MMOexp: Patch 0.4 Ushers in POE2’s Most Ambitious Class Yet

• Posted by Anselm rosseti 5 hours ago Filed in Entertainment #mmoexp  #POE2 Currency  #buy POE 2 Currency  2 views
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  Path of Exile 2 has already reshaped the ARPG landscape with its Early Access launch, but all eyes are now locked on Patch 0.4, the highly anticipated December update. The developers have confirmed this will be the first endgame-focused patch of the beta cycle—and if the rapidly spreading datamined leaks are accurate, 0.4 may introduce some of the most transformative features POE2 Currency has seen so far.

  As someone who has been following every drip of information, parsing the GGPK files, and testing early builds day after day, I can firmly say: 0.4 looks enormous, not just for build diversity, but for the long-term shape of POE2’s systems, progression, and class identity.

  Let’s dive deep into what we know, what we suspect, and what may be coming sooner than anyone expected.

  A New Shape-Shifting Era: Wyverns, Bears, Wolves, and More

  One of the most exciting revelations comes straight from datamined animations, ability tags, and internal metadata entries. Hidden within the game files are numerous references to a mysterious “metadata monster wyvern”—and its purpose seems unmistakably linked to Druid shape-shifting.

  The files include:

  Wyvern speed modifiers

  Backwards running animations

  Turning animations

  Take-hit flinches in all directions

  Wyvern-specific skills, including:

  Swipe

  Empowered Swipe

  Wing Blast

  Flame Breath

  Electric Spit

  These are far too specific to be generic placeholders. They represent a complete animation and ability set—far beyond what a simple mob variant would require. In fact, the existence of running cycles, slow walks, backwards movement, attack chains, and death animations strongly suggests that players—yes, players—will be able to transform into a wyvern.

  If true, PoE2’s Druid will be the most ambitious shape-shifting class ever implemented in an ARPG.

  Bear and Wolf Forms Are Already Expected

  From official teasers and early skill reveals, we know:

  Bear form is essentially confirmed

  Wolf form appears in the 0.4 teaser footage

  Both are core fantasy pillars for any Druid archetype

  But a wyvern form? That’s a step beyond anything fans were expecting. It hints at aerial combat, elemental breath attacks, and potentially hybridized caster-melee gameplay. And personally? I’ll be league-starting Druid no matter what—but if wyvern form is real, my first build is already decided.

  Strange New Findings: Demon Magus, Ability Tags, and More

  Wyvern isn’t the only oddity in the game files. Multiple references appear to a mysterious “Summon Demon Magus” skill.

  There is:

  A database entry for the skill

  A “one-handed sword on-hit audio demon speed” tag

  Indicators that it once had modified Intelligence requirements in Patch 0.2

  Yet… this ability has:

  No in-game presence

  No teaser mentions

  No currently known subclass to claim it

  This raises questions:

  Is Demon Magus a Druid spell?

  A scrapped design?

  A future Witch specialization?

  A hidden endgame enemy?

  No one knows. But every time something like this appeared in POE1’s files, it eventually became real. And that adds even more mystery to 0.4’s true scope.

  Druid Class Expectations: Skills, Minions, Forms, and Themes

  With all the incoming Druid buzz, let’s break down reasonable expectations based on datamining, past interviews, and GGG design patterns.

  Starter Weapons

  I expect the Druid to start with one of:

  A Talisman, dedicated to transforming and empowering shape-shifts

  A Voltaic Staff, if the early kit leans toward lightning and fire casting

  The in-game tooltip for “Talisman” already references shape-shifting functionality. That alone is a strong hint.

  Starting Skills

  I would be surprised if the Druid’s early skill options did not include:

  Volcano (we’ve seen early footage)

  A base shape-shifting skill, if they choose Talisman as the starter

  Minions: Wolves, Bears, and… Insects?

  We already know wolves exist as confirmed Druid minions.

  But a fully realized summoner archetype may also include:

  Bear companion (similar to Infernalist’s Hellhound)

  A poison/rot-based minion set, such as:

  Scorpions

  Spiders

  Vine Creepers

  This makes sense thematically, especially because the Druid in POE2 touches elemental, natural, and primal magic. A poison side-theme would round out the class identity significantly.

  Ascendancies: Only Two at Launch

  GGG has repeatedly said ascendancy classes in POE2 are broad, not specialized. That means Druid probably launches with:

  One Shape-Shifting Ascendancy

  One Caster/Primal Magic Ascendancy

  I do not expect a dedicated Summoner ascendancy—not yet.

  Massive Passive Tree Changes Incoming

  Patch 0.4 is not just “add Druid and ship it.” The passive tree needs restructuring to support:

  New shape-shift mechanics

  New skill tags

  New weapon-talisman interactions

  New elemental/earth/physical Druid themes

  I expect substantial updates to the northwest (Strength) side of the tree, adding:

  Shape-shift clusters

  Natural magic nodes

  Beast/minion hybrid nodes

  Earth and lightning interactions

  POE2’s tree is bigger than POE1’s—but it still hasn’t accounted for an entirely new class until now.

  An Endgame-Focused Patch Means Big Changes

  GGG explicitly stated that 0.4 is an Endgame update. That alone carries huge implications.

  1. Atlas Tree Overhaul

  The current Atlas tree is functional, but shallow compared to POE1. If the game is serious about long-term retention, expect:

  New mechanics

  Stronger specializations

  Reworked tower interactions

  Better endgame scaling

  The addition of Druid alone wouldn’t satisfy an endgame-focused patch—so structural Atlas changes make perfect sense.

  2. New Endgame Bosses

  New bosses are extremely likely. In fact, I’d argue:

  We will get several new endgame bosses

  Ubers are almost guaranteed

  New boss-exclusive uniques may arrive alongside them

  Boss arena variety is overdue

  POE2 needs more aspirational content, and 0.4 is the perfect patch to deliver it.

  When Will POE2 Officially Launch? My Prediction: December 2026

  In my view, this is the clearest timeline:

  Original Plan

  GGG previously stated the Early Access beta would last about one year. That would have meant December 2025 for the full launch.

  But that’s clearly not happening.

  Why Not March/April 2026?

  Several reasons:

  The team said missing the December window increases likelihood of a March/April release—but only “if possible.”

  March/April is historically a terrible month for major game launches.

  Two more acts still need to be polished and tested.

  The team has never launched a major POE title outside summer or winter.

  Why Not August 2026?

  POE1 content thrives in summer. POE2, being the flagship, will get the prestigious slot:

  POE1 = Summer major releases

  POE2 = Winter premier releases

  GGG will not cannibalize their own audience by launching POE2’s biggest moment in August.

  This leaves one ideal launch window:

  → December 2026

  It is:

  Market optimal

  Historically consistent

  Gives enough dev time

  Aligns with their four-month league cycle

  Lines up with Jonathan Rogers’ earlier comments

  Unless something dramatic changes, December 2026 is the most logical full-release launch date buy POE 2 Currency.

  Final Thoughts: Patch 0.4 Could Redefine POE2’s Future

  Between:

  New Druid class

  Possible wyvern form

  Datamined demon summons

  Shape-shifting weapons

  New endgame bosses

  A revamped Atlas

  Passive tree expansions

  …it is hard to overstate just how impactful this patch could be.

  0.4 might be the patch where POE2 begins to truly separate itself from POE1—not just philosophically, but mechanically, tonally, and structurally.

  And if everything discovered so far pans out, this December update will be remembered as the moment POE2’s identity finally crystallised.