clarity

Previously, the Azak Bog featured a more irregular layout that could be disorienting. GGG is now restructuring it into a rectangular shape, with the boss encounter relocated to the far end from the starting point. This change helps players progress in a straight path, improving clarity and reducing wasted time searching for objectives.

Impact: More predictable layout and reduced confusion when hunting the boss.

5. Infested Barrens - Better Flow to Waterways

The Infested Barrens have seen one of the more gameplay-impacting changes. This area is now being reworked to include a bottleneck that naturally funnels players past the Waterways entrance. In the previous layout, players often missed the Waterways waypoint, leading to difficulty returning after completing Jiquani's Sanctum.

By ensuring that players pass this point early, the update helps with map understanding and optional area completion without breaking campaign momentum.

Impact: Streamlined progression and reduced backtracking.

6. Jungle Ruins - Clearer Transition and Reduced Size

The entrance to the Infested Barrens has been made more visually prominent within the Jungle Ruins. Additionally, the checkpoint (respawn/save point) has been relocated so it's easier to find, and the overall area size has been slightly reduced.

This makes the area more compact and directs players naturally toward the correct route forward, enhancing pacing and discoverability.

Impact: Better visual design and more efficient progression.

7. Chimeral Wetlands - Improved Area Connection

In the original layout, the Temple of the Chaos and Machinarium were positioned far apart, requiring players to backtrack significantly to reach both objectives. With this patch, both entrances are now located closer together, reducing travel time and improving flow.

Impact: Eliminates redundant navigation and enhances player momentum.

8. Jiquani's Machinarium - Extra Soul Core Added

To address pacing issues, an extra Soul Core has been added to the Machinarium. Soul Cores are needed for progression, and previously, finding one could take longer than necessary due to RNG or misdirection. This change increases the chances of locating a core quickly.

Impact: Reduced time spent searching and more consistent progression.

9. Jiquani's Sanctum - Soul Core Availability Increased

Just like in the Machinarium, Jiquani's Sanctum will now feature an additional Soul Core. This ensures players have a better chance of securing the required items without unnecessary exploration, further tightening the pacing of the act.

Impact: Smoother quest completion and reduced frustration.

10. General System Improvements

A global improvement made in this update is an increase in timeout durations for side areas. Previously, when a player entered a side zone and then returned to the main map, the original area could reset prematurely, causing lost progress. With extended timeouts, this issue should now occur far less frequently.

Impact: Improved reliability of multi-area exploration.

Final Thoughts

These Act 3 changes in Path of Exile 2 may seem like small tweaks individually, but together they reflect a thoughtful redesign of the campaign experience. GGG is clearly aiming to reduce dead space, clarify objectives, and streamline map design, which will greatly benefit both new and veteran players.

By cutting back on redundant or confusing elements and making exploration feel more intentional and rewarding, Act 3 is shaping up to be a significantly more polished experience.

Where to Read More

If you're looking for the official Patch Notes or developer commentary on these changes, you can find them on the official Path of Exile 2 Steam Community blog post dedicated to Act 3 area improvements.

The official Path of Exile 2 Steam Community blog post offers detailed insights into the Act 3 area improvements, including level design tweaks, boss repositioning, and streamlined navigation to enhance gameplay flow. If you're progressing through these updated areas, having the right PoE 2 currency and PoE 2 items is key to maximizing your efficiency and power.