Yes, you can refund all your passive skills in one action
Path of Exile 2 lets you reset every passive skill point you have spent at the same time using the Respect mechanic. When you use a Respect, all your passive points return to your pool, and you can spend them again from scratch. This is different from refunding one passive at a time — it clears your entire passive tree in a single transaction.
The cost to refund all passives depends on how many points you have spent. Each passive point costs one Orb of Regret to refund. If you have spent 80 passive points, you will need 80 Orbs of Regret. The game shows you the total cost before you confirm the refund, so you know exactly what you are paying.
Key Takeaways
- A full passive refund costs one Orb of Regret per passive point spent, and the total cost appears before you confirm.
- You access the refund option through your character sheet or inventory — the exact menu location depends on your game version.
- Orbs of Regret drop from monsters, appear in vendor trades, or can be found in the marketplace if you play online.
- Refunding all passives at once is faster than clicking each one individually, but costs the same total amount.
- Your character keeps their level and active skills after a refund — only the passive tree resets.
Where to find the refund option in your menu
The refund interface lives in your character sheet. Open your inventory or character panel, then look for a button or tab labeled "Refund" or "Respect" — the exact name and location vary slightly between the standard client and different game versions. Some players find it under a dedicated skills or passives section.
Once you open the refund menu, the game displays your current passive tree and shows the total number of points you have spent. Below that, it shows the cost in Orbs of Regret. If you have enough Orbs in your inventory, a button to confirm the refund becomes available. Click it, and all your passives reset when ready.
How to get Orbs of Regret if you do not have enough
Orbs of Regret are not rare, but you may need to gather them if you want to refund a large number of passives. They drop from any monster in the game, so running maps or campaign areas will eventually give you some. The drop rate increases slightly at higher difficulty levels, and you will accumulate them naturally as you play.
If you play online, you can also trade with other players or buy from the marketplace. Vendors in town sometimes sell Orbs of Regret in exchange for other currency items — the exact trade changes based on what the vendor has in stock. Check your local vendor or the in-game marketplace to see current prices and availability. Many players keep a small reserve of Orbs on hand so they can experiment with builds without waiting to farm more.
What happens to your character after a full refund
After you refund all passives, your character keeps their level and all their active skills — only the passive tree resets. You return to the state you were in before you spent any passive points on that character. Your life total, resistances, and damage will drop if those came from passives, so be prepared for a weaker character until you respend your points.
You can then spend your passive points however you want. There is no penalty for changing your mind multiple times, as long as you have the Orbs of Regret to pay for each refund. Many players refund and respend passives several times while experimenting with different builds or testing whether a new direction feels right for their playstyle.
The difference between refunding all passives and refunding one at a time
Refunding all passives costs the same total amount as refunding them one by one — you pay one Orb of Regret per point either way. The only advantage to refunding all at once is speed. If you have 100 passives to reset, clicking a single "refund all" button is much faster than clicking 100 individual refund buttons.
If you only want to change a few passives, refunding them individually makes sense. You keep the passives you like and only pay to reset the ones you want to change. Refunding everything is useful when you are switching to a completely different build or testing a major new direction for your character's development.
Why players refund all passives instead of respeccing gradually
Some builds require a complete overhaul of your passive tree, and refunding everything at once is cleaner than trying to transition gradually. If you are moving from a melee character to a spell caster, for example, the passives you need are in different parts of the tree, and keeping old passives wastes points.
Refunding all passives also lets you see your character's true baseline before you commit to a new direction. You know exactly what your health, resistances, and damage are with no passives, so you can plan your new tree more carefully. This approach takes more Orbs of Regret upfront but often saves you from wasting points on passives you do not actually need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I lose my passive points if I do not have enough Orbs of Regret?
No. The refund only happens if you have enough Orbs in your inventory. If you do not have enough, the confirm button stays grayed out and nothing changes. You keep your passives until you gather the Orbs you need.
Can I refund passives on a hardcore character?
Yes. Refunding passives works the same way on hardcore and standard characters. The cost is still one Orb of Regret per point, and the mechanic is identical.
What if I refund all my passives and then change my mind?
You can refund again and respend your points however you want, as long as you have more Orbs of Regret. There is no limit to how many times you can reset your passive tree. Each reset costs the same amount.
Do quest rewards or passive points from leveling come back after a refund?
No. A refund only returns the passive points you have already spent. Any passive points you have not yet allocated stay unallocated. Quest rewards and leveling rewards are permanent and do not change.