Path of Exile 2

The Path of Exile 2 community is buzzing with excitement over the long-awaited major trade upgrade. Auto-trade is finally here, and if you've ever spent half your play session whispering random people for PoE Items, you know how frustrating that can be. Trading has always been a core part of PoE, but it's also been one of the most frustrating aspects to deal with when players didn't respond to your whispers. Now the game has introduced an innovation that solves all your trading headaches.

You can't start it right away though. To unlock the feature, you need to finish the Hostile Takeover quest, which lets you recruit Ange. She's the NPC who handles all your trades from that point forward. Think of her as your personal middlewoman. You give her the PoE 2 items you want to sell, slap on a price, and she lists them for you. When they're sold, you come back to her and grab your PoE 2 Currency. Simple as that.

Anyone who bought Premium stash tabs before will notice they've turned into Merchant tabs with this update. At least one is required if you want to use async trade, but you can always grab more from the shop if you need the extra space. Once you've got that sorted, you just drop your gear or currency into Ange's trade stash, set the value you want, and walk away. No more babysitting your listings or stopping mid-map to answer whispers.

Buying has also been cleaned up. Instead of sending messages and hoping the seller replies, the trade site now has a Secure Item button. You click it, it sends you to the seller's hideout, you pay, and the PoE item ends up in your stash. It's straightforward and cuts out a lot of wasted time.

The best part is how well it fits into the game. PoE 2 is already complex enough with builds, maps, crafting, and everything else. Trading used to feel like a full-time job on top of that. With async trade, you can just keep playing. Your items are working for you in the background, and buyers get what they need without waiting around. It makes the whole economy feel smoother.

Ange brings life into it, making the system feel more alive instead of just being a faceless menu. It keeps it tied to the world and gives a bit of personality to what could have been a boring interface. Little details like that matter in a game that leans so heavily on immersion.

Async-trade solved the biggest problem with PoE's market, and it already feels like a huge step forward. It cuts down on the most frustrating parts without dumbing down the economy. For veterans it means less hassle, and for newer players it makes trading way less intimidating. It is one of the best updates the game has had in early access so far.