Path of Exile has hit a new all-time high Steam player count with July 26 update

Modified Jul 27, 2024 20:02 IST

Path of Exile new league — Path of Exile 3.25 is huge (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Path of Exile is going up in the ARPG world with a new record peak player count on Steam. The aging title hit its ten-year mark earlier this year, but the latest League is by far its biggest accolade in terms of numbers. Dubbed "Settlers of Kalguur," the League started yesterday alongside the huge 3.25 update, and it was big enough to skyrocket the player count all the way to 229,337.

According to SteamDB, this is Path of Exile's all-time peak concurrent player count. With the sweeping changes and new settlement-building mechanics the new League has wrought, it remains to be seen how long GGG's flagship ARPG is going to retain the seasonal player surge.

What makes Path of Exile's 3.25 League such a major hit?

Path of Exile has peaked - for now (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Online ARPGs like Last Epoch or Diablo 4 do not refrain from the seasonal nature of live service games. Path of Exile is no exception, and each of its seasonal "Leagues" is a window to fresh content and new mechanics to spice up the same campaign and endgame run.

Likewise, Path of Exile's player count also spikes with the start of a new League. In both of the last two Leagues, it has surpassed the 150k live player milestone. The only other time it crossed 200k was with Crucible League over a year ago. So, what brought people over this time around?

Also Read: Path of Exile 3.25 Lightning Strike Deadeye build and leveling guide

The most obvious answer is the in-built marketing pitch for League 3.25 - a settlement-building system. Over the years, Path of Exile has dabbled in many micro-features from various genres, some of which have become a staple of the game even after their respective Leagues ended. Mechanics of Path of Exile: Settlers of Kalguur also seem like they are here for the long haul.

Base-customization has long been part of Path of Exile, but a full-on town management system takes it to the next level.

It's not just the lid of a shiny advertisement campaign to bring new players, though; Path of Exile's latest League adds some major changes including a streamlined Currency Auction House system. Moreover, Gold as a new currency simplifies the progression system rather than complicates it.

If you want to find out a more detailed breakdown, here are some of the biggest changes introduced with Path of Exile 3.25 League (Settlers of Kalguur).

Check out our other articles on Path of Exile:

Edited by Ritoban "Veloxi" Paul