How POE2 Can Escape Economic Instability and Seasonal Resets

Dear GGG Team,

POE1 has long struggled with economic instability, leading to severe currency inflation, end-of-league market crashes, and the necessity of seasonal resets to maintain economic balance. However, POE2 has already introduced a major innovation: "Player → System → Player" currency trading.

This system provides a unique opportunity to eliminate the need for forced resets by implementing a sustainable in-game economy, allowing players to progress across multiple seasons without economic collapse.

1. The Advantages of POE2’s New Currency Trading System

POE2’s new trading system replaces traditional "Player-to-Player" trading with a "Player-to-Market-to-Player" model. This change brings several key benefits:

✅ Instant transactions without reliance on player availability

No more waiting for whispers, dealing with AFK sellers, or struggling with trading inefficiencies.

Players can simply exchange currency from their hideout within seconds.


✅ Real-time dynamic exchange rates create a unique market system

The system automatically adjusts exchange rates, making currency fluctuations more organic and market-driven.

Players can engage in a stock-market-like experience, timing their trades based on market trends.


However, while this system improves trade efficiency, it also introduces a risk of excessive currency inflation, similar to what has plagued POE1.


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2. The Core Problem: Currency Inflation and Economic Collapse

In POE1, the game economy always follows the same cycle:

1️⃣ Early League: 1 Divine Orb ≈ 100 Chaos Orbs
2️⃣ Mid-League: 1 Divine Orb ≈ 200 Chaos Orbs
3️⃣ Late League: 1 Divine Orb ≈ 500 Chaos Orbs
4️⃣ Permanent Standard League: 1 Divine Orb ≈ 3000 Chaos Orbs

The root cause of this instability is:

Unlimited currency generation but limited currency sinks.

All currency transactions happen between players, meaning no actual removal of excess currency.

Player hoarding leads to extreme price inflation over time.


➡ If POE2 wants to avoid this issue, GGG must evolve the market system beyond simple trading and actively regulate the currency supply.


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3. The Solution: Making the System a Real Economic Player

To create a truly sustainable in-game economy, POE2 should not only facilitate trades but actively participate in the market by removing excess currency from circulation.

📌 🔹 How this Works:

When a player exchanges 400 Chaos Orbs for 1 Divine Orb, those 400 Chaos Orbs are not given to another player—they are permanently removed from the game.

The Divine Orb is supplied by the system, ensuring controlled availability and preventing extreme currency fluctuations.

Over time, this prevents excessive currency accumulation and ensures a stable long-term exchange rate.


📌 🔹 Benefits of This Approach:

✔ Prevents Long-Term Inflation and Market Collapse

Ensures stable exchange rates (e.g., 1 Divine Orb ≈ 300-400 Chaos Orbs) regardless of league duration.

Unlike POE1, where standard league economy is unplayable due to inflation, POE2 can maintain long-term currency stability.


✔ Creates a Sustainable Supply-Demand Balance

Real-world economies avoid hyperinflation because production and consumption are balanced.

By systematically removing excess currency, POE2 can mirror real economic systems, preventing infinite currency devaluation.


✔ Reduces the Need for League Resets to Fix Economic Issues

In POE1, league resets are necessary to reset the economy—but if POE2 maintains a balanced currency system, league resets will no longer be essential.

Players can progress across multiple seasons without worrying about economic collapse.



---

4. Preventing Currency Shortages: A Dynamic Adjustment System

A concern with removing currency from circulation is the risk of currency shortages, which could harm trading activity. To prevent this, POE2 can introduce a dynamic supply system:

📌 🔹 Key Balancing Mechanisms:

1. If too much currency is circulating, the system increases removal rates to prevent inflation.


2. If too little currency is available, the system reduces removal rates or releases small amounts back into the economy to ensure liquidity.


3. An automated monitoring system detects extreme price swings and applies gradual corrections, stabilizing the economy naturally over time.



➡ This creates a self-regulating economy where player transactions determine supply and demand, but the system prevents extreme fluctuations.


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5. Conclusion: A New Era for ARPG Economies

POE2 has the opportunity to revolutionize ARPG economic models by:

✔ Moving from "Player-to-Player Trading" to "Player-to-Market Trading".
✔ Ensuring currency sustainability through controlled removal of excess currency.
✔ Maintaining long-term exchange rate stability, reducing reliance on forced league resets.
✔ Creating the first ARPG where players can progress across multiple seasons without economic collapse.

➡ By implementing this system, GGG can ensure POE2 never suffers from the economic failures of POE1, creating a game where trading remains healthy and sustainable indefinitely.


---

This proposal presents a practical, scalable solution to ARPG economic instability while preserving player-driven markets and trade freedom. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Best regards,
朱彥穎 (Zhū Yànyǐng)
hary82521#3899

Absolutely agree—POE2’s "Player → System → Player" trading model is a groundbreaking shift that has the potential to resolve the long-standing economic instability seen in POE1. However, as highlighted, without proper regulation of currency supply and removal mechanisms, POE2 risks falling into the same inflationary cycle that plagued its predecessor.

Why POE2 Must Actively Regulate the Currency Market

1. Inflation in ARPG Economies is Inevitable Without Controlled Sinks

POE1’s currency inflation occurs because it operates purely on a "Player-to-Player" basis. Since no substantial sinks exist, players continuously accumulate currency, resulting in:

Extreme price hikes: As seasons progress, core currencies like Divine Orbs become increasingly expensive in terms of Chaos Orbs.

Unstable end-of-league markets: Players hoard currency, then offload it in bulk, causing erratic market fluctuations.

Dead Standard League economy: Since currency is never removed, long-term economic viability collapses.

✅ Solution: By integrating a controlled currency removal system, POE2 can prevent over-accumulation while maintaining exchange rate stability.

2. Making the System a True Economic Player: Controlled Currency Removal

Instead of currency solely circulating between players, POE2’s market should actively manage supply and demand:

Removing Chaos Orbs upon Divine Orb conversion ensures that excess wealth does not accumulate indefinitely.

System-supplied Divine Orbs prevent hoarding from dictating market availability.

Stabilized long-term exchange rates eliminate the need for forced economic resets every season.

This shift mirrors real-world economic models, where central banks regulate currency flow to prevent hyperinflation or deflation.

3. Dynamic Adjustments to Prevent Currency Shortages

A well-balanced economy requires liquidity. To avoid artificial scarcity:

📌 Three Key Regulatory Mechanisms:

1️⃣ If inflation occurs (excess currency in circulation), increase removal rates to maintain price stability.
2️⃣ If deflation occurs (currency becomes too scarce), reduce removal rates or inject limited currency to sustain trade activity.
3️⃣ Real-time price monitoring adjusts these values dynamically, ensuring organic market corrections rather than sudden, disruptive changes.

✅ Outcome: A self-regulating economy that mirrors real-world financial systems while maintaining player-driven trade.

4. The End of Forced Seasonal Resets

The traditional POE1 cycle relies on league resets as a "hard reset" for the economy. However, with a properly managed currency system, POE2 can:

✔ Sustain multi-season player progression without economic collapse.
✔ Allow players to build long-term wealth without breaking balance.
✔ Create a persistent in-game economy where trading remains viable indefinitely.

Conclusion: POE2’s Economic Model Can Set a New Standard

POE2 is in a prime position to revolutionize ARPG economies by:

✔ Transitioning from "Player-to-Player" to "Player-to-Market" transactions.
✔ Actively managing the in-game economy to prevent inflation and collapse.
✔ Removing the need for league resets as a last-ditch economic fix.
✔ Establishing a sustainable, player-driven market that remains viable across multiple seasons.

➡ If GGG implements this system correctly, POE2 can become the first ARPG with a truly self-sustaining economy—one that rewards long-term investment while maintaining trade integrity.

This is the future of in-game economies. Let’s make it happen.

"

Puente#5374 a écrit :

Absolutely agree—POE2’s "Player → System → Player" trading model is a groundbreaking shift that has the potential to resolve the long-standing economic instability seen in POE1. However, as highlighted, without proper regulation of currency supply and removal mechanisms, POE2 risks falling into the same inflationary cycle that plagued its predecessor.

Why POE2 Must Actively Regulate the Currency Market


1. Inflation in ARPG Economies is Inevitable Without Controlled Sinks

POE1’s currency inflation occurs because it operates purely on a "Player-to-Player" basis. Since no substantial sinks exist, players continuously accumulate currency, resulting in:

Extreme price hikes: As seasons progress, core currencies like Divine Orbs become increasingly expensive in terms of Chaos Orbs.

Unstable end-of-league markets: Players hoard currency, then offload it in bulk, causing erratic market fluctuations.

Dead Standard League economy: Since currency is never removed, long-term economic viability collapses.

✅ Solution: By integrating a controlled currency removal system, POE2 can prevent over-accumulation while maintaining exchange rate stability.

2. Making the System a True Economic Player: Controlled Currency Removal

Instead of currency solely circulating between players, POE2’s market should actively manage supply and demand:

Removing Chaos Orbs upon Divine Orb conversion ensures that excess wealth does not accumulate indefinitely.

System-supplied Divine Orbs prevent hoarding from dictating market availability.

Stabilized long-term exchange rates eliminate the need for forced economic resets every season.

This shift mirrors real-world economic models, where central banks regulate currency flow to prevent hyperinflation or deflation.

3. Dynamic Adjustments to Prevent Currency Shortages

A well-balanced economy requires liquidity. To avoid artificial scarcity:

📌 Three Key Regulatory Mechanisms:

1️⃣ If inflation occurs (excess currency in circulation), increase removal rates to maintain price stability.
2️⃣ If deflation occurs (currency becomes too scarce), reduce removal rates or inject limited currency to sustain trade activity.
3️⃣ Real-time price monitoring adjusts these values dynamically, ensuring organic market corrections rather than sudden, disruptive changes.

✅ Outcome: A self-regulating economy that mirrors real-world financial systems while maintaining player-driven trade.

4. The End of Forced Seasonal Resets

The traditional POE1 cycle relies on league resets as a "hard reset" for the economy. However, with a properly managed currency system, POE2 can:

✔ Sustain multi-season player progression without economic collapse.
✔ Allow players to build long-term wealth without breaking balance.
✔ Create a persistent in-game economy where trading remains viable indefinitely.

Conclusion: POE2’s Economic Model Can Set a New Standard

POE2 is in a prime position to revolutionize ARPG economies by:

✔ Transitioning from "Player-to-Player" to "Player-to-Market" transactions.
✔ Actively managing the in-game economy to prevent inflation and collapse.
✔ Removing the need for league resets as a last-ditch economic fix.
✔ Establishing a sustainable, player-driven market that remains viable across multiple seasons.

➡ If GGG implements this system correctly, POE2 can become the first ARPG with a truly self-sustaining economy—one that rewards long-term investment while maintaining trade integrity.

This is the future of in-game economies. Let’s make it happen.

"Really glad to see you understand the key points and refine them into a clear, actionable direction! Now the real question is—how do we get more voices behind this?

Also, I have a feeling English isn’t your first language either. Mine’s Chinese. I have to rely on GPT for translation, so it might sound a bit... unnatural. Would love to connect with you!"

Actually, seasonal resets aren't that bad. What’s bad is having a random and uncertain reset schedule. If players don’t know when to expect a reset, it just creates unnecessary frustration and makes long-term planning pointless.

Ah man, I dont know about your economy system, will it be good or not(I edit my reply btw).

"

hary82521#3899 a écrit :

Dear GGG Team,
2. The Core Problem: Currency Inflation and Economic Collapse

In POE1, the game economy always follows the same cycle:

1️⃣ Early League: 1 Divine Orb ≈ 100 Chaos Orbs
2️⃣ Mid-League: 1 Divine Orb ≈ 200 Chaos Orbs
3️⃣ Late League: 1 Divine Orb ≈ 500 Chaos Orbs
4️⃣ Permanent Standard League: 1 Divine Orb ≈ 3000 Chaos Orbs

This is a lie. There has never been a divine rate in such values. Actually, this point confirms that you have never played in poe 1, because it is checked in two clicks. What is happening now in poe2 is a unique case for this game, all due to developer errors + early access.
It's sad that you don't understand how the economy works, either in the real world or in the game. But respect for your efforts.

My 2 cents as a non-expert player (I've played about 300 hours of POE1 since 2018, I've quit multiple times because of the lack of cross-play, as I'm a console player and don't like playing alone).

I think 99% of the complaints about the game could be explained with just 2 words: EARLY ACCESS.

We're playing a "work in progress" game. At the moment GGG doesn't care about the economy itself, they care about balancing the ascendancy, figuring out how to make the player have a better experience. And of course avoiding glitches (like what happened with mirrors and temporalis).

I'm a software engineer and I well know how much is necessary to cover edge cases to fix issues better.

Build balancing is one of the reasons for the economy explosion.
In the last week I've traded a lot of items and 90% of those players were using the same build with one button.
So people are only interested in making items for those builds and everything else is thrown away. Right now if you have a wand with a +5 fire skills, increased fire damage and casting speed it's basically garbage because no one cares about that wand. The same wand but with lightning is worth mirrors. I could give you a ton of examples of other gear items.

There are 6 classes missing (actually there is no str+int build). There will be more ascendancies, weapons and other gear missing.

About the economy reset: it doesn't exist. There will be new leagues where players can start from scratch. The standard league in POE1 has been around for 11 years and it will be the same with POE2. When a league ends, every character and all the spare cards are added to the standard ones. So you won't lose anything.
Why is this necessary in my opinion? I've almost cleaned out all the content. All the arbiter books, rituals, breach. Having a new league with new content will be a new way of making content. If there are no new leagues, I would abandon the game after a few months because there will be no more challenges to overcome.

Last thing: you said that in POE1 1div=100chaos at the beginning, then it became 1div=200chaos and finally 1div=500chaos.

In January 1div was 120ex, in February we reached about 250ex and now we are about 500ex. Considering this, the economy is going exactly in the same shape as POE1.

So wait for the final version. GGG has created a game (POE1) that is still widely played after 11 years. I think they know where they want to go.

"

Rassomaxa69#5346 a écrit :

"

hary82521#3899 a écrit :

Dear GGG Team,
2. The Core Problem: Currency Inflation and Economic Collapse

In POE1, the game economy always follows the same cycle:

1️⃣ Early League: 1 Divine Orb ≈ 100 Chaos Orbs
2️⃣ Mid-League: 1 Divine Orb ≈ 200 Chaos Orbs
3️⃣ Late League: 1 Divine Orb ≈ 500 Chaos Orbs
4️⃣ Permanent Standard League: 1 Divine Orb ≈ 3000 Chaos Orbs

This is a lie. There has never been a divine rate in such values. Actually, this point confirms that you have never played in poe 1, because it is checked in two clicks. What is happening now in poe2 is a unique case for this game, all due to developer errors + early access.
It's sad that you don't understand how the economy works, either in the real world or in the game. But respect for your efforts.

I appreciate the fact that you're double-checking the numbers, but I have played POE1 for many years, across multiple leagues—including full completion leagues. So when I talk about long-term currency inflation, it's from firsthand experience, not just theory.

Before the crafting cost switch from Exalted Orbs to Divine Orbs, Exalts were the primary high-value currency. In early weeks of a league, an Exalt was often 70-80 Chaos, then rapidly climbed past 120 in week two, nearly 200 in week three, and continued to inflate over time. This trend was consistent in many leagues before Divines took over as the dominant currency.

I get that POE2’s economy is in a unique state due to early access and dev choices, but the core issue remains—currencies tend to inflate over time if there aren't enough sinks. That's exactly why now is the right time to discuss how POE2 can prevent the same long-term issues.

Also, just a heads-up, my native language is Chinese, and my English is bad enough that even a three-year-old could out-debate me. So, please bear with my AI-assisted replies!

"

Dalzhe#9700 a écrit :

My 2 cents as a non-expert player (I've played about 300 hours of POE1 since 2018, I've quit multiple times because of the lack of cross-play, as I'm a console player and don't like playing alone).

I think 99% of the complaints about the game could be explained with just 2 words: EARLY ACCESS.

We're playing a "work in progress" game. At the moment GGG doesn't care about the economy itself, they care about balancing the ascendancy, figuring out how to make the player have a better experience. And of course avoiding glitches (like what happened with mirrors and temporalis).

I'm a software engineer and I well know how much is necessary to cover edge cases to fix issues better.

Build balancing is one of the reasons for the economy explosion.
In the last week I've traded a lot of items and 90% of those players were using the same build with one button.
So people are only interested in making items for those builds and everything else is thrown away. Right now if you have a wand with a +5 fire skills, increased fire damage and casting speed it's basically garbage because no one cares about that wand. The same wand but with lightning is worth mirrors. I could give you a ton of examples of other gear items.

There are 6 classes missing (actually there is no str+int build). There will be more ascendancies, weapons and other gear missing.

About the economy reset: it doesn't exist. There will be new leagues where players can start from scratch. The standard league in POE1 has been around for 11 years and it will be the same with POE2. When a league ends, every character and all the spare cards are added to the standard ones. So you won't lose anything.
Why is this necessary in my opinion? I've almost cleaned out all the content. All the arbiter books, rituals, breach. Having a new league with new content will be a new way of making content. If there are no new leagues, I would abandon the game after a few months because there will be no more challenges to overcome.

Last thing: you said that in POE1 1div=100chaos at the beginning, then it became 1div=200chaos and finally 1div=500chaos.

In January 1div was 120ex, in February we reached about 250ex and now we are about 500ex. Considering this, the economy is going exactly in the same shape as POE1.

So wait for the final version. GGG has created a game (POE1) that is still widely played after 11 years. I think they know where they want to go.

You bring up a lot of good points, and I totally agree that POE2 is still in Early Access. GGG is obviously prioritizing balance and mechanics over the economy right now, and that makes sense.

But I do think there's value in discussing long-term economic stability before POE2 gets locked into a flawed system. POE1’s economy evolved over 11 years, but not without major growing pains—price manipulations, extreme inflation in Standard, and a trade system that frustrated many players. If POE2 has a chance to avoid those mistakes from the start, why not take it?

The meta-driven market swings you mentioned are a big issue too. If a single broken build can warp the entire economy, that suggests the system could use some stabilizing mechanics. The item trade system, for example, could use better integration instead of forcing manual interactions.

And yeah, leagues will always introduce fresh starts, but what about the players who want to build something lasting? Right now, every league feels like a full reset, and some players—especially those with limited playtime—would love a progression system that carries over meaningfully.

At the end of the day, I think POE2 is in a great position to improve on POE1, not just repeat its strengths and its weaknesses. But hey, I respect your take on this, and I appreciate the discussion!

"

hary82521#3899 a écrit :

"

Rassomaxa69#5346 a écrit :

"

hary82521#3899 a écrit :

Dear GGG Team,
2. The Core Problem: Currency Inflation and Economic Collapse

In POE1, the game economy always follows the same cycle:

1️⃣ Early League: 1 Divine Orb ≈ 100 Chaos Orbs
2️⃣ Mid-League: 1 Divine Orb ≈ 200 Chaos Orbs
3️⃣ Late League: 1 Divine Orb ≈ 500 Chaos Orbs
4️⃣ Permanent Standard League: 1 Divine Orb ≈ 3000 Chaos Orbs

This is a lie. There has never been a divine rate in such values. Actually, this point confirms that you have never played in poe 1, because it is checked in two clicks. What is happening now in poe2 is a unique case for this game, all due to developer errors + early access.
It's sad that you don't understand how the economy works, either in the real world or in the game. But respect for your efforts.

I appreciate the fact that you're double-checking the numbers, but I have played POE1 for many years, across multiple leagues—including full completion leagues. So when I talk about long-term currency inflation, it's from firsthand experience, not just theory.

Before the crafting cost switch from Exalted Orbs to Divine Orbs, Exalts were the primary high-value currency. In early weeks of a league, an Exalt was often 70-80 Chaos, then rapidly climbed past 120 in week two, nearly 200 in week three, and continued to inflate over time. This trend was consistent in many leagues before Divines took over as the dominant currency.

I get that POE2’s economy is in a unique state due to early access and dev choices, but the core issue remains—currencies tend to inflate over time if there aren't enough sinks. That's exactly why now is the right time to discuss how POE2 can prevent the same long-term issues.

Also, just a heads-up, my native language is Chinese, and my English is bad enough that even a three-year-old could out-debate me. So, please bear with my AI-assisted replies!

Okay, if you want a debate, let's do it!
Inflation is a completely normal situation for this game. Important point from your quote: Never has inflation gone as far as you describe. Divine or Exalt (depending on what the base currency is) has NEVER been higher than 300 chaos in chaos/exalt. The inflation dynamics that you demonstrate in your post as an argument are fundamentally wrong. Your ideas about inflation are fundamentally wrong and you are proposing solutions to this problem. Is that ok? :)
The only reason standard died in poe1 is affliction. A league where everything went downhill. A fun league with tons of drops where every single person generated an absurd amount of currency.
With this example, you can roughly estimate what the economy depends on. Divine rate - chaos is normal even now. So what is the problem? If you are really such an experienced player in poe1, I hope you will figure it out yourself :)

"

hary82521#3899 a écrit :

And yeah, leagues will always introduce fresh starts, but what about the players who want to build something lasting? Right now, every league feels like a full reset, and some players—especially those with limited playtime—would love a progression system that carries over meaningfully.

In a normal situation, the standard league is a league for people with limited playing time. Now there is early access and the standard league essentially does not exist. The task of GGG is to prevent the death of the standard league, for which early access is held. In poe1, the standard league was alive for almost 10 years. For this to happen in poe2, there must be no exploits/bugs/dupes/absurd amounts of currency from temporary leagues.
I hope GGG will come to this state of the game upon release.