Right now, one of the loudest arguments around Path of Exile 2 isn't about class balance or loot drops. It's about time. More specifically, how much of it players should have to spend replaying the campaign every time they roll a new character. Plenty of people are saying the same thing: once you've cleared the story, forcing that same route again feels dated. For players who mainly care about testing builds, farming gear, and managing PoE 2 Currency, the repeat trip through the campaign can feel less like progression and more like a speed bump that never really changes.
Why this keeps turning into a fight
The split is easy to understand. Older Path of Exile fans tend to see the campaign as part of the game's identity. To them, leveling isn't some annoying wait room before the real game starts. It is the game, at least in part. They like the sense of building a character from nothing, picking through weak gear, and feeling power come online bit by bit. That view isn't crazy. The problem is that a lot of players don't experience repeat runs that way anymore. After the first full clear, the second or third character often becomes a checklist. Hit the same zones. Do the same quests. Rush the same power spikes. It starts to feel mechanical, and not in a good way.
A better option than a flat skip
That doesn't mean Path of Exile 2 needs a giant button that throws every alt straight into the endgame. Honestly, that would probably go too far. A softer system makes more sense. Let the first character finish the whole campaign as intended, then unlock alternate routes for later characters. Maybe certain bosses beaten, account-wide milestones reached, or side content completed could open faster progression paths. That's the part many people keep coming back to, because it preserves effort while cutting repetition. You still play the game. You still level. You just don't have to repeat every single story beat in the exact same order like you're stuck on rails.
Last Epoch already showed the idea works
This is why Last Epoch gets brought up so often in the discussion. Its system doesn't just hand players a free pass. It gives them ways around chunks of the campaign through dungeons, progression unlocks, and alternate choices that still ask for input and skill. That's the key difference. It respects the player's time without flattening the whole experience. Path of Exile 2 could do something similar and still keep its hardcore edge. In fact, it might help the game more than some purists expect. If trying a new build becomes less of a chore, people are more likely to experiment, stick around longer, and engage more deeply with trading, crafting, and the wider economy.
What players actually want
Most people asking for change aren't trying to make the game easier. They're asking for less repetition and a bit more flexibility. That's a fair ask in a modern ARPG, especially one built around replay value. A system that rewards the first clear and then loosens the path for alts would probably satisfy far more players than the current all-or-nothing argument suggests. And as the community keeps debating what the sequel should learn from the genre, it's no surprise that people also keep an eye on places like U4GM for trading-related interest, item support, and the broader economy that gives build experimentation its real appeal.
