Path Of Exile 2 Mercenary Class Revealed In Latest Dev Livestream

Developer Grinding Gear Games has unveiled the latest character class, the Mercenary, for their upcoming action RPG Path of Exile 2 during a recent Path of Exile livestream. This class becomes the latest to join following the Druid, which was introduced a few months ago as they detailed some of the exciting features and gameplay designs.

According to the developer, the Mercenary class should add something unique regarding combat abilities and playstyle, especially when compared to other classes like the Monk, Sorceress, and Warrior. Players interested in learning more about the Mercenary class can continue reading this guide as we unpack all those important details about the latest class to join Path of Exile 2.

Everything you need to know about Path Of Exile 2's Mercenary Class

The Mercenary is the latest character class joining Path of Exile 2, which was unveiled during the latest livestream event. The game's developer provided players with a firsthand gameplay demo of this class, including highlighting the crossbow weapon, a focal piece of this class.

Due to the crossbow's gameplay design, players are given more freedom in movement without any setback that a traditional bow and arrow may impose. Additionally, the developer noted that the crossbow's design is reminiscent of a rifle or shotgun, meaning players won't have to worry about any drawbacks or prolonged reloading of arrows.

This unique design approach for the crossbow should make the Mercenary class feel more accessible to players who want to jump into the game with a class that is relatively straightforward to learn and master. Additionally, the movement of the Mercenary class, which was first teased in the third gameplay trailer, highlighted that the game would fully support WASD movement, letting players guide their Merc throughout multiple unique environments and making combat much more streamlined.

As explained in our detailed crossbow guide, there will be unique crossbows to utilize and a broad range of Ammo Skills and attachments that can be used in different combat situations. With three confirmed crossbow types, Burst Shot, Power Shot, and Rapid Shot, available in-game, it has yet to be determined how these weapon types, Ammo Skills, and attachments can largely influence the various Ascendancy classes and the unique abilities and mechanics they may provide.

While the devs didn't further expand on the Skill Gem system in correlation with the Mercenary class, this in-game mechanic is expected to have a great influence when creating their ideal class build. What is certain is that the class' best slot-in weapon, the crossbow, will have weapon attachments that function similarly to Skill Gems, which have skill slots that can be modified using support gems.

Likewise, the developer didn't go into much detail regarding the class' Ascendancy specializations, allowing for more unique playstyles, skills, and subclasses to choose from; it's expected we may learn more about them prior to the start of the game's Closed Beta. According to the game's website, the Closed Beta is scheduled to begin on 7 June 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Mac, and PC, and we'll continue to provide additional coverage regarding the beta in the coming months.