Path of Exile 2 has faced two major issues: “device removed” crashes and slow shader loading. GGG has made strong progress after working with Nvidia.
Fixing “Device Removed” Crashes
The issue mainly affected Nvidia drivers 566.36+ 
, where shader or graphics loading could cause driver failure, leading to freezes or crashes.
GGG built an automated replay system to consistently reproduce the crashes, helping both GGG and Nvidia pinpoint the cause and implement driver-level fixes.
A new recovery system was also added, allowing the game to reload the engine and resources instead of fully closing after a driver failure.
(Players have been dealing with stuttering issues since PoE 2 launched)
Smaller Shaders, Faster Loading
GGG has reduced shader sizes to better utilize the Nvidia shader cache.
This improves stability, reduces stuttering, and speeds up background loading.
After updating, players may notice longer initial shader compilation, as the cache is rebuilt. Once complete, performance should improve.
A Major Step Forward
These changes resolve some of PoE2’s most frustrating Nvidia-related issues, allowing GGG to focus on further optimizations.
Players should update their GPU drivers and the game, then allow time for shader cache rebuilding.
Good luck, exile! Stay sane!
