The Path of Exile 2 Mercenary isn’t just another character class. It’s basically a middle finger to how we’ve played top-down ARPGs for the last twenty years. Usually, you click on a monster, your character swings a sword or shoots a fireball, and you repeat that until your wrist hurts or the loot drops. Grinding Gear Games (GGG) looked at that loop and decided to turn it into a twin-stick shooter.
It’s weird. It’s fast. Honestly, it feels more like Contra or Metal Slug than it does Diablo.
When Jonathan Rogers and the team at GGG first showed off the Mercenary, the community had a collective "wait, what?" moment. We’re used to standing still to cast. We’re used to a specific rhythm of movement and attacking. The Mercenary throws that out the window by introducing WASD movement as a core mechanic. This isn't just an optional control scheme; the entire kit is built around the idea that you are moving and shooting at the same time. If you try to play this class with a mouse-to-move setup, you’re going to have a bad time. You’ve got to be able to strafe.
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The Crossbow Mechanic is Not Just a Bow Reskin
Don't go into this thinking the Mercenary is just a Ranger with a different hat. It isn't. The core of the Path of Exile 2 Mercenary is the crossbow, and these weapons function more like modern firearms than fantasy tools. You aren't just slotting in an "Arrow Speed" support gem and calling it a day.
In PoE 2, your crossbow acts as the chassis, but your bolts and attachments determine your "fire mode." Think of it like a loadout in a tactical shooter. You have different ammo types that you can swap on the fly, and each one drastically changes how the class interacts with the environment.
- Burst Shot: This is essentially your shotgun. It’s got a wide spread and high impact. If a pack of those creepy, scuttling rhoa-variants gets in your face, you blast them back. It rewards you for being dangerously close to the enemy.
- Rapid Shot: This turns your crossbow into an assault rifle. You can hold down the trigger and spray while walking. It’s great for kitting, but it generates a lot of heat—metaphorically speaking—in terms of how you manage your position.
- Sniper Shot: Exactly what it sounds like. It’s slow. It’s heavy. It’s meant for high-value targets. You have to charge it, which means you’re vulnerable.
The cool thing is that these aren't just "skills" in the traditional sense. They are ammo types that interact with the specific crossbow you have equipped. Some crossbows might have faster reload times, while others have better "stability" or higher damage ceilings. It adds a layer of gear-checking that we haven't really seen in the genre before.
Why WASD Movement is the Secret Sauce
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. WASD movement in an ARPG usually feels like a gimmick. In the original Path of Exile, everything is balanced around the idea that you stop moving to do damage. If you move, you aren't attacking. If you attack, you aren't moving.
The Path of Exile 2 Mercenary breaks this rule.
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Because you can move with W, A, S, and D while aiming with the mouse, the gameplay becomes incredibly fluid. You can circle-strafe a boss while keeping your stream of fire directed at its weak point. GGG actually had to redesign how enemies telegraph attacks because players have so much more agency now. If a boss slams the ground, you don't just "click away" and hope your movement speed is high enough; you actively dodge while maintaining your DPS.
It feels snappy. It feels responsive. It also makes the game significantly harder because the developers know you have these tools. You can’t just out-stat the content as easily when the game expects you to play it like a bullet hell.
Ammo Swapping and Tactical Depth
You have these attachments. Grenade launchers. Under-barrel tools. It’s wild.
Imagine you’re facing a shield-bearing enemy. In the first game, you’d just hit it until it died or use a piercing support. With the Mercenary, you might swap to an armor-piercing bolt or use a grenade attachment to lob an explosive behind the shield. There’s a level of "problem-solving" in the moment-to-moment combat that goes beyond just having a high enough DPS number on your character sheet.
I saw a gameplay demo where the player used a "Flashbang" style attachment to stun a pack, then swapped to Burst Shot to finish them off. That kind of combo-oriented gameplay is usually reserved for action games like Devil May Cry, not loot-driven ARPGs. It’s a bold direction for GGG.
The Skill Gem System in PoE 2
We have to mention how gems work now because it impacts the Mercenary more than most. In PoE 1, your links are on your armor. If you find a cool new chest piece but it only has two holes in it, your six-link setup is ruined. It sucks.
In Path of Exile 2, the links are on the gems themselves.
This means the Mercenary can have multiple "six-link" setups without needing a specific piece of gear. You can have a fully powered-up Sniper Shot for bosses and a fully powered-up Rapid Shot for clearing maps. This flexibility is what makes the Mercenary feel like a versatile soldier. You aren't locked into one "button" for the whole game. You have a literal arsenal.
The Learning Curve is Real
Is this class for everyone? Probably not.
If you like the "chill" nature of PoE where you can hold one button and watch a Netflix show on your second monitor, the Mercenary might frustrate you. It demands attention. It demands aim. It's much more taxing on the hands and the brain than a standard Necromancer or Juggernaut build.
There's also the issue of "Visual Clarity." Path of Exile is famous—or infamous—for having so much stuff on the screen that you can't see your own character. With the Mercenary, you need to see where you are aiming. GGG has been working hard on the engine to make sure the effects don't obscure the tactical information you need, but it's still a concern for high-end mapping where the screen becomes a literal rainbow of explosions.
Engineering and the "Feel" of the Class
The sound design for the Mercenary is worth noting. Most bow skills in PoE 1 sound like a light "thwip." The Mercenary's crossbows sound like heavy machinery. There’s a mechanical clack when you reload and a visceral thud when a bolt hits home. It adds to that "soldier of fortune" fantasy.
You aren't a chosen hero of the gods; you're a guy with a very expensive, very dangerous piece of technology in a world full of monsters.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Mercenary
A common misconception is that the Mercenary is a "glass cannon." People assume that because he has guns (basically), he must be squishy. But looking at the passive tree and the way armor works in PoE 2, that's not necessarily true.
The Mercenary has access to a lot of "tactical" defenses. We're talking about reactive movement, smokescreens, and crowd control. In PoE 2, defense isn't just about stacking life and resistances; it's about not being where the big hammer lands. The Mercenary is the king of not being where the hammer lands.
Also, don't think you're stuck with just physical damage. Elemental bolts are a huge part of the kit. You can run a full "Ice Shot" style build with freezing bolts or a "Fire" build that focuses on ignites and explosions. The "Mercenary" tag is more about the delivery system than the damage type.
How to Prepare for the Mercenary Playstyle
If you're planning on maining a Mercenary when the Path of Exile 2 early access drops, you should probably start practicing WASD movement in other games now. It sounds silly, but if you’ve spent ten years clicking to move in Diablo 3 or PoE 1, your muscle memory is going to fight you.
Try playing some top-down shooters like Hades or Enter the Gungeon using a keyboard and mouse. It’ll help bridge that gap.
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Actionable Next Steps for Aspiring Mercenaries
- Audit Your Peripheral Setup: Since you'll be using WASD, make sure your keyboard is at a comfortable angle. You’re going to be pressing a lot more keys simultaneously than you would on a traditional PoE build.
- Study the Bolt Types: Keep an eye on the official GGG teasers. They’ve shown off several bolt types already (Oil Bolts, Incendiary, Armor Piercing). Understanding the "Rock-Paper-Scissors" of these ammo types will be the difference between a smooth leveling experience and hitting a wall at the first major boss.
- Don't Fear the Reload: In many ARPGs, a "reload" mechanic feels like a penalty. In PoE 2, it’s a tactical window. Learn to time your reloads during boss transitions or after using a movement skill to stay safe.
- Experiment with Attachments: We know the Mercenary can use things like under-barrel grenade launchers. Don't just treat these as extra damage; treat them as utility. A well-placed slow or stun can save your life more often than a 5% damage increase.
The Path of Exile 2 Mercenary represents a massive shift in philosophy for Grinding Gear Games. They are moving away from the "spreadsheet simulator" and closer to a "skill-based action game." It's a gamble, but based on the gameplay we've seen, it's one that might just redefine what people expect from the genre.
Whether you love the idea of "Guns in PoE" or you're a purist who wants to stick to swords and sorcery, you can't deny that the Mercenary is bringing something fresh to the table. It’s fast, it’s loud, and it’s probably going to be the most popular class on launch day. Get your fingers ready.