Path of Exile 2 All Classes and Ascendancy Classes explained

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All Path of Exile 2 Classes explained

At the time of writing, there are six classes available in Path of Exile 2 Early Access, namely Warrior, Monk, Sorceress, Ranger, Witch, and Mercenary. According to Path of Exile 2 game director Jonathan Roger, six other classes are going to be added to the game.

Classes are tied to the character, so you can't change it during the campaign. To avoid finding yourself in the middle of a campaign feeling bored or not enjoying your time with a 30-plus-hour character, learning about them is crucial.

Whereas you can have a general idea of each class since they are based on traditional fantasy archetypes, Path of Exile 2 gave them little twists, which makes these classes feel unique to the game. Monk is capable of manipulating elements while Range uses their arrows to make poisonous plants grow on the battlefield.

Below, you find a more detailed explanation on each Path of Exile 2 class:

Monk

Traditionally, Monk masters techniques that allow them to battle waves of enemies with their bare hands. However, in Path of Exile 2, this class fights mutated monsters in eerie forests with a quarterstaff, giving us a different feeling than more traditional versions of the class. While still centered around melee combat, Monk comes with interesting tools to handle multiple enemies, from a giant bell that reverberates your attacks onto enemies to large frontal electrical cones.

Monk is a class that benefits from constantly pressuring enemies, which gives them the chance to proc certain abilities. Although this makes it an intense class to play, it makes facing difficult enemies more challenging. The necessity of getting closer and staying for long periods facing a boss puts you in a difficult position, where you aim for massive damage output while avoiding an enemy's deadly attacks.

Sorceress

Very few classes in Path of Exile 2 put into practice so well the idea that the best defense is a good offense. From casting fireballs to massive ice orbs, the Sorceress is capable of using elemental magic to clean corridors filled with enemies before they even get near to hit them. If you're looking for a new twist on the spellcaster class, you won't find it in the Sorceress. But, if you're only looking for raw power, this is probably the class for you.

Sorceress is one of the easiest to play among the long-range classes available in the game so far. As you explore dungeons or maze-like mausoleums, you can preemptively cast some spells to quickly burst enemies that are awaiting at the end of dark rooms. Sorceress is capable of bursting enemies so fast that, while you should keep positioning and your resources in mind, you hardly feel challenged by enemies.

Ranger

If turning the battlefield into a threat in itself for enemies and finishing them off with deadly arrows, Ranger is the pick for you. This class's kit has a good number of single-target as well as area-of-effect abilities. You can shoot a single electrical arrow that bounces between enemies or leap away from monsters while exploding a freezing arrow toward the nasty monsters surrounding you. Ranger's mobility and versatility - this class has skills based on physical as well as ice, poison, and electrical damage - makes it a fun class to play.

The signature weapon of Ranger is the bow, but this class also receives different stats and buffs from the quiver they have equipped, giving it more room for experimenting when it comes to builds. Creativity - and a little bit of reflexes as all - is needed when facing enemies as well. You need to think of strategies on how to outdo enemies who have an advantage over this class, like creatures who can reflect projectiles. In addition, Ranger's damage output requires you to hit enemies constantly and keep detrimental effects, such as poison, up all the time since this is not a burst class.

Warrior

Alongside Sorceress, Warrior is the bread and butter of a traditional fantasy RPG. On the opposite side of the spectrum, this class is all about physical damage, melee combat, and a large pool of Health. Warrior balances high defense with explosive attacks, which gives them a chance to group enemies and wipe all of them with a single killing blow. Even though this class won't offer you the most exciting gameplay in Path of Exile 2, it's a safe choice if you want to progress throughout the game without too much trouble.

Warrior is not only about smashing the ground and flexing muscles! This class's kit comes with warcries, which are powerful buffs that can also affect enemies around the character with detrimental effects. They can literally set enemies on fire with their screams, which is pretty impressive. And when Warrior is not using all the power of the vocal cords, they are stomping (considerably different from smashing!) the ground to create totems, which work as decoys that can also hit enemies and give them the opening they need to smash

Mercenary

At first glance, a crossbow user might not seem too different from the Ranger, but don't let an alternative method to shoot arrows deceive you. Mercenary is actually a complex class with fast-paced gameplay that turns the crossbow into a medieval version of modern guns from machine guns to sniper rifles. As a Mercenary, most of your skills are different types of ammo and by preloading them, you are capable of unleashing powerful combinations of attacks. Get behind an enemy and use the ice ammo, followed by the shotgun ammo, to freeze and shatter their body into dust.

Mercenary's combative potential comes with a price. Like real guns, the magazine of your crossbow carries a certain number of shots which is different depending on the kind of ammo. One bullet for the shotgun and seven for the assault rifle. Once all of them are used, you need to reload, letting you extremely vulnerable. Planning and learning combos is key to surviving the encounters in Path of Exile 2 as a Mercenary.

Witch

Wiping groups of enemies with elemental magic might not be your cup of tea. In this case, Witch is exactly what you need. You're still a caster, but instead of hunting down monsters with an Electric orb, you invoke a wave of minions to overwhelm enemies. In Path of Exile 2, the Witch is a class similar to the Necromancer in other games. Based on the amount of Spirits, a unique resource, you can summon a certain number of skeleton soldiers. The Witch has access to a complete squad from melee Soldiers to bomb-throwing skeletons.

Being a minion-centered class makes the Witch extremely dependent on the skeletons they invoke and corpses to make new ones. Although minions automatically resurrect after a short cooldown, the class lacks skills that allow them to directly tackle monsters when their small army dies. But once they are back, you can debuff monsters and send a wave of minions after enemies to overcome them.

All Path of Exile 2 Ascendancy Classes explained

As you get further into the game, a new step in the character progression system of Path of Exile 2 becomes available, the Ascendancy classes. These are specializations that classes can choose from and that add a new twist to them without losing their main characteristics. A Sorceress is always going to be a spellcaster, but depending on the Ascendancy class they end up becoming, the kind of magic they use changes.

In Path of Exile 2 Early Access, there are two Ascendancy classes for the basic classes, and only one can be picked per character. As explained by the Grinding Gear Games team, their plan is to have three for each class when the game is officially released.

Invoker (Monk)

When playing as a Monk, it's possible to ascend to Invoker, a path focused on triggering elemental effects based on critical attacks and eventually becoming an Avatar. You are forced to pick between lightning or cold damage, creating a unique fighting style. To endure the strenuous encounters you partake in, you rely on techniques such as meditating to increase your character's shield.

Acolyte of Chayula (Monk)

If tuning with elemental powers is not the path you want to follow as a Monk, don't worry. You can opt to ascend to the Acolyte of Chauyla. With this specialization, your character relies on the power of darkness as their resource, being capable of leeching mana while recharging their shield. The strength of this Ascendancy class is found in the Flames of Chayula, a special resource that only the Acolyte of Chayula has access to and that gives you Life, Mana, and increases your damage.

Storm Weaver (Sorceress)

As a Sorceress, you have become used to bursting enemies throwing a wave of elemental spells at them. With Storm Weaver, you become a stronger elemental mage. This Ascendancy class is capable of summoning elemental storms on the battlefield, clearing groups of enemies faster than before. Storm Weaver has access to many skills that buff their Electrical spells, making it impossible for enemies to escape.

Chronomancer (Sorceress)

With time, as a Sorceress, you learn that killing enemies before they reach you doesn't necessarily involve a giant fireball. You can prevent them from getting closer by stopping time. As the name suggests, the Chronomancer is the master of time magic. From jumping back in time to recover Health and Mana to resetting all cooldowns, Chronomancer has a lot to offer.

Pathfinder (Ranger)

One of the Ranger's Ascendancy classes is the Pathfinder, the perfect choice if you want to move away a little bit from only using a bow and arrows to kill enemies. By preparing different types of flasks, Pathfinder can throw them at enemies to provoke plenty of powerful effects. There is a flask that inflicts Bleeding on enemies, while others deal Electrical damage, for example. The idea is to mix these flasks with the Ranger's basic skills to wipe groups of enemies fast while exploiting their weaknesses.

Deadeye (Ranger)

If you found yourself wondering how cool it would be to shoot more arrows while leveling up a Ranger character, then Deadeye is the perfect Ascendancy class for you. This specialization takes all that characterizes Ranger - mobility, attack speed, and arrows! - and make it stronger. Escaping enemies attacks lets you keep buffs running, while you are able to shoot multiple projectiles.

Warbringer (Warrior)

Tired of smashing and stomping enemies as a Warrior? Maybe you should ascend to the Warbringer and Ancient Spirits to fight by your side. Different from a traditional Warrior, the Warbringer makes the most out of the totems this class is capable of creating. Whenever they add one to the battlefield, an Ancient Spirit is summoned to attack enemies. Warbringer also has access to strong mitigation skills and buffs.

Titan (Warrior)

Titan is the Warrior Ascendancy class that firmly believes in always looking for ways to hit enemies harder. While Warrior can slam their weapons on the ground to kill enemies, Titan takes this one step further by being capable of triggering an aftershock after a slam attack. Titan has great tools to hit enemies hard and stun them. Once they are vulnerable, Titan is capable of causing a large quantity of damage to them.

Gemling Legionnaire (Mercenary)

Probably one of the most different Ascendancy classes in Path of Exile 2, Gemling Legionnaire enhances the Mercenary's capabilities by using gems and having access to more skill slots. While you don't have new shiny abilities, you become a stronger version of the Mercenary - with more ammo to use!

Witchhunter (Mercenary)

A Mercenary that goes down this path and ascends to a Witchhunter has become the perfect fighter against magical evil creatures. This class has access to a singular ward that protects them from elemental hits while reducing their general defense. Witchhunter has an ability that gives them the chance of striking enemies by 30% of their life if the effect of their skill proc, making it a perfect class if you want to look for big numbers. And as expected from a Witchhunter, this class receives buffs when facing demons and undead.

Blood Mage (Witch)

While the regular Witch raises the dead to fight for her, an ascended one who became a Blood Mage goes beyond by using the vital energy of their enemies to decimate them. To use blood magic, a Blood Mage ends up using their life as well as their mana to cast powerful spells. But to compensate for such a bloody requirement, this class has many tools to stay alive. For example, a Blood Mage is capable of leeching the lives of their enemies when using their skills.

Infernalist (Witch)

Leading a pack of Skeleton soldiers might not be enough for you, but if adding a hellhound to the equation seems fun, the Infernalist is the right Ascendancy class. This infernal Witch is capable of summoning a dog from hell to attack alongside the other minions while using the Infernal Flames to hit enemies. Using these flames comes with a price and requires you to learn how to stay alive while playing with fire! To make this hellish class even more special, Infernalist is capable of turning into a demon, a mode that deals and takes more damage.

Hope this help you pick your Path of Exile 2 class!