After years of anticipation, Path of Exile 2 has finally showcased one of its most long-awaited heroes, the druid, revealing a class that arrives with surprising depth and a wealth of new mechanics that push the action-RPG even further just days before its debut.
We first saw the druid in Path of Exile 2 nearly six years ago, yet ironically, he’s one of the last heroes to join the roster. Now that he has finally been shown tearing through enemies in real combat, the long delay makes perfect sense. Grinding Gear Games has once again managed to surprise me with a hero who feels unlike any other: visually spectacular, mechanically rich, and destined to become a fan-favorite, potentially replacing long-held mains. “He was one of the most difficult classes we designed”, the director explained. “He has human abilities, plus three distinct animal forms, and we wanted meaningful combos between all of them.”
The result is genuinely impressive. Even better, Path of Exile 2 finally has a release date, alongside a surge of new content built to extend the experience far beyond the main campaign. The big day is December 12, and as you’ll see below, there’s plenty to look forward to.
An Unstoppable Beast
The druid’s signature feature is his ability to transform into three different creatures, each with its own combat identity. Yet even in human form, he’s deadly: “he’s our first hybrid class that mixes strength and intelligence”, combining elemental magic such as volcanoes, lightning storms, and tornadoes with brutal melee strikes. The developers insisted on tightly weaving the two approaches together, encouraging players to cast spells and immediately shift into an animal form to deliver devastating close-range attacks.
Druids introduce a new weapon type, the Animal Talisman, which instantly transforms the character into the chosen form. The switch is immediate and highly cinematic. “Changing forms had to be unlimited and instantaneous, something you do without thinking during combat”, the team said. The reveal trailer proves it: frenetic action from start to finish. In bear form, you generate Rage to unleash stronger attacks, and gem combinations allow for even more destructive effects, including the spectacular “Bear Calypse,” raining fire as you charge forward.
If you want speed instead of raw force, the werewolf transformation is the answer. “We wanted it fast and furious”, the director noted, and even its basic strike lunges the beast ahead. Aligned with the moon, the werewolf wields cold-based attacks and can mark enemies to summon additional wolves upon their death. When calling on lunar power, the beast transforms into an Arctic werewolf, boosting speed and frost damage.
The most unconventional form is the Wyvern, a winged predator capable of both ranged and melee attacks. Its defining mechanic allows it to devour corpses to charge its wings with electricity, releasing powerful bursts of energy. And this is only part of what makes the druid so flexible.
The magic lies in how all three forms can be combined in real time. A Wyvern-summoned thunderstorm can drench the battlefield, after which the human form can launch vines that grow faster thanks to the water. Switching to werewolf form lets you freeze enemies on the soaked ground, shattering them instantly. The combinations feel endless, adding remarkable depth to the class.
Path of Exile 2 Keeps Expanding
The druid is only the beginning. Over 30 new gems are coming, dramatically altering abilities with effects like additional explosions or lightning storms that morph into tornadoes. New Ascendancy classes are joining the roster as well: the Shaman channels nature’s fury to become a destructive caster, while the Oracle specializes in clairvoyance.
The Oracle features more than 130 passive abilities, including astonishing powers like Doomsday Vision, which shows a glimpse of your future self to amplify your damage, and Converging Paths, which reveals your enemy’s next move so you can exploit it with targeted elemental attacks.
Developers also hinted at special talismans that can transform the bear into a fire demon, implying more spectacular evolutions may be hidden throughout the game.
New Challenges Across Wraeclast
The update adds the Fate of the Vaal, a challenge centered on collecting arcane relics leading to a lost temple ruled by the Vaal Queen. The temple is built like a strategy game, room by room, with enemy types and rewards shifting depending on how you lay out its structure. Upgraded rooms offer higher rewards, but also brutal difficulty spikes.
The Rise of the Abyssal League is returning with adjustments, new uniques, and bug fixes. The director explains that “there’s no fixed date” for the full release, as the team needs to finish the campaign, balance the game properly, and refine the endgame. The target, however, is to launch before 2026.
As for me, I can’t wait to try the druid – and thankfully, we won’t have to wait much longer.
Source: 3djuegos
