The upcoming 3.28 "Mirage" update for Path of Exile is only days away from its full reveal. With the live presentation scheduled for February 26, players are eagerly waiting for the official patch notes that will follow the broadcast with POE trade currency.

While nothing is confirmed yet, community discussions and analysis of previous balancing trends give us some reasonable predictions. In this article, we'll explore three possible nerfs and three possible buffs that may shape the 3.28 meta.

Possible Nerfs in 3.28

1. Genesis Tree Crafting Power

The first potential target is the Genesis-style crafting system associated with the Breach 2.0 mechanic.

The new version of the Breach league mechanic, likely going core as part of future updates, is expected to replace older systems such as graft-based crafting.

The concern is that the Genesis crafting tree has been producing extremely high-tier equipment too quickly, sometimes allowing players to bypass early and mid progression content.

In previous iterations, the system could generate:

High-tier modifier rolls

Multiple valuable affixes on the same item

Endgame-ready weapons during campaign progression

Two-handed weapons, especially axes, were often strong enough to clear most content without further crafting investment.

To maintain overall game economy balance, developers may:

Increase resource costs

Reduce high-tier roll probabilities

Adjust node effects that eliminate low-tier modifiers

Limit early access to powerful socket and link configurations

The goal would be to keep the mechanic relevant without devaluing traditional crafting systems.

2. Kinetic Blast Skill Scaling

Another likely nerf candidate is the wand attack archetype, especially:

Kinetic Blast

Kinetic Blast of Clustering

Historically, these skills have been extremely popular in trade leagues.

In the previous league, Kinetic Blast builds represented roughly 8% of level 95+ characters in softcore trade, making it one of the most dominant ranged skills.

The transfigured variant, Kinetic Blast of Clustering, experienced explosive popularity after receiving roughly 17% more damage scaling, eventually becoming the most played skill variant in the 3.27 environment.

Such dominance usually attracts balance adjustments.

Expect possible changes such as:

Base damage reduction

Area effect scaling adjustments

Projectile cluster interaction tuning

Slight numerical nerfs rather than mechanical redesign

3. Overpowered Unique Item Interaction

The unique item most likely to be adjusted is the intelligence-scaling wand build enabler often associated with high-accuracy stacking.

The combination of:

Accuracy scaling from intelligence modifiers

Juggernaut defensive synergy

Attack speed stacking

Energy shield growth from intelligence investment

allowed some builds to reach extremely high damage output, sometimes even approaching multi-billion DPS ranges in optimized setups.

Developers may respond by:

Replacing problematic modifiers

Reducing scaling coefficients

Reworking the attribute synergy mechanics

Possible Buffs in 3.28

1. Improved Loot Distribution

One of the biggest community concerns is overall loot accessibility.

Recent league iterations reduced generic ground drops while shifting rewards toward specific systems such as shipment mechanics or league-specific interactions.

This created a situation where:

Endgame mapping sometimes felt unrewarding

Core monster farming lost value compared to specialized mechanics

Future updates may aim to rebalance this by:

Increasing baseline monster loot drops

Improving farming strategy diversity

Reducing excessive reliance on isolated reward systems

Developers have previously stated that large-scale farming balance adjustments are planned.

2. Tier 17 Map System Improvements

Tier 17 maps were originally designed as a progression bridge between normal pinnacle content and uber pinnacle bosses.

However, the current implementation has created several issues:

Some builds can ignore harsh map modifiers

Certain ascendancies dominate efficiency farming

T17 maps sometimes replace Tier 16 maps in optimal farming strategies

Balance goals may include:

Reducing oppressive map modifiers

Improving progression clarity

Ensuring T17 maps function as intended stepping-stone content rather than endgame farming replacements

Classes with strong modifier immunity have disproportionately benefited from the current system, which may change in 3.28.

3. Buffs to Underused Ascendancy Classes

Another expected focus is improving diversity across ascendancy choices.

Some classes remain underrepresented in high-level play.

For example:

Path of Exile Guardian ascendancy has struggled with low popularity due to limited flexible options despite having a few strong nodes.

Similarly, reworked classes like the saboteur-style archetypes often suffer from having only a few universally useful notables while other choices feel niche.

Potential improvements may include:

Expanding viable build paths

Strengthening weaker nodes

Adding broader utility effects

The appearance of new hybrid or scavenger-style subclasses may also help improve diversity.

Overall Meta Direction

The 3.28 Mirage update appears to be moving toward three major design goals:

Economic stability — preventing mechanics from printing overpowered gear too early

Build diversity — encouraging more playable archetypes

Content relevance — making mapping and progression systems feel rewarding

If these predictions are accurate,with POE currency,the league may feature:

Slightly slower early gear inflation

More balanced skill usage distribution

Healthier endgame farming options

Final Thoughts

The upcoming reveal for Path of Exile 3.28 could bring meaningful shifts to both gameplay and economy.

While nerfs may target dominant mechanics like Genesis-style crafting and wand attack builds, buffs are likely to focus on loot accessibility and underused ascendancies.

As always, the true impact will only be clear after the official patch notes are released.

Stay tuned for the live presentation and prepare for the Mirage era of endgame mapping.