In Path of Exile 2 Skill Gems and Support Gems work a little bit differently than they worked in Path of Exile 1. For starters, Gear Sockets are used for Runes in PoE 2, not Gems, which now have their own separate menu and systems.
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When you unlock Support Gems, Path of Exile 2 players can use these new items to enhance their existing Skill Gems. This guide explains the basics of this new Support Gem system in PoE 2 and how to slot Support Gems into the new Skill Gem menu.
What Are Support Gems In Path of Exile 2?
PoE 2 Support Gem System, Explained
In Path of Exile 2, Support Gems are used to support your Skill Gems. Essentially, while Skill Gems grant an ability you can bind to your skill bar, Support Gems add extra effects to those skills when cast.
For example, a Mercenary can equip the Pin Support Gem onto the Fragmentation Rounds skill, allowing the skill to also Pin enemies in place in addition to its extra damage to Frozen enemies.
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Though you can only equip two Support Gems for each skill at first, as you progress through Path of Exile 2, Support Gem sockets unlock and allow you to add even more layers to your skills.
How To Equip Support Gems In PoE 2
Open up your Skill Gems menu with either G on PC or by opening your character menu and tabbing to the Skills tab on Xbox and PlayStation. Here you can see all of your current Skill Gems, each of which will start with two Support Gem sockets to the right of the main ability node.
When you get a Support Gem, select the Gem from your Inventory and look at its effects. Consider which of your Skills it will benefit the most, then drag it over to an empty Support Gem slot next to the skill you want to enhance.
Console players should open the Inventory, hover over the Support Gem’s icon, and press X or Square to open up a special menu that will allow you to slot it into an open Support Gem socket.
You cannot use two copies of the same Support Gem in your Support Gem Sockets. If you are a Mercenary with the Gemling Legionnaire passive Gem Studded, you can bypass this restriction.
Once slotted, Support Gems will automatically proc their effect when the associated Skill is cast. You can mix and match Support Gems to your liking and freely swap them between Skills to experiment with their interactions between abilities.
- Franchise
- Path of Exile
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Nudity, Violence