If you’ve been keeping up with the gaming scene, it’s hard to ignore the immense shadow that Path of Exile casts over its successor, Path of Exile 2. This free-to-play ARPG has captivated audiences for over a decade, boasting an impressive concurrency of players. Meanwhile, its sequel, still in early access, has been struggling significantly.
As reported by SteamDB, the original Path of Exile has around 115,000 concurrent players on Steam, while Path of Exile 2 fluctuates around 20,000 during peak times. This dramatic difference is even more pronounced after the launch of the Keepers of the Flame expansion on October 31, which attracted a wave of players and skyrocketed player counts from an average of 10,000 to over 185,000. This expansion is a significant reminder of the dedication by Grinding Gear Games (GGG) to their longstanding title, putting to rest fears that the original would fade away in favor of its newer counterpart.
Why Is Path of Exile 2 Struggling?
Despite PoE 2 being in early access for nearly a year, players are feeling the pinch of its slow development. Initially intended to release within six months, the game is still waiting for significant updates nearly twelve months later. The last notable patch, 0.3, did bring fresh content and temporarily pushed player counts to over 300,000, but many players returned to the content-rich environment of PoE 1 once they hit a content wall.
Since the patch in September, player numbers have been on a steady decline. With the first anniversary of PoE 2 approaching, anticipation is building for patch 0.4, but many are skeptical it will meet their hopes before 2026.
What Are Players Saying?
Path of Exile 2 has received praise for its graphical improvements and gameplay mechanics. However, some players feel disheartened by the slow pace of new content, as many players, myself included, have experienced the quick exhaustion of available material. After diving into the game on launch day and completing the three initial acts, the craving for more content persists. Although a fourth act was added, it hasn’t been enough to retain long-term engagement, making it crucial for GGG to increase their update frequency for this game to truly realize its potential as an ARPG titan.
As players redirect their focus back to the first installment, many are likely asking: Will PoE 2 eventually catch up?
This leads to another common question: What can we expect in future updates for Path of Exile 2? Currently, developers must prioritize addressing player concerns and accelerating their content release schedule to keep the community engaged as they move forward.
With a month left until the anniversary of PoE 2, it’s a pivotal time for GGG to reflect and respond to player feedback. The game’s core is solid, but the future depends heavily on their ability to evolve it.
As fans of the genre eagerly await more substantial updates, it’s clear that for now, there’s still a wealth of content in Path of Exile to explore, all for free.
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