Path of Exile 2 developers say no to phasing dodge-rolls, but will make it easier to counter body-blocks
Phasing during dodge-roll tops the list of changes Path of Exile 2 players want. If enough monsters clump up on you, it's often easy to get locked into a situation where you cannot dodge-roll or move your way out. However, in a forum thread discussing their Early Access patching plans today, Grinding Gear Games explained they intend to juggle the root problem in alternative ways.
They are deploying a hotfix adding two big changes that will make it easier to handle melee monster zergs. However, there is no option for phasing during dodge-rolls in Path of Exile 2.
Why the developers don't want phasing dodge-rolls in Path of Exile 2
Dodge-roll in Path of Exile 2 comes as a basic tool that all classes can use. It's not like the mobility skills in the first game that are used for gap-closing and getting around faster. The dodge here commits you to a full second-long animation that only gives i-frames briefly during its startup. To make matters worse, it cannot ignore collision, so you cannot go through monsters.
The most egregious examples of the problem start appearing in Act 2, where the Rathbreaker boss can call in massive hyena packs that rush in from off-screen and corner you.
Phasing dodge-rolls would mean that the player would completely ignore enemy collision boxes during its duration, which is something the developers want to avoid in Path of Exile 2. The combat is balanced around monster clumps being able to box you in. That said, the developers did admit the body-block situation happens all too often, especially in close-quarter areas where there's no place to funnel yourself out. In the forum post, they said:
"A lot of players have expressed frustration about being trapped in by monsters. While it is intended that monsters are able to trap and kill you, we felt that the frequency of this was a little too high."
What's changing with dodge-rolls in Path of Exile 2?
In an upcoming patch, the developers will be adding the two following changes:
- Player size is now set to Zero units while dodge rolling instead of One unit
- Some smaller monsters can now be pushed while dodge rolling. This includes monsters such as the Adorned Beetles in Keth.
The zero-unit player size does not grant you phasing, but it does give you the next best thing: you can slip in through the smallest gaps between enemies. This also has the added effect of being able to slip through some entrapment methods such as bone cages during the Asinia boss fight in Path of Exile 2.
It should be noted that some classes have innate tools to counter this: Rolling Slam momentum cannot be blocked, and Ice Nova can create enough knockback on enemies for you to evade being overwhelmed. Later on, you'll also get access to Skills such as Leap Slam (STR-scaling skill unlocked by Uncut Gems lvl 7 and above) that can completely ignore body blocks.
While this hotfix is coming "soon," another patch went live earlier today, adding "Unlucky drop protection" and currency drop changes to make the game more rewarding.
Check out our other guides on the game:
- Path of Exile 2 Beginner tips
- Path of Exile 2 Crafting guide
- Path of Exile 2 Buff Gems guide
- Path of Exile 2 class tier list for beginners
- Path of Exile 2 Keystone passives