Crafting pulled back
PoE2 inherits PoE1's currency-as-crafting framework — there's no gold, every currency is a crafting reagent — but simplifies aggressively.
What carried over
The core currencies still exist with similar (or rebalanced) functions:
| Currency | PoE1 role | PoE2 role |
|---|---|---|
| Orb of Transmutation | Magic upgrade | Same |
| Orb of Augmentation | Add affix to magic | Same |
| Regal Orb | Magic → Rare | Same |
| Chaos Orb | De-facto small unit of trade; full re-roll of a rare | Re-rolls a single mod, not the whole item — a targeted craft |
| Exalted Orb | Add affix to rare; large unit of trade | Now the common rare-upgrader, no longer a chase |
| Divine Orb | Re-roll values | Same; promoted to top trade tier |
| Annulment Orb | Remove a random affix | Same |
| Mirror of Kalandra | Duplicate item | Same; still mythic |
The Chaos / Exalted shift
The most notable change: Chaos Orbs and Exalted Orbs swapped roles.
In PoE1: Chaos was the de-facto unit of trade, casually accumulated. Exalted was the chase currency, ~100 chaos = 1 exalted in most leagues.
In PoE2: Exalted is rebalanced to be common (the "rare-upgrader" everyone uses), Chaos is rare. Chaos's effect changed from "re-roll the whole rare" to "re-roll a single mod" — a targeted craft.
This shift partly reflects GGG's view that PoE1's Chaos-as-currency had outgrown its design role. Chaos was supposed to be a craft tool, not a trade unit; over time it became the unit-of-trade and lost its crafting identity. PoE2 attempts to restore intent.
What was simplified
- The crafting bench is gone. PoE1's Bench (Vorici / Master crafting) was a deterministic-craft layer that became too central; PoE2 ships without it.
- Sockets-and-links are gone. Skill gems carry their own sockets (see skill-gem-rework), so the Jeweller's Orbs / Chromatic Orbs / Orb of Fusing complex doesn't exist.
- Affix tiers and pools are present but tightened. Less surface area for "this affix only spawns from this specific influence on this specific base," at least at EA stage.
- Recombinators and rune-sockets fill some of the deterministic-craft slot — but constrained.
What stayed (probably) hard
The aspirational crafting philosophy is preserved. GGG has stated that PoE2 will continue the "deterministic crafting is repeatedly nerfed" pattern — the cycle from PoE1 isn't a bug, it's a feature, and GGG is unlikely to walk away from it.
EA-stage Recombinators have been cited as "powerful enough to be the next nerf candidate" by community theorycrafters — pattern-matching on PoE1's Harvest cycle.
What this teaches
- Sequels can reset crafting drift. PoE1's crafting accumulated 12 years of bolt-on subsystems (Essence, Bestiary, Harvest, Fossil, Eldritch, Recombinator, etc.); PoE2 ships with fewer at EA. GGG can re-pick which subsystems matter.
- Currency rebalancing is sequel-only. You can't change what Chaos is in a 12-year live game without breaking the economy. Sequels are the only place this kind of currency-role rebalance is possible.
- Simplification has a community cost. Players who built mastery in PoE1's crafting deeps don't want to learn a new system; the EA reception had a notable "where are my Harvest crafts" thread cycle.
Patterns this exemplifies
currency-as-crafting— same pattern as PoE1, simplified.aspirational-crafting— same philosophy, sequel-tightened.