Path of Exile 2 introduces a vast number of changes to the game, including how the gems work with your skills. Just like Path of Exile, Path of Exile 2 includes support gems that will enhance your character’s already selected skills, which will power up your character even more.
These support gems can be found by killing enemies, looting chests, and provided by completing quests.
How do Support Gems Work
Before we start, I need to explain a bit about the support skill gems. First, there are multiple tiers of support gems, and unlike the skill gems, these will only provide support or enhancements to your existing skills. We touch base on Skill Gems in another article if that’s confusing you.
Once you have access to a support gem, it will tell you what level of gem you have. In this screenshot, it shows that I have a level 1 uncut support gem. This means I can use this support gem to access the first tier of support abilities. While that doesn’t seem like a lot, don’t let this fool you. You’ll have access to the first tier of support upgrades for every ability that you possess, and each tier includes 2 to 3 different enhancements.
Using this low-level warrior as an example, I see the that Earthquake ability can use either the Fast Forward, Fist of War, or Pin support skills. There’s also a flavor text that explains what each support skill will do for each ability. You need to pay close attention to what you pick as a support gem can also have negative outcomes. For example, you could get more damage assigned to a skill, but now that skill also has a cooldown assigned to it. Pay attention!
For this, I chose the Fastforward support gem, and as soon as I engraved it, the support gem was added to that skill.
However, support gems can be used in nearly all of your skills, and if you want to move this gem to another skill, you just select the skill and you’ll be given the option to Manage Sockets. 
When managing sockets, you’ll see the option to unequip the gem. Be careful, as you can also unequip your skill gem as well! However, you’ll also see which skills can use that support gem. In this instance, only the Earthquake ability can use the Fastforward ability.
Still, you can unequip the support gem and it will be returned to your bag.
With the gem in your bag, you can go back and socket it by clicking on it.
In doing so, the support gem won’t be automatically placed into a skill, and now you’ll have the option to place the gem into any skill. However, if the skill doesn’t support the gem, you’ll be told that “this support can’t be socketed into this skill.” It doesn’t always happen, but again, you’ll need to pay attention to the support gems and what skills it supports.
You can add/engrave and swap around support gems at any time in the game. As long as you go into your menu screen, you can do so, which is at any point during the game, even during a boss fight.
Be sure to check out our Path of Exile 2 review and other Path of Exile 2 guides:
