Path of Exile 2… what a concept. It’s Diablo 2, but slightly different, and is therefore the hottest new game for boomers trapped in 2003. And believe it or not, it has a whole heap to teach men about becoming romantically successful with women.
So you’ve mastered the Acts, you’ve slap-dashed the Maps, and now you’re ready to move beyond the Faps.
Well lucky for you, you're reading an article written by the CEO of the wingman.live, the world-famous AI dating-coach app. “Oh man this guy is cool,” you’re probably thinking. I suppose. But I was like you once. Then I grew a dick, a brain, and a heart.
So whether you’re trying to make something happen with a crush you already know or you want to approach new girls, the principles below all apply.
Simply Rip Off Diablo 2
Path of Exile 2 is a shameless ripoff of Diablo 2. It’s shocking. Act 1 is forest Europeans (where the count has gone mad, the Diablo 1 plot), Act 2 is desert Muslims, and Act 3 is jungle Aztecs. It’s actually to Palworld levels where it seems legally questionable.
The moral of the story is to fake it till you make it. Grinding Gears Games got rich through plagiarism. You can get pussy the same way! Just shamelessly copy what works.
Your aesthetic matters immensely because it's visual storytelling for what kind of person you are, and that matters a lot to women. If you’re wearing cargo shorts and a graphic T, you’re a nothing-person. Just like PoE 2 copied Diablo 2’s aesthetic Act by Act, you can do the same from someone who gets female attention. Change up your style: look more interesting, go on Pinterest, and experiment with looks that you think you could embody. Looking safe doesn’t cut it.
Similarly, you shouldn’t reinvent the wheel on dating apps. Certain things just work. See what the best bios are, what kind of photos get the most matches, and what the best openers are to get you a date.
This might seem like a lot of work, but there are shortcuts: Wingman AI is built to help you with all of this. It’s free.
Grinding Is Necessary
In terms of things you can change, the most important factor in determining your success with women is how much experience you have with women.
And if you’re playing a Diablo 2 clone in 2025, odds are you’re not very experienced with women. That’s fine! But the less experience you have with women, the more that getting a relationship with one seems like some lofty goal that will save your life once achieved. This can be perilous, because you’re setting yourself up for a rugpull that can be hard to recover from.
Viewing a woman as a rare savior is also just the wrong mindset that will prevent you from taking the risks necessary. You’ll feel the need to walk on eggshells around her, constantly trying to agree with her about everything.
In Path of Exile 2, you’re not going to be running Maps until you slog through all three Acts on both difficulties. Just like you shouldn’t waste all your Exalted Orbs on low-level rares, you shouldn’t stake too much emotional investment in relationships or relationship prospects that aren’t the end-game. If something – as small as a flirtation engagement, a date, or a fully fledged relationship – If you find your love surprisingly quickly, that’s a wonderful thing to stumble upon, but chances are that your romantic road will be a long one with many acts. Focus on everything as a process to enjoy, as a means to getting the kind of girl you can really fall in love with.
Armor Sucks
Armor is the worst type of mitigation in PoE 2. It’s only effective against one of the five damage types and it’s hard to max out.
And yet, plenty of (retarded) players still try to stack armor to cover up their weaknesses, rather than addressing them directly. This is exactly how most (retarded) guys approach dating. They build up a shell, a defensive layer, hoping that by presenting a curated version of themselves – one that hides their flaws, their uncertainties, their real personality – they can avoid rejection entirely. They think, "If I just say the right things, if I never make mistakes, if I don’t show any vulnerability, she’ll have no reason to reject me."
That’s not how it works. In fact, that’s the easiest way to get ignored.
Women aren’t drawn to men who put up a front. They’re drawn to men who are unapologetically themselves – the ones who aren’t afraid to show their real thoughts, preferences, and personality, even if it risks some people not liking them. This doesn’t mean being rude or oversharing personal trauma, but it does mean dropping the over-calculated “nice guy” routine.
If you spend all your time worrying about how to avoid rejection, you’ll never actually build attraction. You’re playing not to lose, rather than playing to win.
Instead of stacking metaphorical armor and playing defense, you should be embracing the natural risk of attraction. Let her see the real you, without needing validation or approval. Some women won’t like you. That’s fine. But the ones who do? They’ll actually be into you, rather than some fake, armored-up version of you.
So, take off the armor. You don’t need it. What you need is to be confident in who you are, your soul being strong without being covered up. Is that what Energy Shield is? Your soul empowering you by letting itself shine proud? Because Energy Shield rules and Armor sucks.
Town Portals Don’t Work On Boss Fight
If you lock eyes with a boss in PoE 2, it means that it’s game time. Hesitation equals death.
When you’re approaching a girl, hesitation also equals death – at least, the death of your chances with her. So here's the rule: if you see a girl you want to flirt with, you must take action in three seconds or not at all.
This is because the longer you wait, the more your brain mutinies against you and you lose your nerve. You’ll start second-guessing, overthinking, coming up with excuses – convincing yourself that she “looks busy,” that the setting “isn’t right,” that “you’ll do it later.” All this does is make you an uncool, stuttering mess of anxiety and second-guessing.
So, the rule is simple: if you see her, act within three seconds. No delays. No hesitation. No mental debates about “what to say.” Just move.
- Do not wait for the perfect conditions, because there will never be perfect conditions. The moment you see her, start walking toward her immediately and say something. If you stop to think, you've already lost. Take a leap of faith and act immediately or move on.
- Trust that action creates confidence, not the other way around. Most guys mistakenly believe they need to “feel confident” before they approach. False. Confidence is built by taking action despite fear. You act first, the confidence follows.
- Overthinking the first words is a trap. Your opener doesn’t need to be suave, it just needs to be there. Approaching is the goal, not delivering a “cool guy” line. Even something simple like, “Hey, I saw you standing there and had to come say hi,” works better than standing frozen.
- With every second of hesitation, your morale gets worse and it becomes harder to act. If you don’t move within three seconds, drop the approach entirely and take the loss. This builds discipline – your brain learns that waiting means no approach at all, training you to act faster.
- Momentum is your ally. The first approach of the day is always the hardest, but once you do one, the next is easier, even – especially – if you strike out. By the third or fourth, you won’t even be thinking about it anymore. Real gamers don’t chicken out. So, act like a real gamer. A gameboy. A gamergate warrior. If you see a girl you want to flirt with, act. Just do it. No half-measures. If you hesitate, then it’s time to move on and live with the regret.
Be Mysterious Like PoE Lore
Think of the PoE 2 story. What the fuck is it this game even about about? Why does the dude in the cemetery carrying the coffin say “quack, quack, quack?” Are the Act 2 Muslim people Moroccan or Tajikistani? The story not being handed to the player outright forces him to learn about the lore by actually experiencing it. Stories are like this; if little details are fresh upon discovery, it becomes a satisfying puzzle to try and solve.
And people? People are stories. You are a story. Your goal in your love life is to be a good story – and that means being intriguing. So when you’re talking to a girl, say a little less than you need to. Hold back – not in a standoffish or distant way, but in a fun way that invites her to dig deeper. The moment she starts wondering about you, trying to fill in the blanks, you’ve won.
Most guys, when they get a little attention, start explaining themselves like the freaking Diablo Wiki. They dump their whole life story, their job, their childhood trauma, and what brand of protein powder they use – thinking it makes them relatable. It doesn’t. It kills the mystery. When a story gives you everything at once, it stops being interesting. In contrast to Armor, Evasion is an excellent stat, both in PoE 2 and dating.
When she asks about you, answer in a way that creates more questions. Here are some examples:
- If she asks, “What do you do for work?” don’t drop a dull, matter-of-fact answer. Instead, give a response that makes her wonder. “I deal with things most people don’t even know exist.”
- If she asks where you're from, don’t just name a city – say, “Somewhere I don’t think I’ll ever quite escape from.” She’s gonna lean in to try to figure you out, and that’s precisely where you want her.
This doesn’t mean being totally impenetrable: as time goes on from the flirting stage you should add more lore about yourself, but do it the PoE way: more content is satisfying but it also never closes to further investigation.
Again, I ask: are the Act 2 Muslim people Tajikistani or Moroccan? What type of Islam do they practice? Will the Sekhema have premarital sex with me? These are all intriguing mysteries and I want to get to the bottom of them.
So be like an Act 2 desert person. Give your special girl just enough intriguing details to keep her invested, but never enough to fully explain yourself. Let her mind do the work of turning you into a fascinating story. She should be saying to herself: “I wanna figure him out.”
Choose Your Locations Wisely
Where do you farm in PoE 2? In places you’re comfortable with and that have good loot prospects.
The same logic applies to flirting with women. You must be comfortable to be attractive, and you must be at a place that has what you want. Country girls and goth girls will be in different places. If you really want a type of girl, learn how to become comfortable in her spaces and with her lifestyle. (Read this article on how to get goth girls)
Bars and lounges are some of the best spots because people go there to socialize – alcohol lowers inhibitions, conversations flow naturally, and the setting makes it easy to start interactions. Events like trivia nights, art galleries, or concerts are also great because they provide built-in conversation starters and don’t feel forced. Coffee shops can work too, but only if you read the room—never bother a girl buried in her laptop with headphones on, but if she’s people-watching or lingering, a casual, low-pressure comment can go a long way.
Some men (retards who probably picked Blood Mage) think clubs are great for meeting women. WRONG. They’re too loud, women have their guard up because they’re constantly getting hit on, and trying to talk to a girl on the dance floor is a dead-end move. If you’re in a club, the best strategy isn’t to grind up on randoms or shout pickup lines into their ears, it’s to have a good time, dance, and be seen having fun. Women notice guys who are comfortable in their environment. Then when you’re both catching your broth off the dancefloor you can talk.
Don’t Smell Like Shit
Apex of Filth sucks! Most locations in PoE 2 suffer from bad design that makes them hard to navigate. Apex of Filth is the shittiest of them all.
Apex of Filth is also a literally shit-themed location. It is inhabited by doodie-people who throw their poop at the player and grow mushrooms on poop. The doodie-men can only have sex with the fat women who are the only kinds of female mobs. They are certainly in polyamorous relationships (gross!). The final boss is particularly fat, bathes in what appears to be a pool of liquid shit, asks the player to join her in the shit-pool to have scat sex, and actually appears to eat shit just as the fight begins. Who greenlit this?
Anyway, if you have bad hygiene, your love life is dead on arrival. At best you’re going to get fat girls. And you’ll probably be sharing her in some kind of disgusting polyamorous arrangement with other doodoo-creatures.
But not smelling bad is the absolute minimum. Grooming includes making yourself look nice. Get rid of the scraggly beard, get rid of the ill-fitting clothes, and get a good haircut; if you’re a gamer, your long hair almost certainly looks bad.
Know When to Withdraw
If you’re playing PoE hardcore (you should be playing hardcore – what are you, gay?) then knowing when to leave is what keeps you alive. Saying goodbye to an encounter is best done as soon as it’s not going your way.
Moving on when a girl isn’t interested is chad behavior. Think about it: does a gigachad get all butthurt about one measly rejection? No! He knows he has so many awesome opportunities that he remains completely unbothered, gently smiling in fact. So when an encounter doesn’t go your way, don’t get pissy or pushy. The longer you delay moving on to a win, the more time you waste. So be aware of her signals and move on if she isn’t receptive.
If she’s giving you short, polite responses? She’s not interested. If she’s checking her phone? She’s not interested. If she’s facing away from you, barely engaging? She’s not interested.
Women who actually like you will face you, lean in, laugh at your dumb jokes, and keep the conversation going. They’ll give you approach invitations – making eye contact, standing near you, playing with their hair, or looking back at you after passing by.
If you’re unsure if she’s into you, check to see how much she follows your lead. If she doesn’t follow small, fun leads, she won’t follow big ones later.
Examples:
- If you say, "Let’s go grab a drink over there," and she follows? Good sign.
- If she keeps teasing you, touching you? Good sign.
- If you go for a playful high-five and she pulls away? Bad sign.
- If you suggest a change of scenery and she hesitates or refuses? Bad sign.
- If she’s a River Hag and you’re about to freaking drown – pauses for a quick chuckle – then do yourself a favor and move offscreen to find another, better engagement.
Take Risks and Escalate
The wipe is coming sooner or later and you’re going to lose your character with it, so hardcore is the more exciting way to play. The metaphor here is that you’re going to grow old and die and so playing it safe all the time will get you nowhere. And women are attracted to this boldness, too.
Women aren’t going to randomly decide they want to sleep with you – you have to create the frame for it. How an interaction is framed is the difference between a guy she sees as “just some dude” and a daring guy she wants to go on an exciting adventure with and maybe go home with.
When you flirt, drop in subtle sexual undertones. Tease her. Push her buttons. For example, if she jokes about being a nerd, say, "Yeah you’ve got a sexy nerd vibe.” And then hit her with, “But that’s that’s nothing – I’m a big fat faggot that plays Path of Exile." High risk, high reward.
Most men are afraid to be sexual. And that’s why they get stuck in the “nice guy zone.” Don’t be afraid to turn up the heat. Do it subtly and read her signals. If she’s receptive, you can take it further.
It’s OK To Be In Early Access For a While
Path of Exile 2 is a fun game, but it’s far from finished. That’s not a reason to hate on it, it’s a reason to look forward to what it’s going to become. It’s certainly no reason to keep playing Path of Exile 1 forever. You’re going to need to move on eventually, boomer.
If you're not where you want to be in your love life, that’s no reason to despair. It’s proof you’re still being tweaked, and that’s a good thing. Keep improving. The final release is ahead and it’s gonna be great. Just like Diablo 2 was, gramps. Remember the Bush years? Now those were simpler times…
Hardcore Solo Self-Found Is the Real Way to Play
Softcore sucks. It’s boring. It’s trivial. It’s a faceroll with no real stakes to make it exciting. That’s what life would be like if you didn’t need to rely on yourself: meaningless.
Thankfully, nobody is going to live life for you, just like nobody is going to play your PoE 2 character for you (unless you’re Elon Musk).
To be attractive to women, you need to be overflowing with positivity and self-worth that you find yourself, well before any woman can find it for you. You need to fill your life with goals and passions and hobbies, preferably unrelated to ARPGs. Having a passion is a critically attractive trait in men as far as women are concerned – you can’t just be an adrift, passionless nothing-person who “wants a gf” as a final goal or as a way to fix yourself. A woman isn’t going to save you. You must grind enough to be the one who can save her.