Path of Exile 2 is almost here, and I want group play to be the big win it should be. I like the idea of rolling into a map with friends, sharing drops, and laughing when someone panic-dodges into a wall. But you quickly notice the old friction points are still lurking. Monster scaling ramps up the moment you add bodies, and that part's fair. What doesn't always feel fair is the payoff. If you're trying to keep up with crafting, trading, and upgrades, even something as basic as PoE 2 Currency becomes a touchy topic, because the "we're stronger together" vibe can turn into "why am I poorer and slower than when I played solo."

Scaling And The Loot Mood Swing

In practice, party scaling can feel like signing up for a harder job without a clearer paycheck. Mobs get tankier, rares take longer to chew through, and boss phases stretch out. Meanwhile the loot split and the way value concentrates into a couple of lucky drops can leave you with a backpack full of scraps. It's not that parties never profit. They do. It's that the rewards don't reliably match the extra time, the extra risk, and the extra deaths. So people min-max around it: one player zooms ahead, one tags along for aura value, and everyone silently hopes the big item lands at their feet.

Where's The "I've Got You" Moment

PoE has always sold freedom, and that's part of the magic. The downside is that parties can end up feeling like parallel solo runs. Most builds still chase damage first, survivability second, and "help the team" somewhere after that. Sure, you can stack auras, curses, banners, and some nice crowd control, but it doesn't always translate into clear roles you can feel moment to moment. You're not peeling for a teammate or clutch-saving them; you're mostly racing your own rotation. If PoE 2 leans harder into positional combat and dodging, it's begging for mechanics that make teamwork obvious, not just efficient.

Performance, Visual Noise, And Comms

Then there's the messy reality of a full screen. Four to six players means overlapping effects, summons, explosions, and ground hazards you can't read in time. Even if your PC can handle it, your eyes might not. Frame dips at the wrong second turn a clean dodge into a corpse run. And coordination? Typing mid-fight is a joke. Without tighter in-game callouts, clearer debuff indicators, or quick pings, random groups fall apart fast. Voice chat fixes it, but that's basically admitting the game doesn't fully support pickup co-op yet.

What Would Make Parties Worth It

I don't think PoE 2 needs holy-trinity roles, but it does need reasons to care about what your teammate is doing. Better loot feel per person, clearer support mechanics, and less visual overload would go a long way. Stuff like shared objective bonuses that don't punish the last-hitter, or party tools that let you signal "I've got curses up" without speaking, would make grouping less of a spreadsheet exercise. And when players do want to smooth out progression, it helps to have trusted options for trading and upgrades; that's where services like U4GM can fit naturally, offering a straightforward way to buy game currency or items without turning every session into an argument about who's falling behind.