Path of Exile 2's new Skill Gem system, explained
Skill Gems are the foundation of Path of Exile 2’s combat system, which players can slot into their kit for various offensive and defensive methods. It is not an exaggeration to say that skills make or break builds. In the original Path of Exile, players start with one active skill. As they progress through the campaign and complete sidequests, more Skill Gems become available at vendors.
In Path of Exile 2, however, things will work differently, so let’s discuss that.
Skill Gems in Path of Exile 2: How to obtain and modify these items
Skill Gems in Path of Exile 2 are obtained from Uncut Gems, which can be shaped into any possible skill of the player’s choosing. But before we delve into that, we must discuss the nature of these Gems.
In general, Skill Gems come in two distinct variants, Active and Passive. As the name suggests, Active Skill Gems allow players to use these skills directly. The skills and their associated Gems can be further categorized into Attack, Spell, Curse, Mine, Totem, etc. These tags indicate which modifiers increase the proficiency of said skills.
The second variant is Passive Skill Gems, which can be slotted with Active Gems to provide permanent, and sometimes situational, supportive buffs. Furthermore, Aura skills provide persistent benefits at the cost of reserving a portion of a player’s total Mana pool in the original Path of Exile.
However, these seem to be changing in Path of Exile 2. For example, the Active, Passive, and Spirit Skill Gems will now be obtained from corresponding Uncut variants. Right-clicking on these Uncut Gems will open the Gemcutting menu, where players can select each available Gem according to their weapon of choice.
There are hundreds of Gems to choose from, proving that build variety will not be an issue, even in Path of Exile 2's Early Access. Furthermore, Uncut Gems will have their levels, and any skills obtained will be of that corresponding level. For example, any Active Gem obtained from a level 10 Uncut Active variant, will automatically be a level 10 Gem.
Passive Skill Gems, on the other hand, have changed from the original Path of Exile. In PoE2, players will only be able to equip one of each Passive Skill Gem in their entire build, according to the latest GGG Live. Compared to the prequel, this will make players choose certain skills over others, improve endgame skill usage variety, and distinguish skills into role-specific areas such as clearing and bossing.
Spirit Gems are interesting because these will use a new resource called Spirit to maintain persistent buffs, instead of Mana. It's unsure whether Auras are returning from Path of Exile, but Trigger Gems like Cast on Freeze, and certain functionality-modifying Gems like Blasphemy will use Spirit.
As previously mentioned, Active Skill Gems will be limited to weapon types, which are themselves associated with specific classes as starter weapons. During Early Access, players will have access to 21 Active Skill Gems for Quarterstaves, 20 for Maces, 18 for Bows, and 22 for Crossbows. Witches and Sorceresses will have 25 Active Occult and Elemental Skill Gems, respectively.
It's unsure whether Gem-quality-modifying currencies and mechanics such as Gemcutter's Prism and Divine Font will still be in Path of Exile 2. Gem quality as a mechanic is still in place, considering one of the passive skills of the Gemling Legionnaire Ascendancy, which increases Gem quality. However, no specific information has been provided on which of the Gem's properties will be improved in the name of "quality".
Check out our other articles on Path of Exile 2
- Path of Exile 2: All classes and ascensions available in Early Access
- Path of Exile 2 Atlas system, explained
- Path of Exile 2 Ascension Trials, explained