Respec system

Hi Dear GGG

I would like to share feedback regarding the respec system in PoE 2, based on both my own experience and the experience of my friend that tried game first time during a free weekend.

First, I want to highlight two important facts about PoE 2 that make sense in that type of feedback:

1. The campaign is extremely long.
2. The cost of respec during the campaign is very high.

These two aspects strongly affect each other, so I would like to explain why.

The campaign in PoE 2 is huge, it's good but it's damn huge. For a player who is not very familiar with ARPGs, completing all four acts + Interlude can easily take 40+ hours. As the player progresses further into the campaign, the gold cost of respec increases significantly.

This creates several frustrating cases:
1. A player reaches the Atlas and realizes their build is a crap. (worst case)
2. A player gets stuck during the campaign and cannot progress further.
3. A player discovers later in the campaign that they simply do not enjoy the skills or playstyle they chose early on.

The worst case scenario is when a player spent 30 or more hours into completing the campaign, only to realize that their build does not work or is not fun. I personally experienced this during my first playthrough of PoE 2: after finishing the campaign, I've played as Merc grenadier, I discovered that my build was completely unfun trash for me.

At that point, I had only two options:
1. Farm gold for 5-10 more hours on a build I do not enjoy to afford a respec and starter gear.
2. Abandon the character and create a new one that could progress more easily.
3. Leave the game completely

Neither option felt good or respectful of the time already invested.

Suggestion:
During Early Access, could we have one of the following options (or a combination of them)?

1. Free respec at any time before finishing the campaign, allowing players to experiment, learn, and adapt without punishment.
2. Have an account-bound “Reset Passive Skills” item, obtainable in one of these ways: guaranteed drop from a Pinnacle boss (limit 1 per account), or available for purchase from a vendor for a price.

(Me myself prefer both solutions because it fix respec problem in campaign and in endgame)

How much positive impact it will have?
1. Players who are stuck during the campaign would not quit the game out of frustration. Instead of feeling forced to grind gold for respec and gear, they could experiment with different builds to push the wall they stuck at.
2. PoE 2 introduces many skill gems that become available only after Acts 2–3. Currently, some players and me myself often avoid trying these new skills because switching builds requires an expensive respec. In some cases it not only the support skill gems you have, but a whole gear as well. This discourages experimentation and reduces build diversity during the campaign and endgame after.

I think, a more forgiving respec system during the campaign would greatly improve player retention, learning, and enjoyment—especially for new and casual players—without negatively impacting endgame balance.

Thank you for your time and for continuing to develop PoE 1 and PoE 2.