Path of Exile 2's Pre-Launch Player Numbers Lead to Inevitable Queues

Path of Exile 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2013 hack-and-slash game, is set to enter early access this weekend. Developer Grinding Gear Games has issued a warning about potential log-in queues due to the expected flood of players. Jonathan Rogers, the director, recently shared in a video that over 1 million keys for the game have been redeemed and sales are still on the rise. While this is great news, it also comes with its share of challenges.

Developer's Concerns and Preparedness

The studio never anticipated the game's demand to grow so large. Although more cloud capacity is being added to the existing servers, there are still concerns about handling a million users and beyond. Rogers stated that they don't know what their backend services will be able to handle. They have added more database shards and scaled everything up as much as possible, but they are unsure of the limits they might reach. This is a challenging road ahead for the development team.

Gameplay Evolution and Player Feedback

Path of Exile 2 is a much prettier game than its predecessor, as described by Polygon guides producer Ryan Gilliam. It rewards "precision and expertise" with a new dodge roll mechanic. Jordan Oloman, reporting for Polygon from Gamescom 2024, praised its use of WASD-style movement over the point-and-click controls common in the genre. These gameplay enhancements have generated a lot of excitement among players.

Launch Day Experiences and Team Response

Following the game's launch at 2 p.m. ET on Friday, players have reported significant wait times and crashes on social media. The development team has a running thread on X about the game's status. Troubleshooting has required them to "restart the realm" multiple times since its launch. However, they are working hard to solve these issues and ensure a smooth gaming experience for players.