Path of Exile 2: Leveling tips for beginners — How to teach endgame faster

Seems like a long journey from the outside, but it’s not as hard as it seems!

Leveling in Path of Exile 2 is a thrilling journey through a dark and dangerous world, but it can also be overwhelming for new players. With a deep passive skill tree, dozens of skills, and a loot system that floods you with choices, it’s easy to get lost on your way to the endgame. In this article,I looking to help you reach the endgame as fast as you can to unlock this very fun part of the game!

If you need any extra help in your journey to the end game, I recommend you look into buying PoE 2 currency. This way, you can fly past some of the game’s tougher areas by getting better gear and inventory tabs!

Choose a beginner-friendly build

Before anything else, start with a build that’s known to perform well during the campaign. Some builds may excel in the endgame but struggle to level efficiently, which can lead to frustration and wasted time.

Best beginner picks for smooth leveling:

Warrior (Strength): Durable, good damage, easy melee builds.
Ranger (Dexterity): Fast movement, strong bow builds, high clear speed.
Sorceress (Intelligence): Powerful spells, excellent AoE.

If you’re unsure, look for builds labeled as “league starter” or “beginner-friendly.” Examples include melee builds with weapon skills like Cleave or Sweep, or ranged builds using simple but effective projectile attacks.

Master the new weapon skill system

One of the biggest changes in Path of Exile 2 is the weapon skill system. Instead of dropping skill gems into any class, each weapon type comes with its own built-in active skills. Your character’s identity is now heavily tied to the weapons they wield.

Bows provide long-ranged skills like Multishot or Ricochet Shot.
Staves come with spell casting options and block-based defenses.
Axes provide wide-swinging melee attacks with high damage.

To level quickly, pick a weapon type that suits your style and stick with it for a while. Swapping weapon types constantly will slow you down and dilute your passive tree investment.

Use support gems strategically

Support gems in PoE 2 have been overhauled. Instead of requiring specific sockets and colors, supports are now attached directly to skill gems, allowing much more flexibility — but also creating traps for newer players who link too many or inappropriate supports.

Leveling advice:

Don’t overcomplicate your links early. A 2-link or 3-link setup is enough through most of the campaign.
Prioritize support gems that improve clear speed (like Faster Attacks, Increased AoE, or Pierce).

Focus on making one main skill strong and fast rather than trying to support everything.

Plan your passive tree efficiently

The passive tree in PoE 2 remains massive — though it’s been redesigned to be cleaner and more intuitive. Each class begins at a different location on the tree, and there are fewer filler nodes between major passives.

Tips for new players:

Go for life or energy shield early. Survivability matters more than damage until the endgame.
Take passive clusters that directly support your chosen weapon and skill type.
Avoid overly niche nodes or high-cost keystones unless you understand the consequences.

Several community tools (like Path of Building II or external planners) will update to support PoE 2. Use them if you feel overwhelmed.

Stay ahead with weapon upgrades

Because skills scale from weapons now, upgrading your weapon frequently is critical. If your weapon damage falls behind, your damage will too, even if your supports and passives are great!

Easy ways to upgrade:

Check vendors every level or two. Many sell decent rares.
Use crafting currency like Orb of Transmutation, Augmentation, and Essences to improve drops.
Focus on weapon types that boost your chosen skills (i.e., bows for bow builds, maces for melee stuns).

Don’t bother over-investing in perfect weapons while leveling. Just grab “good enough” upgrades every few levels.

Move quickly, not blindly!

The campaign in Path of Exile 2 isn’t finished as of writing this article, with only 3 acts out right now and 3 more coming in the future. Compared to PoE 1’s 10 act story, this might seem like a lot smaller, but there are a lot of side activities to do that can slow you down on your progress towards the endgame.

Leveling efficiently means:

Skipping most side areas unless they provide a major reward (skill point, support gem, etc.).
Clearing only what’s necessary — no need to kill every monster unless you’re under-leveled.

If you’re ever under-leveled or stuck, backtracking one area to kill fast enemy packs can fix the XP gap in minutes.

Manage your mana and flask economy

Mana management is more meaningful in PoE 2. Since many builds now rely on weapon skills and proper support linkages, it’s easier to run into mana problems early if you’re not careful.

To keep leveling smooth:.

Avoid using 4 or 5 links early if it drains your mana pool too quickly.
Upgrade your flasks regularly — they scale poorly if left outdated.

Make sure you always have a life flask, mana flask, and a Quicksilver Flask (for movement speed).

Don’t encumber yourself with too much loot

Path of Exile 2 keeps its core loot identity — floods of gear, currency, and rares. But picking up everything is a huge time sink. Use a loot filter (custom or default) to help you focus on valuable drops.

Prioritize picking up:

Currency
Rare weapons in your chosen type
Jewelry with good life/resist rolls
Support and active skill gems

Avoid hoarding gear for alts, you can always re-farm later with better efficiency.

Pay Attention to Boss Mechanics

Bosses can be quite the time sink. Specially if you’re hurrying through the game. This might be one of the few moments you absolutely have to slow down and learn each boss. They use telegraphed attacks, multiple phases, and arena mechanics that will punish players who face-tank or fail to reposition.

Learn the pattern:

Don’t rush in blindly and observe the boss’s moves.
Use a mobility skill to dodge big telegraphed abilities.
If you’re dying frequently, reconsider your defenses, not just your damage.

Learning how to dodge and position early pays massive dividends later, especially in maps and endgame encounters.

In conclusion

Once you’re done with the portion of the campaign that’s in the game thus far, and followed these tips, you should be pretty much ready to enter the endgame, however, before entering you should check:

Are your core resistances capped (especially elemental)?
Is your main skill supported and consistent?
Is your life pool healthy?
Do you understand your build’s mechanics?

Leveling in Path of Exile 2 isn’t just about speed — it’s about momentum, survival, and adapting to its new systems. The redesigned campaign, weapon-skill system, and passive tree give you the tools to build and play your way, but also the responsibility to choose carefully.

If you stick to one weapon identity, upgrade smartly, and focus on survivability and core mechanics, you’ll reach endgame faster — and more importantly, stronger!