How to Fix Path of Exile 2 Freezing PC Issues

Troubleshooting Path of Exile 2 PC Freezing Issues

Grinding Gear Games' Path of Exile 2, a Diablo-like action RPG, has seen some players experience frustrating PC freezes requiring hard restarts, particularly during load screens or gameplay. While an official patch is awaited, several workarounds can mitigate this problem.

Initial Troubleshooting Steps:

Several in-game settings adjustments may resolve the issue:

• API Switch: Experiment with changing the graphics API between Vulkan and DirectX 11 at game launch.
• V-Sync: Disable V-Sync in the graphics settings.
• Multithreading: Deactivate multithreading in the graphics options.

Advanced Solution (Requires Manual Steps):

If the above steps fail, a more involved method, suggested by Steam user svzanghi, offers a workaround:

1. Launch the Game: Start Path of Exile 2.
2. Open Task Manager: Access your PC's Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc). Click "Details."
3. Adjust Affinity: Right-click on "POE2.exe." Select "Set Affinity."
4. Disable Cores: Uncheck the boxes for CPU 0 and CPU 1.

This prevents complete system lockups, allowing you to force-quit the game via Task Manager and relaunch without a full PC reboot. However, this fix must be repeated each time you start the game. Persistent freezing will still necessitate a PC restart.

For additional Path of Exile 2 guides and strategies, including optimal build options, consult The Escapist.