Path of Exile is back in the spotlight, rejuvenated by the buzz around the Legacy of Phrecia event. This surge in popularity took the game’s concurrent player numbers on Steam to an impressive peak of 91,977, even outshining the numbers for its sequel, Path of Exile 2. It seemed like the original game had faded into the background, overshadowed by its anticipated successor until Grinding Gear Games released this transformative event, which certainly made a mark.
Originally, Path of Exile 1 set the foundation for its sequel, PoE 2, which promised to be a more polished and advanced iteration of the beloved RPG. PoE 2 was initially designed as an expansion but evolved into a standalone sequel to do justice to its ambitions. As the early access launch of PoE 2 approached, GGG dedicated nearly all resources to its development to ensure it met player expectations, resulting in delays for the original game’s promised updates.
After GGG had to break the news of delays regarding the first game’s updates, they followed up with an apology to the dedicated PoE 1 community and launched the Legacy of Phrecia event. The event was an immediate hit, drawing a high of 91,977 concurrent players within just a day, surpassing even PoE 2’s numbers, which capped at 87,222. This resurgence shows that regardless of the delays or anticipation surrounding PoE 2, fans remained deeply engaged with the original game, eager to explore the latest content.
On February 20, the Path of Exile scene was bustling with activity thanks to the launch of the Legacy of Phrecia event. It introduced fresh Ascendancy classes and special rewards like the Havenwood Cloak through Twitch drops, not to mention armor rewards for every 20 levels achieved, up to level 80. Although fans were keenly awaiting news about update 3.26, which was nowhere in sight, the Legacy of Phrecia event quenched their thirst for new content. Jonathan Rogers, the game’s director, addressed the update delay in a video, expressing the studio’s stretched resources while juggling the demands of both games, particularly the early access issues with PoE 2. However, he assured fans that new content for the first game is still on the horizon post-PoE 2’s patch 0.2.0 release.
Despite the hurdles faced, the overwhelming response to the Legacy of Phrecia event underscores the eagerness and dedication of the Path of Exile community. It’s a clear signal to GGG that the original game still has a passionate following ready for more adventures.
