In a groundbreaking achievement for the action role-playing game genre, Path of Exile II has surged to an unprecedented peak of over 500,000 concurrent players on Steam during its second day of Early Access. This remarkable milestone not only underscores the immense popularity of Grinding Gear Games’ latest title but also positions it among the most played games in Steam’s history.
In a recent video, Grinding Gear Games co-founder Jonathan Rogers outlined Path of Exile 2’s success but also warned players that they should expect some waiting time throughout the early access weekend.
“We’ve just passed 1 million redemptions of Path of Exile 2 keys and sales are still increasing. Obviously, this is great news, but it also comes with some downsides too. There’s probably going to be some queues during the launch weekend,”
“We really didn’t expect to have more than 1 million people online at the same time. We’ve already ordered way more cloud capacity and those servers will be coming online very soon.
“We frankly don’t know how our backend will handle going over 1 million users. We’re really not sure what kinds of limits we might hit. We never expected things to grow this big during early access.”
Released into Early Access with a starting price of $30, Path of Exile II has managed to attract a massive player base, despite the game not being free-to-play at this stage. This demonstrates significant trust and anticipation from the gaming community for what the sequel promises to deliver in terms of content and gameplay. The game is set to become free-to-play upon its full release, a model that has already proven successful with the original Path of Exile.
The sequel builds upon the dark, intricate world of Wraeclast, offering players a rich narrative, expansive character customization, and a challenging gameplay experience. With six character classes, each with two Ascendancy Classes, players are provided with a variety of playstyles and strategies. This diversity, combined with the game’s innovative approach to skill and item systems, has evidently resonated well with both veterans of the series and newcomers alike.
However, the massive influx of players has not been without its challenges. As reported, the servers experienced significant strain, leading to login queues and other issues. This was anticipated by Grinding Gear Games, with the developer openly discussing the potential for server issues due to the unexpectedly high player count. They’ve been working diligently to scale up infrastructure and manage the load, ensuring that as many players as possible can enjoy the game without excessive waiting times.
The community’s response on social media platforms has been a mix of excitement and frustration, with many praising the game’s depth and others expressing hope for quicker server stabilization. Posts on X have highlighted the game’s popularity, with mentions of the player count and server issues, reflecting a broad spectrum of sentiment from the player base.
This peak concurrent player count places Path of Exile II in rare company, surpassing the peak player numbers of even some of the most anticipated and established titles on Steam. It’s a testament to the game’s appeal and the loyalty of its fanbase, which has grown over the years with the original Path of Exile’s continuous updates and expansions.
Looking forward, Path of Exile II is poised to redefine expectations for ARPGs, with plans for further development during Early Access. Grinding Gear Games has promised additional content, including more acts, classes, and endgame activities, aiming to keep the player base engaged and the game evolving.
This early success story of Path of Exile II not only showcases the potential for games to thrive with a dedicated, engaged community but also sets a high bar for future releases in the genre. As the game progresses through Early Access and towards its full launch, it will be interesting to see how Grinding Gear Games manages player expectations, server stability, and the ongoing development of one of 2024’s most explosive game launches.
