Path of Exile 2 players are still buzzing after Angormus delivered one of the most impressive speedrun performances yet in the game’s Early Access phase. In a tightly contested official race event hosted by Grinding Gear Games, the veteran speedrunner crossed the finish line by defeating the Act 4 final boss Tavakai in just 2 hours 17 minutes 58 seconds. The run, completed on a Warrior, not only secured first place overall but also marked the first time a Warrior has claimed the top spot in such a high-profile campaign race.
The achievement comes at a pivotal moment for Path of Exile 2. With the Fate of the Vaal league still active and the massive 0.5.0 update looming in late April or early May, race events have become a key way for the community to test builds and strategies while Grinding Gear Games prepares the next chapter. Angormus’ time stands as the fastest recorded so far, beating previous benchmarks and setting a new bar for what is possible in the current patch.
Angormus ran a highly optimized Warrior setup built around the Titan ascendancy, specifically leaning into the Warbringer and Smith of Kitava nodes. The core damage dealer was Boneshatter, a skill that scales exceptionally well with the Warrior’s melee focus and provides strong single-target burst for boss phases. This choice allowed him to melt Tavakai’s health bar quickly once he reached the final encounter, often skipping or minimizing earlier phases through precise positioning and cooldown management.
To handle traversal across the campaign’s sprawling zones, Angormus incorporated Shield Charge as his primary movement tool. The skill’s ability to close gaps instantly and maintain momentum proved critical for shaving seconds off travel time between objectives. Combined with efficient flask usage and careful resource management, the build maintained high uptime on damage and mobility without wasting time on unnecessary detours or backtracking.
Leveling was kept extremely lean. By the final boss fight, Angormus was only level 28, a testament to ruthless optimization. He focused on the bare minimum skill points needed to enable key passives and gems while prioritizing gear that offered movement speed, life, and damage multipliers. Early game gems were swapped aggressively to keep pace with the campaign’s escalating difficulty, ensuring the build remained relevant through every act without over-investing in temporary skills.
Speedruns in Path of Exile 2 demand perfect routing, and Angormus executed a near-flawless path through the campaign. He skipped optional side content whenever possible, using the game’s fast travel points and clever movement tech to chain objectives with minimal downtime. Boss fights were approached with pre-planned phase skips where mechanics allowed, relying on burst damage windows and defensive layers to survive high-risk moments.
One standout element was his use of the Warrior’s inherent tankiness combined with on-demand mobility. Shield Charge not only served as a gap closer but also doubled as a defensive repositioning tool during dangerous boss patterns. This hybrid approach let him stay aggressive without sacrificing survivability, a balance many other racers struggled to maintain.
Flask management and potion timing were executed with surgical precision. Angormus timed his utility flasks to coincide with major boss phases or dangerous mob packs, ensuring he never lost momentum due to downtime or status effects. The result was a run that felt relentless from start to finish.
Community observers noted that the Warrior’s current state in the Fate of the Vaal league is particularly strong for speed content. The ascendancy nodes provide reliable damage scaling and defensive layers that reward aggressive playstyles, making it a natural choice for top competitors like Angormus.
This race was part of Grinding Gear Games’ ongoing series of official events designed to showcase different classes and build archetypes. Previous races had seen other classes dominate, but Angormus’ Warrior performance has shifted the conversation around the current meta. Viewers on Twitch and social platforms praised the run as a masterclass in efficiency, with many noting how clean the execution was despite the high pressure of a live race format.
The achievement also highlights how far Path of Exile 2 has come since Early Access began. With consistent updates and balance patches, the game has opened up new possibilities for creative and optimized builds. Angormus’ success demonstrates that even in a still-evolving title, dedicated players can push the limits of what is possible through deep game knowledge and mechanical mastery.
As the community looks ahead to the 0.5.0 update, this run serves as a reminder of the depth hidden within Path of Exile 2’s systems. The upcoming patch promises major endgame changes and a new league, which could shake up the meta once again. For now, Angormus holds the crown as the fastest campaign racer, and the pressure is on for others to beat his time in next week’s final event.
Grinding Gear Games has not yet commented officially on the record beyond congratulating the winner, but the studio’s continued support for race events shows their commitment to fostering a competitive scene even during Early Access. For fans of high-level play, these events offer a thrilling window into the game’s potential and the creativity of its player base.
Angormus’ sub-2-hour-20-minute campaign clear stands as a benchmark that will likely inspire countless attempts in the weeks ahead. Whether the record holds until the 0.5.0 update or falls to a new challenger, it has already cemented his status as one of the most skilled Path of Exile 2 players in the current era. The Warrior’s rise in the race scene may also influence how other players approach their own builds as they prepare for the next league.
With no character wipes planned for the transition to 0.5.0, racers and casual players alike can continue refining their strategies in the current environment. The combination of optimized movement, burst damage, and smart routing that Angormus displayed offers a blueprint for anyone looking to tackle the campaign at high speed.
Path of Exile 2’s Early Access phase has proven fertile ground for innovation, and achievements like this keep the community engaged while Grinding Gear Games prepares larger updates. As the 0.5.0 reveal approaches later this month, records like Angormus’ will serve as a measuring stick for how the new content impacts speed and efficiency across all classes.
For now, the spotlight remains on the Warrior and the player who pushed it to new heights. Angormus’ 2:17:58 run is more than just a number, it represents the pinnacle of what is currently achievable in Path of Exile 2’s campaign and sets an exciting tone for the competitive speed running scene heading into the next major patch.