Path of Exile 2’s number of players experienced a sharp decrease, while a major increase in the number of players of the original game was observed.
Path of Exile 2although the first period of the release of the number of players has a significant decrease in the number of players. Developed by Grinding Gear Games, the sequel was lost due to criticisms such as recurrent endgame content, low reward system and cost of dispersing skills, despite high expectations. According to Steamdb data, the Path of Exile 2, which reached over 300,000 players in December, has currently declined to 100,000. Interestingly, this increased the interest in the original Path of Exile.
Path of Exile 2
Although Path of Exile 2 offers players a new experience, it was not found satisfactory at many points. In particular, the reward system of the game and the repetitive content were the focus of players’ criticism. This led many players to return to the original Path of Exile. So much so that the number of players of the original game has recently rose from 13,000 to 90,000. Path of Exile 2 experienced a decrease of 75 %of the number of players in the same period.
The “Legacy of Phrecia” event played a major role in increasing the interest in the original Path of Exile. This event attracted attention by raising a new class to players and offering different mechanics. In addition, speculation was made that the event could be a trial process for Path of Exile 2. However, the developer Grinding Gear Games rejected these claims.
These challenges faced by Path of Exile 2 are an important warning for the developer team. It is clear that more satisfactory content and systems should be offered to regain the player audience. It is a matter of curiosity whether new updates can change this situation.