How Elden Ring Caused the Downfall of PoE2 and PoE1

"

behradgoa#4425 wrote:

I even remember in one interview, the lead director praised Elden Ring as a masterpiece and said it had influenced him. But just like the Rings of Power in The Lord of the Rings, temptation slowly brought problems.

"

girng#7675 wrote:

"

behradgoa#4425 wrote:

I even remember in one interview, the lead director praised Elden Ring as a masterpiece and said it had influenced him. But just like the Rings of Power in The Lord of the Rings, temptation slowly brought problems.

can you give me the specific video and timestamp for this? thank you

"

Fapmobile#0758 wrote:

"Please like this article so it reaches the senior managers at GGG."

...How?

"

Draegnarrr#2823 wrote:

Threads like this are bizarre

ok it is

"

behradgoa#4425 wrote:

I remember when PoE 2 was first announced — I think around 2018 — it was supposed to be quite different. There were plans for more sockets for spells and other features to complete what PoE1 had started. But, being a good detective with a God-given ability for analysis and insight, I was among the first to realize how Elden Ring ended up causing the downfall of PoE2.

Everything started after Elden Ring was released. The game sold around 20 million copies and caused an explosion in the gaming world. A few months later, GGG announced they wanted to completely change PoE2 and present it in a new way. In the minds of the directors, a new idea had emerged: “How about we make an isometric action RPG with tough bosses, similar to the Dark Souls franchise?” I even remember in one interview, the lead director praised Elden Ring as a masterpiece and said it had influenced him. But just like the Rings of Power in The Lord of the Rings, temptation slowly brought problems. Why can’t PoE2 become a good Soulslike game with the direction it’s heading? There are a few key reasons to consider. But before I get into them, I should say — I'm neither a top-tier Dark Souls player nor a master builder in PoE — but I enjoy both games immensely and have played them a lot, including playing PoE2 on my little brother’s computer.

1. Elden Ring’s imbalanced choice system vs. PoE’s structure

You’ve seen how many skilled players can beat Elden Ring’s final boss without any armor or gear. At the same time, others use all the tools available — potions, throwing knives, resistance boosts, buffs — to defeat a boss. Essentially, you choose how hard the game is for yourself. You can summon help for a boss fight, or finish the game with your starter weapon. You can exploit bosses using various methods — for example, I finished Dark Souls II using only a bow and poison arrows, and it felt amazing.

In contrast, in PoE2 you always need 100% of your build. It’s impossible to finish the game with your first weapon because the game’s structure emphasizes loot acquisition and building a powerful character. Balance is crucial. In Dark Souls, balance is irrelevant; in fact, the game is designed around imbalance. Even with maxed armor, you only reduce about 30% of incoming damage. But in PoE, you must always play using your best options. It’s foolish to say, “I won’t use gear or my auras and passives against this boss.”

2. Imbalance in Elden Ring and Soulslike games is part of the fun — but PoE can't afford it

It’s rare for a Soulslike game to nerf builds or overpowered weapons. That’s part of what makes it fun. But in PoE, balance must be carefully maintained. This has caused problems in PoE2: you might either do zero damage to a boss or one-shot it. That leads everyone to play the same few builds, which forces the developers to nerf everything — making the game extremely difficult and frustrating.

Why doesn’t Elden Ring nerf its builds or punish players who exploit bugs for speedruns? Because it doesn't matter — the goal is to let players play their own way. But it seems PoE2’s director wants to force everyone to play his way. I remember him saying in an interview that he was upset players killed some bosses too quickly. So he decided to nerf everything and cut loot rewards in half, making the game more painful, so players would be forced to play "properly."

3. Elden Ring is reflex-based; PoE2 is builder/strategy-based

In Soulslike games, reflexes and quick reactions are the core of the gameplay. In PoE, it’s about creating and perfecting a build — strengthening it and covering its weaknesses. Dark Souls builds are light and usually involve mixing a few items and rings. In PoE, you deal with a complex system involving talent trees, items, gems, enchants, and a massive skill tree. Loot and randomness are crucial in PoE, but in Dark Souls, the main loot locations are fixed and enchanting doesn't dramatically change gameplay. That's why balancing loot drops in PoE is critical.

4. I could name ten more reasons, but let’s talk about greed and corporate failure

One thing GGG doesn’t realize is that the success of the PoE2 beta is thanks to the fans of PoE1. Yet now they have abandoned PoE1 — the very game that brought them all their success — by not releasing a new league for it for the first time in years. All to try and build a "Soulslike" game. If they continue down this path, it doesn’t look good, especially since Last Epoch is rising fast. It requires less time to play than PoE, it's easier to grasp, and overall more straightforward.