Path of Exile 3.29: 3 Major Nerfs and 3 Huge Buffs Predicted for Curse of the All Flame

Summary

Path of Exile 3.29: Curse of the All Flame is almost here, and the latest teasers hint at new Transfigured Gems, possible Abyss improvements, POE currency, and major balance changes. Based on current meta trends, these are the three biggest nerfs and three most impactful buffs players should expect when the patch notes arrive.

Step 1: Path of Exile 3.29 Is Set to Shake Up the Meta

Grinding Gear Games is only days away from unveiling Path of Exile 3.29: Curse of the All Flame, with the full reveal scheduled for July 16. As with every new expansion, players are eagerly waiting for the patch notes that will redefine league starters, endgame builds, and the overall meta.

Recent teasers have already showcased new Transfigured Gems, while many fans believe Abyss may finally receive a long-overdue overhaul. Some speculate that GGG could even introduce the smoother, more rewarding Path of Exile 2 version of Abyss into the original game, replacing one of PoE's oldest league mechanics with a more modern design.

Beyond new content, however, balance changes remain the biggest topic of discussion.

Step 2: Nerf Prediction 1 – Minion Pact Is Simply Too Strong

If one skill appears destined for a massive nerf, it's Minion Pact Support.

Introduced in Patch 3.28, the support gem grants enormous amounts of flat physical damage to supported spells by sacrificing a minion based on its maximum life.

The numbers quickly became absurd.

Even a basic setup using a Dark Marionette Spectre can generate roughly 1,000 flat physical damage with minimal investment. Unlike traditional Added Cold or Added Lightning supports, this physical damage can also benefit from:

Physical conversion

Damage gained as extra elemental

Multiple scaling mechanics

High gem levels

Minion Life stacking

As players optimized the build through passive trees, cluster jewels, gear, and Ascendancies, Minion Pact evolved from "strong" to arguably one of the most overpowered support gems ever released.

Its power became so extreme that it was banned during the 3.28 Gauntlet, a rare move that demonstrates just how far outside acceptable balance it had become.

Rather than receiving a small numerical adjustment, many players expect GGG to completely redesign the gem.

Step 3: Blade Vortex Snapshotting May Also Be Addressed

While discussing Minion Pact, another mechanic deserves attention: Blade Vortex snapshotting.

Currently, Blade Vortex captures Minion Pact's bonus damage when initially cast. As long as the skill remains active, players continue benefiting from that massive damage even after changing equipment or sacrificing different minions.

Many players don't believe Blade Vortex itself is overpowered—it has remained largely unchanged for years.

Instead, the interaction with Minion Pact creates unintended scaling that bypasses normal balancing rules.

GGG may choose to remove or limit snapshot mechanics in 3.29, although the primary target will likely remain Minion Pact itself.

Step 4: Nerf Prediction 2 – Kinetic Fusillade Dominated League Starters

Another likely balance target is Kinetic Fusillade.

Unlike Minion Pact, Kinetic Fusillade isn't broken—it is simply too efficient.

During the Mirage league, it quickly became the most popular league starter, reaching approximately 13% play rate during the opening week, while the second-most popular skill lagged far behind.

Its popularity largely came from:

Fast leveling

Excellent clear speed

Strong boss damage

Smooth progression

Outstanding Totem variants

Hierophant players especially benefited from the Totem version, making the skill one of the safest recommendations for almost every player.

GGG generally prefers greater build diversity, so a moderate reduction in power seems very likely.

Instead of lowering raw damage, developers may specifically target the Totem interaction, preserving self-cast versions while reducing the dominance of automated gameplay.

Step 5: Nerf Prediction 3 – Screams of the Desiccated Will Become Much Rarer

One of the most valuable unique belts introduced in 3.28 was Screams of the Desiccated.

Interestingly, the belt itself isn't expected to receive direct numerical nerfs.

Instead, its accessibility may change dramatically.

Throughout Mirage league, players could repeatedly farm Mirage encounters, leading to a steady supply of Sesh fragments and frequent boss fights.

If Mirage follows previous temporary leagues and becomes a rare core mechanic, players may experience:

Far fewer Mirage encounters

Reduced access to Sesh

Lower drop rates for the belt

Much higher market prices

Rarer Shrine combinations

As a result, even without any balance adjustments, Screams of the Desiccated could effectively become much stronger simply because far fewer copies enter the economy.

Step 6: Buff Prediction 1 – Self-Cast Spells Finally Receive Attention

Among the most exciting predictions for Patch 3.29 is a comprehensive overhaul of traditional self-cast spell builds.

Over the past several leagues, true self-casting has struggled to compete.

Instead, players have relied on:

Archmage

Life stacking

Trigger mechanics

Totems

Minion scaling

Basic spellcasters focusing on cast speed, gem levels, and spell damage have gradually fallen behind.

GGG has recently shown a pattern of improving entire archetypes:

Patch 3.27 improved wand attacks.

Patch 3.28 focused heavily on Holy skills.

Patch 3.29 could finally become the self-cast update.

Potential improvements may include:

Higher spell damage scaling

Better cast speed modifiers

Improved caster defenses

Stronger Transfigured Gems

New passive tree options

Archmage may receive slight reductions simultaneously to prevent it from becoming even stronger after these buffs.

Step 7: Buff Prediction 2 – The Red Aquarian Ascendancy Needs Significant Improvements

The Red Aquarian Ascendancy introduced fresh ideas but failed to meet player expectations.

Unlike traditional Ascendancies, its passive nodes rotate every league, encouraging constant experimentation with new build combinations.

While this concept offers incredible variety, its current power level simply isn't competitive.

Several nodes were even nerfed before Patch 3.28 launched, leaving many players disappointed.

For the system to succeed long-term, GGG will likely:

Increase baseline node power

Create more exciting unique interactions

Reward theorycrafting

Improve early progression strength

If implemented correctly, Red Aquarian could become one of the most creative Ascendancies in Path of Exile.

Step 8: Buff Prediction 3 – Weak Bloodline Classes Could Finally Become Viable

Bloodline classes also appear ready for another round of improvements.

Patch 3.28 already included several Bloodline adjustments, suggesting GGG intends to keep refining the system.

Some of the weakest nodes currently include:

Vivid Cat (Oshi Bloodline)

It Wasn't Me (Delirious Bloodline)

Death Offering (Karina Bloodline)

These passives remain significantly weaker than competing options, limiting build diversity.

A combination of numerical buffs and complete redesigns could make these Bloodlines attractive choices for many more character builds.

Players also expect the Sesh Bloodline to become a permanent core feature regardless of how its boss encounter is accessed after Mirage ends.

Step 9: Could Abyss Receive the Biggest Gameplay Upgrade?

Outside of balance changes, one of the most exciting possibilities is a complete Abyss rework.

The current version of Abyss has changed very little over the years and now feels outdated compared to modern league mechanics.

If GGG ports elements from Path of Exile 2's Abyss, players could enjoy:

Faster encounter pacing

Better monster density

Improved rewards

More engaging combat

A smoother mapping experience

Even without dramatic balance changes, this quality-of-life improvement could become one of the highlights of Curse of the All Flame.

Final Thoughts

Path of Exile 3.29 is shaping up to be one of the most important balance patches in recent memory. The community expects Minion Pact to receive a massive overhaul, Kinetic Fusillade to lose some of its league-start dominance, and Screams of the Desiccated to become significantly rarer due to changes in boss accessibility.

On the positive side, long-neglected self-cast spell builds, the Red Aquarian Ascendancy, and several underperforming Bloodline classes could finally receive the attention they've needed for multiple leagues. Combined with possible Abyss improvements and new Transfigured Gems, cheap POE currency, Curse of the All Flame has the potential to dramatically reshape the Path of Exile endgame and create a far more diverse meta for both league starters and veteran players.