Path of Exile 1, the 12-year-old revolutionary free-to-play ARPG, is currently leagues above its own successor, boasting six times its concurrent player count. The sequel, now in early access, is actively losing players as development trudges slowly ahead of its full release.
According to SteamDB, the original Path of Exile maintains around 115,000 concurrent players on Steam, while the sequel hovers around 20,000 during peak hours. This resurgence for PoE 1 is largely thanks to its new expansion, *Keepers of the Flame*, which launched on October 31 and instantly attracted a massive influx of players. The expansion propelled the game from an average peak of 10,000 concurrent players to over 185,000.
*Keepers of the Flame* marks the first major expansion for PoE 1 in quite some time and serves as a significant show of appreciation for Grinding Gear Games’ (GGG) original title. Many fans feared that the classic game would be sidelined in favor of Path of Exile 2, but this expansion proved otherwise.
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Turning to PoE 2, the game has been in early access for almost a year now. Originally planned to spend six months in early access before its full free-to-play launch, the development timeline has doubled, and the game remains unfinished.
The last major update, patch 0.3, added a substantial amount of new content, causing the player count to soar to over 300,000 at its peak. However, this surge was short-lived, as players quickly dropped off once the content ran dry. Since the September patch, PoE 2 has experienced a steady decline in active players. Many have likely migrated back to the more content-rich PoE 1 and its fresh expansion.
We are now just a month away from the first anniversary of PoE 2’s early access launch, a milestone that could bring patch 0.4. However, it seems probable that the update might be delayed until 2026.
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PoE 2 is widely regarded as an amazing game, but the slow pace of development has been a major drawback for many players, myself included. I bought the game on launch day and played extensively, but the three available acts quickly ran out and left me wanting more. Though incremental updates brought new content—such as a fourth act—it simply hasn’t been enough.
I sincerely hope GGG accelerates development and ultimately makes Path of Exile 2 the giant ARPG masterpiece it is meant to be.
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In the meantime, it seems many of us have another great game to enjoy—and it’s free. Path of Exile 1 continues to thrive with its rich content and dedicated community, proving that sometimes the original remains the best choice.
https://www.destructoid.com/12-year-old-path-of-exile-is-beating-its-sequel-with-six-times-the-player-count-as-gggs-new-title-suffers-massive-player-losses/
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