With Path of POE2 Currency on the horizon, one of the most hotly debated topics in the community is whether new meta builds will survive the game's significant changes.

As Grinding Gear Games (GGG) prepares to shift the foundation of its ARPG powerhouse, players are left wondering: will the creative and unconventional builds we've come to love still thrive, or will the new systems narrow our options?

In PoE1, a hallmark of the experience has been the freedom to experiment.

 Players could combine skills, supports, items, and passives in thousands of ways, often resulting in quirky but powerful builds that defied the meta.

 From off-meta trap totems to aura-stacking glass cannons, the sandbox approach fostered innovation.

 But PoE2 is introducing substantial overhauls — from a new skill gem system and weapon-based skill trees to sweeping balance changes.

These changes raise concerns about whether this new structure will encourage or limit building diversity.

The revamped skill system, for instance, simplifies gem sockets by binding support gems directly to active skills.

 While this will streamline gear management and remove clunky socket-swapping, it could reduce flexibility.

 Customization becomes more guided — perhaps at the cost of experimentation.

Moreover, GGG has signaled a clear intention to make PoE2 a more grounded experience.

The “power ceiling” is being lowered to avoid the one-shot-kill, zoom-clear builds that dominate the current game.

Bosses are being redesigned with complex mechanics that reward skillful play over raw damage output.

This shift, while exciting for those craving a deeper challenge, could mean fewer viable niche builds and more pressure to conform to specific archetypes.

However, it's not all doom and gloom for creative players.

GGG has also emphasized that each weapon type will have its skill tree, potentially opening up new layers of build depth.

Imagine an entire class of sword-based lightning builds or ranged characters that scale differently than ever before.

 The introduction of new classes and ascendancies adds even more variables to the mix.

The real test for new meta builds will be how flexible the new systems are in endgame content.

Will the new passive trees and weapon skills allow for off-meta strategies to scale well enough to survive tier 16 maps and pinnacle bosses? Or will players be funneled into a handful of optimized templates?

One thing's for sure: the launch of PoE2 will bring a wave of experimentation, followed by a race to define the new meta.

 In that chaos, creative minds may yet find surprising success, at least until the inevitable balance patches hit.

Ultimately, whether new meta builds survive in POE 2 Currency depends on how much room GGG leaves for experimentation.

 If the core systems remain as deep and flexible as PoE1, the build-crafting culture will endure. But if the changes overly constrain player choice, we may be entering an era of fewer, more defined paths to power.

Either way, the theorycrafters are ready.