All Types Of Crossbows In Path Of Exile 2

New Zealand-based developer Grinding Gear Games, provided new updates for the upcoming action RPG Path of Exile 2 in the latest livestream event. This livestream introduced some new features and the Mercenary class and gave players their first gameplay look at the crossbow weapon.

The developer also detailed the developmental and design process for bringing crossbows to the game, which players will get the chance to playtest in an upcoming beta test. If they want to get up close and personal, we've detailed what they need to know about the crossbows, including all the crossbow types, Ammo Skills, and attachments available for Path of Exile 2.

All Path Of Exile 2 Crossbows, Ammo Skills & Attachments

The upcoming standalone action RPG, Path of Exile 2, will introduce a new combat weapon for the new character class, the Mercenary. According to developer Grinding Gear Games, the crossbows function much differently than traditional bows and arrows, firing arrows akin to rifles and shotguns without needing to draw back and reload arrows.

Naturally, this means there’s no demand for “immediate feedback,” as players can click the “Fire” button to fire arrows at enemies. From a design perspective, the developers took plenty of inspiration from sniper rifles, shotguns, and assault rifles when designing the crossbows from the aesthetics, combat mechanics, and ammo skills.

This is apparent from how players can wield the crossbows, allowing players to hold a maximum of two at any given time. As for the types of crossbows and ammo skills available in Path of Exile 2, three types of crossbows and multiple ammo skills and attachments complement players’ playstyle and are utilized in taking down enemies.

Let’s look at all the types of crossbows coming to Path of Exile 2, the various Ammo Skills and attachments they can utilize with the Mercenary class in Path of Exile 2:

Burst Shot

The Burst Shot crossbow primarily concerns itself with dealing damage to grouped enemies when paired with various Ammo Skills and attachments. This crossbow can be incredibly effective with grenade attachments like the Flash Grenade, which stuns enemies before switching to the Permafrost Ammo Skill to freeze or slow them down.

This can be beneficial when a small group of enemies targets them before switching to the Armor Piercing Ammo Skill to shatter the ice for AoE damage. Another type of attachment that’s quite effective in crowd control, like the Permafrost Ammo Skill, is the Oil Grenade, which covers an AoE with an oil slick, hindering enemy movement, before switching to the grenade launcher to set the AoE alight, burning or exploding nearby enemies.

When using the Armor Piercing Ammo Skill, they can get into close range with enemies while they’re burning to destroy their shields or completely take them down. If they’re targeting a larger, singular enemy, the Incendiary variation of the Burst Shot allows them to hit their target more consistently, especially when in close range.

Power Shot

The Power Shot crossbow functions similarly to a traditional sniper rifle, which can be beneficial when paired with the right ammo skills when taking down challenging enemies. There is an Incendiary variation of the Power Shot crossbow, which resembles a rocket launcher dealing massive AoE damage.

Likewise, there’s an Ice variation of the Power Shot, which fires ammo that creates icy barriers from a distance, which can help prevent incoming damage from enemies. These icy barriers can also help crowd-controlling enemies, especially in well-confined spaces, which may help restrategize their next move.

Rapid Shot

The Rapid Shot crossbow is ideal for close-quarters combat, especially when evading enemies while running. This crossbow has the added benefit of utilizing various ammo skills while moving, like the Armor Piercing Ammo skill, which can destroy enemy shields and armor over time.

The Permafrost Ammo skill can also be used when evading enemies, as players can target the ground before firing to produce icy crystals. When the enemies walk over these crystals, they will explode upon contact, dealing damage while freezing enemies, which can help them establish a spot to heal, switch out gear, and plan their next move.

Like the Power Shot crossbow, an Incendiary variation aids players in slowing down enemies, giving them a small window of opportunity to switch ammo skills attachments or create icy barriers to evade incoming damage from enemies. However, this variation takes some time to use as it requires some charge time before firing at enemies to deal massive damage.

Additionally, the bonus with the Incendiary variation is that it has a reasonably large clip size, allowing players to continuously rain a barrage of attacks. However, using any of the grenade attachments will deal more damage with every grenade they fire from the crossbow.

We recommend equipping the Power Shot crossbow as the primary weapon before having either the Burst or Rapid as an off-hand or secondary weapon. Players will have the chance to playtest the crossbow during the game's upcoming beta test, and the developer will confirm more details during the latest Path of Exile 2 livestream.