Chaos damage no longer bypasses ES of mobs and Contagion issue

After trying out new character today with ED and contagion in mind I noticed that chaos damage which in PoE 1 was ignoring ES and damaging health from very get go, no longer functions the same in PoE 2.

Do you think it was intended? Does it also work same for mobs, that if they have chaos damage they cannot ignore ES?

Is there any reasoning behind this decision since that very small chaos mechanic was one of few good traits of chaos builds.

Second thing.

Originaly contagion was an area of effect spell casted on ground. Here it turned into a single target skill. With how much more mobile mobs are and how much mobile we have to stay ourselves, sometimes its becoming kind of problematic to not need to repeatedly spam ED with contagion due to targets constantly shuffling between each other.

Again, do you think there is any reasoning to why contagion was turned into single target spell? Chaos builds were rarely considered top ones and with them also no longer being "original choice" for ignoring ES on damage I find some of skill changes just weird.

Also losing health recovery on Essence Drain. Was it considered too powerful for PoE2 or you think they should bring it back but a bit nerfed? Otherwise would work so well with current Blood Witch ascendancy at the very start, to be able to keep up with HP cost. So far it carries me through campaign fairly ok but it does feel kind of underwhelming.

How is your experience with chaos skills? Would like to hear more thoughts of players who carried it all the way to maps.

Chaos damage doesn't bypass ES anymore, that's intended. It does however do double damage against ES. Poison and Bleed bypasses ES in PoE2.

I can't speak about chaos spells, since I didn't test them yet. Playing Poison Concoction tho feels pretty powerful right now. (poison stacking)