Will 0.5.5 have a NEW Class? [PoE 2]

Storyline (what’s discussed)

• The speaker doesn’t go into new story beats, but instead predicts Path of Exile 2’s act progression for what might be shown at Gamescom:
  • Act 5 is expected to be a major/large act.
  • Act 6 is expected to be shorter.
• Because of this, they believe Gamescom won’t include an Act playthrough, since PoE 2 aims to preserve spoilers/value for a larger audience leading into launch.

Gameplay highlights & key points

Gamescom reveal/marketing expectations (Aug 25)

• GGG plans to appear on the Gamescom stream and also has a live booth.
• Historically, Gamescom-style events often include one or more of:
  • a playable new class
  • playable new content
  • or an event like a boss kill showcase

Ascendancy vs. class fantasy (design philosophy)

• The speaker argues (attributed to GGG’s stated design direction) that in PoE 2:
  • Ascendancy classes are intended to be more generic.
  • The thematic fantasy and playstyle should come mainly from skill choices, not ascendancy choices.
• They use this to reason why a traditional “Necromancer” class is unlikely:
  • GGG likely doesn’t want ascendancy to “mold” your character fantasy the way it effectively did in PoE 1.

Counterpoint: build “gating”

• Even if ascendancy is generic, the speaker says the skill tree/build system already restricts certain fantasies unless you path into the right mechanics.
• They note that PoE 1 made some minion/dual-fantasy ideas easier earlier due to how the skill tree was traversed.
• They believe PoE 2 is harder to access naturally because the tree layout is more centered (not as easy to cross as before).
• They also suggest some fantasies may be supported via unique items, which could be less naturally accessible than built-in progression.

0.5.5 vs. 1.0 expectations

• The speaker predicts 0.5.5 will likely be mostly balance changes, not a major new class/content release.
• They strongly believe no new class will be released before 1.0, framing it as a likely “clean slate” moment (“economy reset”) between 0.5 and 1.0.
• They discuss marketing/business tradeoffs:
  • Releasing a new class pre-1.0 could drive beta key sales, but would require heavy marketing investment.
  • A bigger 1.0 launch would likely have better long-term impact and player/viewer growth.

Strategies / key tips

• No explicit step-by-step build strategy is provided.
• The practical takeaway is expectations management:
  • Don’t expect an Act playthrough at Gamescom.
  • Don’t expect a new class before 1.0.
  • If a class exists, it’s more likely to be tied to what can be shown without spoiling Acts 5/6.

Gamer/source mentions (featured at the end)

• No specific gamer names or external sources are clearly identified.
• The speaker references themselves as a content creator and mentions streamers.
• They cite creator-driven momentum examples from other games:
  • Arc Raiders
  • PUBG
  • Palworld
  • Mega Bonk