Last Epoch doesn't want to compete with Path of Exile 2, delays Season 2

April was set up to be a jam-packed month for ARPG fans, with Last Epoch and Path of Exile 2 releasing major updates back to back. However, it seems that won't happen after all. Last Epoch developer Eleventh Hour Games announced today that it's stepping away from the highly congested scenario that the first week of April could be. The release of the game's upcoming Season 2, Tomb of the Erased, is now pushed back to April 17, 2025.

Meanwhile, Path of Exile 2's "Dawn of the Hunt" update will continue its merry way with the business-as-usual April 4 launch date.

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Last Epoch makes the smart decision of delaying its big break and gives Path of Exile 2 a wide berth

Last Epoch hasn't had a proper Seasonal update for months now. Theoretically, it has been going at its opening 1.0 Season for over a year — even the now-sidelined Path of Exile 1 League hasn't kept players waiting this long yet. So, Tomb of The Erased might be Last Epoch's first big break, and its reception will steer the course of the fledgling ARPG's future.

In a letter to the community, EHG's Game Director announced that they're not taking the risk of locking horns with a heavyweight like Path of Exile 2, saying:

"We’ve recently learned that our friends in the ARPG space have chosen a release date just a couple days after ours which would divide the player base and hinder the success of our Season 2 launch. Last Epoch is still a smaller studio in this space that looks towards each of its launches as a way to continue to sustain the studio financially and work on the things we are most passionate about."

Last Epoch picked up some good buzz in its 1.0 launch last year, in a relatively vacant ARPG niche. Now that Path of Exile 2 has entered the equation, things are much more competitive.

On one hand, this is great for the health of the live-service ARPG looter genre as a whole. But, on the other hand, Last Epoch's Eleventh Hour Games is nowhere near robust or affluent enough to challenge a Tencent-backed industry juggernaut like GGG. Even with a pay-gated barrier for entry, Path of Exile 2 hit a million key sales in its Early Access launch, a humongous playerbase that certainly overlaps with Last Epoch's community.

If anything, Last Epoch may not have delayed its big Season 2 update long enough. Path of Exile 2's 0.2.0 update dangles the opportunity for its first-ever challenge league and potentially multiple new classes, so two weeks may not be enough for the player resurgence to subside.

Meanwhile, Diablo 4's gambit of a slower season stands to lose the most from this competitive month, as Last Epoch will bite into its slice of the pie.