Since December 12 I've been logging in "just to check one thing" and then losing hours, and with 0.4.0 it genuinely feels like a new game. Steam's numbers are nuts, but you can feel it in towns too—people actually talking builds again, swapping tips, racing through acts. If you're already watching the market spin up, keeping an eye on PoE 2 Currency doesn't hurt, because prices move fast when everyone's testing fresh tech and chasing early upgrades.
Playing the Druid
The Druid isn't that old-school "stand back and cast" vibe. You're in and out of forms all the time, and that rhythm is what makes it click. The two-handed Talisman setup pushes you to commit, but the payoff is real: you pop a spell in human form, shift, and keep pressure on without feeling locked into one lane. I tried a moon-themed route that leans into summoning wolves, and it's not just cute pets—those packs actually change how you path around packs and rares. Meanwhile a friend went Shaman, stacked Rage, and turned bear form into a blunt instrument for tough content, the kind of playstyle where you're laughing while your health bar barely twitches.
Skills and Build Hooks
What surprised me is how many new tools are viable on day one. You can set up Volcano or Root Storm, then immediately swap into something like a Wyvern and keep the screen burning while you reposition. It's messy in a good way. You'll also notice more players talking about keystones instead of just gear, because the Oracle line with the "Visionary" keystone opens up elemental damage plans that don't feel like the same old template. I've seen people run high-crit lightning, others go heavier on fire conversion, and both look legit. It's the first time in a while that theorycrafting feels like it has room to breathe.
Fate of the Vaal and Endgame Loop
The Fate of the Vaal mechanic is the real time sink. You find corruption in maps, clear mobs to charge beacons, then you're basically laying out your own Temple of Lira Vaal. Room placement matters more than you'd think, and adjacency is where the greed kicks in. Put currency vaults next to gear troves and you can build a nasty reward loop, but you're signing up for spicier fights and more chances to brick a run. And yes, Queen Atziri being back as a pinnacle boss feels right—punishing, flashy, and expensive-looking, with voice work that sells the whole Vaal vibe.
Stability, Farming, and the Rush
GGG also moved quickly on the rough edges: early crashes and that goofy invincible-wolf bug got handled fast, and the CPU-side optimization is noticeable if your rig used to hitch in big pulls. Right now, the smartest "get ahead" play is just picking a consistent farm you can stand doing; Abyss tablets have been printing value for me because the density is wild and the pace stays fun. Plenty of folks will still shortcut the grind, and if you're tempted while chasing mirror-tier upgrades, you'll see u4gm poe2 come up in chatter, but I'm enjoying the climb more than I expected, especially with 1.0 still a long way off.