Path of Exile 2 is dropping loot more generously, but Early Access players are still being bankrupt by the action RPG’s high respec costs: "Why am I being punished for trying out things?"

gamesradar.com:

Path of Exile 2 is spellbinding players with its impressive Early Access period, but that doesn't mean they're blind to where the action RPG could improve. The game's high respeccing costs, for one, could certainly use some changing. 

"Respec costs are way too high, why am I being punished for trying out things?" a highly upvoted Reddit thread asks. 

"I am level 51, and I need to pay 2,000 gold per respec," the poster explains. "I am literally holding my skill points right now to be absolutely sure I really want to take the next nodes. [This system is] hilariously bad."

"This is especially punishing for players new to the genre like myself," one reply agrees. "I kind of don't even want to play the game anymore [...]. What's the point of a game with skill trees like this if you can't even play around with [them]?" 

While Path of Exile 2's respec costs really do require ludicrous, billionaire-in-space-levels of wasted time and money — particularly because the game's gold loot drops are paltry — it's important to keep in mind the fact that Path of Exile 2 is in Early Access. That usually means things are subject to change; developer Grinding Gear Games already issued a patch that makes some enemies drop more items with higher rarity in a small acknowledgment of fans' frustration with lackluster loot. 

Who knows, GGG may soon address players' increasingly irritated call to action about expensive respeccing, too

For now, "you have three options," a popular Reddit reply says, the third being, "Stop playing entirely because what's the point in fighting the system when other games respect your time more."

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"I just don't know what's the mindset behind having to 'cost you something' to respec," another Reddit reply says. "Why can't it be free?"

Path of Exile 2 developer says "we are trying to avoid nerfing skills and builds," but as it sets its sights on a popular explosive build, players argue it "discourages