PoE 2 Delivers Major Fate of the Vaal Improvements in Patch 0.4.0c

More than twenty days since the launch of the Fate of the Vaal league, Grinding Gear Games has released a substantial round of updates for Path of Exile 2, signaling a shift from emergency technical fixes to meaningful gameplay improvements. While early patches focused primarily on stability, crashes, and performance issues, the latest update, Patch 0.4.0c, alongside multiple hotfixes, directly addresses many of the league's most common player complaints.

The update brings sweeping changes to Temple rewards, progression pacing, endgame difficulty scaling, crafting systems, and skill balance. Combined with an extensive list of bug fixes, this patch significantly improves the overall feel of Fate of the Vaal and makes temple-focused gameplay far more satisfying.

Temple Rewards Receive a Long-Overdue Buff

One of the biggest criticisms of Fate of the Vaal at launch was the underwhelming reward structure tied to temple runs. Many players felt that the effort required to build and clear a high-tier Temple simply didn't justify the loot. Patch 0.4.0c tackles this issue head-on by dramatically improving how temple rewards scale.

Room modifiers applied to the Temple have been approximately doubled across all tiers, immediately increasing overall value. Several Tier III rooms now spawn additional powerful enemies, such as Corrupted Abominations, Royal Sentinels, and High Priests, further raising both difficulty and reward potential. Treasure Vaults also now grant 25% increased item rarity to the entire Temple, while high-tier Alchemy Labs provide bonuses to Gold Found.

Together, these changes ensure that high-investment temple setups feel appropriately rewarding, particularly for players pushing endgame content and farming POE 2 Currency efficiently.

Medallions Add Depth and Customization

To further enhance temple gameplay, GGG introduced a new Medallion system that allows players to influence their Temple runs more directly. One new Medallion can apply random map modifiers to Atziri's Temple for up to ten runs, increasing both challenge and rewards. This adds a layer of risk-versus-reward decision-making that was previously missing.

Another Medallion allows players to reroll rooms waiting to be placed, making it significantly easier to target specific room combinations without excessive RNG frustration. Drop rates and acquisition sources for Medallions have also been rebalanced, and clearer icons and descriptions have been added to improve usability.

These additions make temple planning more flexible and give players greater control over their endgame progression.

Architect Encounters and Temple Progression Reworked

Architect fights were another pain point, often undoing too much progress for minimal payoff. Patch 0.4.0c reduces the punishment associated with these encounters, making them feel fairer and worthwhile.

The number of rooms destabilized after defeating the Architect has been cut in half, and room loss following an Atziri kill has been reduced by 25%. Additionally, the Architect can now connect to any adjacent room, improving overall Temple layout consistency. Reward rooms placed via the Architect's Console also connect more reliably.

To prevent excessive clutter, the Extraction Chamber is now far rarer and limited to appearing once per Temple. These changes collectively make pushing toward a completed Temple far less risky.

Improved Rewards From Fate of the Vaal Encounters

Endgame Fate of the Vaal encounters now provide clearer and more consistent rewards. Non-boss encounters will now spawn a reward chest upon completion. During the campaign, these chests are Magic, while in the endgame, they can be Magic or Rare.

This ensures that rewards are clearly visible and no longer lost amid chaotic combat, reinforcing a stronger sense of payoff after each encounter.

Crafting and Workbench Quality-of-Life Updates

Crafting also received several important improvements. After completing Act 3, Exalted, Vaal, and Alchemy benches now allow players to take their POE2 Currency with them. Temple workbenches from past versions of the Temple are now Pristine, portable, and usable on any item, offering more flexibility for crafting on the go.

Spawn rates for high-value crafting benches have also been increased at higher levels, smoothing progression and making advanced crafting more accessible.

Skill Balance and Combat Adjustments

Patch 0.4.0c also includes numerous balance tweaks. Several skills, including Arctic Howl, Rolling Magma, Walking Calamity, and Lunar Blessing, received buffs. Spell Totem compatibility was improved for select skills, while damage from particularly dangerous enemies and environmental hazards was reduced.

Summoned Wolves now feature improved AI and collision behavior, and multiple melee and Warcry skills benefit from better targeting logic. GGG has also confirmed that Rolling Magma will receive further improvements in a future patch.

Bug Fixes and Stability Improvements

As expected, the patch includes an extensive list of bug fixes covering gameplay, UI, controller support, shapeshifting, minions, and visuals. Several client and instance crashes were resolved, including common Xbox-related crashes.

Two additional hotfixes followed shortly after release. Hotfix 2 addressed further UI bugs, soft-locks, and a client crash, while Hotfix 3 fixed an issue where Lunar Blessing ignored manual weapon set disabling.

Final Thoughts

Patch 0.4.0c represents a major step forward for Fate of the Vaal. With stronger rewards, smoother temple progression, meaningful quality-of-life improvements, and improved stability, the league now feels much closer to its intended design. While more updates are planned, this patch successfully resolves many of the biggest early concerns and sets a strong foundation for future Path of Exile 2 content.

MMOexp POE 2 Team