Path of Exile 2’s Patch 0.4.0 is shaping up to be one of the game’s most ambitious updates yet, with the introduction of the Druid class. This isn’t just the typical nature-loving archetype you’d expect — the whole idea revolves around changing forms on the fly, each form feeling like its own separate playstyle. You’re not simply switching between a melee move and a magic spell; you’re stepping into entirely different states of movement, combat timing, and tactical roles. Watching gameplay, Bear Form jumps out straight away. It’s not there to just look bigger — it plays like a heavy, grounded tank that can shove enemies around, disrupt attacks, and hold tight spaces. Wolf Form, on the other hand, is sleek and fast, built for blitz-style fights where you dash in, cause havoc, and get out before the enemy can react. You can already imagine how swapping between them could feel like juggling two different games, especially when
PoE 2 Currency and gear begin to push their strengths further.
Bear Form feels deliberate. Movements have weight, hits land with that satisfying crunch, and it begs to be used when enemies are too close for comfort. It’s the kind of form you pick when you want to hold ground or give your team breathing space. Wolf Form flips the tempo completely — it’s rapid, almost predatory. You’re weaving between foes, stacking bleed or fast hits, and relying on momentum rather than sheer mass. Each has its place, and neither feels like just a reskin of the other. The shifts between them look seamless in the footage, so it’s easy to think about how fights might keep you bouncing back and forth depending on what’s happening around you.
Datamined hints point toward something potentially huge: a Wyvern or draconic form. If that really lands in the game, it could change the class dynamic again. Flying leaps, sweeping claw arcs, or elemental breath attacks would bridge the gap between caster and melee in a way few ARPG classes manage to pull off. It’d also fit the Druid’s growing sense of mythic power — more than just “forest magic,” now into the territory of ancient beasts and hybrid combat styles. This form could be the glue that lets you tilt between brawling, quick strikes, and pure destructive magic without feeling like you’re stretching the fantasy too far.
The Druid will be the only class using Talismans — not the amulets from PoE 1, but big, two-handed weapons locked behind both Strength and Intelligence requirements. That double-stat demand says a lot about the class’s split personality: part muscle, part mind. Early leaks suggest Talismans could carry form-specific bonuses, unique transformation skills, and ways to chain human and beast abilities together. This makes your gear choice far more tied into how you play, rather than just chasing raw numbers.
The passive tree tells a lot about what GGG is aiming for. Druids now truly inhabit the Strength/Intelligence quadrant, an area that in PoE 1 often felt like a pass-through. Expect nodes that boost shapeshift damage, cut cooldowns on form swaps, or deepen Bear and Wolf specialties. Unlike many PoE 1 classes that slowly lost their identity through gear and passive spread, this one feels like a complete playstyle ecosystem from start to finish. Its success could pave the way for more locked-in, mechanically rich archetypes in the future, which is why some players are already considering how
cheap poe 2 currency investments might help build the perfect Druid loadout.