Summary
- Diablo 4’s loot system surpasses Path of Exile 2’s due to better drop rates and quality.
- Diablo 4’s Loot Reborn system improved loot quality, balancing playtime and rewards.
- Path of Exile 2 struggles with underwhelming loot and drop rates despite updates from the developer. Total characters: 119
Diablo 4 had a rough start, and it still has its moments where it feels a bit underwhelming, especially now that Path of Exile 2 has entered the scene as a challenger. However, while Diablo 4 has plenty of shortcomings, it does still have one major strength over Path of Exile 2 — for now, at least, until Path of Exile 2 makes some more changes — its loot. There are a number of factors that ultimately contribute to the outcome of this contest, but the short of it is that Diablo 4 simply outdoes Path of Exile 2 when it comes to loot drop rates and quality.
The reason this is such a big deal is that Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2 both heavily rely on loot progression, as most ARPGs do. As such, if Path of Exile 2‘s loot system just isn’t up to snuff, it can result in players feeling like the time they spend in the game is not matched by the quantity or quality of the loot they’re acquiring, thereby encouraging them to leave. That being said, at least Path of Exile 2 has plenty of other systems in place, like its extensive endgame, to encourage players to stick around for as long as possible. But that still doesn’t mean that it can carry on much longer with its current loot system.
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Path of Exile 2’s Current Loot System Pales in Comparison to Diablo 4’s
Diablo 4’s Loot Reborn System Enhanced the Quality of Dropped Loot
To be fair, Diablo 4‘s loot system wasn’t always that great either. When it launched in June 2023, Diablo 4‘s loot progression started off really strong, but as players advanced to the game’s later stages, things tapered off, rewarding players with items that felt repetitive and lacked distinctive attributes. However, in May 2024, Diablo 4 launched its fourth season, Loot Reborn, which brought significant changes to the game’s itemization and loot systems.
Most notably, the overall quantity of item drops was decreased, but the quality and relevance of the items were improved. In the end, this ensured that players spent more time actually playing Diablo 4 and less time sorting through useless loot, as well as acquiring loot that they actually needed. This ultimately led to Diablo 4 feeling more worthwhile to play, as it balanced time spent in the game with rewards earned.
Path of Exile 2’s Loot and Drop Rates Have Been Underwhelming
Path of Exile 2, on the other hand, has had a bit of a rough go when it comes to loot. Firstly, Path of Exile 2 encountered the opposite problem that Diablo 4 had in its early stages, possessing an extremely low drop rate for loot as opposed to one that was far too high. This is exacerbated by the fact that, unlike with Diablo 4‘s Loot Reborn system, Path of Exile 2 often provides players with loot that is not usable by their current class. When a low drop rate is combined with a weighty RNG system such as this, hours spent in the game can end up feeling pointless, especially for those who are in Path of Exile 2‘s endgame.
Grinding Gear Games did listen to player feedback and implemented an update that increased loot drop rates from rare monsters and implemented “unlucky” drop protection. Unfortunately, even after the update was applied, Path of Exile 2 still just doesn’t feel rewarding enough from a loot perspective. In light of all of this, Path of Exile 2 will either need to increase the drop rate of loot even more or implement a system similar to Diablo 4‘s Loot Reborn system so players can start getting loot that is more relevant to their current class. Fortunately, the developer seems to be listening to player feedback and doing what it can to keep the game in a healthy state during early access.
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