Path of Exile is a game for hardcore action RPG (ARPG) fans, allowing players to dissect and analyse every possible skill, attribute, and piece of equipment to min-max their characters and turn hordes of monsters into mince meat in mere seconds. This level of depth, perhaps best embodied by the game’s absurdly intricate Atlas skill tree, has led many players to call Path of Exile the “Diablo killer”. So when developer Grinding Gear Games announced a sequel, Path of Exile 2, the hype was immense.
Path of Exile 2 released in early access on the 6th of December, but many critics agree the game is basically “early access” in name alone. With three out of a total six planned acts included, not to mention 50 out of 100 anticipated bosses, the game has already given players plenty to sink their teeth into. In this article, we’re looking at the debut performance of Path of Exile 2 on live streaming, and seeing whether or not it really could overthrow Diablo IV in the coming years.
Path of Exile 2’s Debut is an Earth-shaking Success on Live Streaming
Thanks to the hype, the sequel was an immediate success upon its release. In its debut week, Path of Exile 2 generated 44M hours watched with an incredible peak viewership of 1.4M – the kind of reception normally only seen by the biggest esports events and live-streaming collaborations. This high turnout makes sense considering that the game had already seen 1M early access redemptions by the 6th of December; with so many active players, people were bound to jump online to learn new strategies.
Some of the changes in Path of Exile 2 compared to its predecessor may seem small, but have completely altered the dynamic of the game in a way that players are loving. For example, the inclusion of a dodge roll and more animation commitment to attacks has made the gameplay more tactical and deliberate, certainly more so than the typical ARPG. In this sense, Path of Exile 2 has adopted a gameplay style common among games that are popular on live-streaming platforms like Elden Ring and Monster Hunter: World. More strategy means more room for optimization means more live-streaming viewership to find the best builds and tactics.
Naturally, a number of popular streamers played Path of Exile 2 upon release, like zackrawrr and 풍월량 who pulled in 2.4M and 587K hours watched, respectively. But in a rare feat, Quin69 actually managed to beat zackrawrr with 2.5M hours watched in Path of Exile 2’s first week. Many popular Diablo IV streamers of course had to give the new game a shot, with streamers like HandOfBlood bringing in 1.1M hours watched. The top streamers were overwhelmingly Twitch-based, most likely due to the hardcore reputation of the ARPG genre.
Path of Exile 2 Has the Potential To Dethrone Diablo, the King of Isometric ARPGs
Although “Action RPGs” or “ARPGs” can technically refer to any RPG that uses action-based combat rather than another system (like turn-based combat), the term is usually reserved for isometric ARPGs similar to Diablo. Among games of this ilk, Path of Exile is the only game to hold a candle to Diablo, with the original game pulling in 187M hours watched over the past two years compared to 329M hours watched for Diablo IV (which released partway through 2023). Last Epoch, which was released in February of 2024, performed admirably with 30M hours watched, while lesser known titles for genre enthusiasts like Grim Dawn and Titan Quest fall below demand for the older Diablo titles Diablo III and Diablo II.
Note, however, that Path of Exile 2 has, in just one week, already reached over 13% of Diablo IV’s viewership since release. Despite strong similarities in their aesthetics and core gameplay loops, there are a few key differences between Path of Exile and Diablo as series that may explain why the former is well-suited to live streaming. Firstly, Path of Exile’s continuous output of new content and deep end game have allowed streamers to keep playing long after release. Secondly, Path of Exile is notoriously punishing on beginners, compared to Diablo’s more casual audience, with build guides being almost mandatory. While this could kill interest in a weaker game, Path of Exile is so well-executed that beginners instead turn to live-streaming to learn how to play, which drives up viewership and online discourse.
Path of Exile 2’s Early Access Debut Only Matched by Streaming Phenomenon Palworld
As early access has become the de facto release method for many developers (particularly indie developers looking to nurture an audience prior to full release), the number of quality early access titles with positive initial receptions has soared. The big success story of 2024 still goes right back to February, with the release of the mega-popular (and slightly controversial) Palworld which generated 50M hours watched in its first week. Path of Exile 2 is a sequel, but its ability to be the only other early access title with a comparable reception speaks volumes about how excited the community is for this game.
Other notable early access titles include franchise games like Hades II and Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor with 4.6M and 3.8M hours watched, respectively. But the title grabbing many people’s attention is SUPERVIVE, which had an incredibly popular demo back during October’s Steam Next Fest and has since generated 3.5M hours watched in early access. Developed by Theorycraft Studios, a team composed of ex-League of Legends employees, and with an ambitious mix of MOBA, Battle Royale, and Hero Shooter gameplay, SUPERVIVE is certain to spark online viewership upon full release.
For Path of Exile 2, a full release date hasn’t as yet been announced. However, fans speculate the game will most likely release in around a year’s time, especially considering how polished the early access build is. ARPG fans also have Titan Quest 2 to look forward to, releasing this winter. Stream Hatchet will be watching as the ARPG genre continues to gain new fans on live streaming.
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