Path of Exile 2, the highly anticipated action RPG, and Marvel Rivals, the team-based PVP arena shooter, both enjoyed incredibly successful launch weekends, captivating a massive player base. Let's delve into the details of these remarkable achievements.
A Weekend of Record-Breaking Player Numbers
The gaming world witnessed a phenomenal weekend with the simultaneous launch of two major titles, each attracting an astounding 500,000 players on their respective launch days. Marvel Rivals, a free-to-play PVP shooter, opened its doors on December 6th, followed by Path of Exile 2's Early Access release on December 7th.
Path of Exile 2's Early Access launch was nothing short of spectacular, reaching a peak of 578,569 concurrent players on Steam alone. This is a truly impressive accomplishment, especially considering the game's paid Early Access status. The game's Twitch viewership also soared, exceeding 1 million concurrent viewers on launch day. The overwhelming popularity even briefly overwhelmed SteamDB, the popular database site, leading to a humorous public acknowledgment from SteamDB itself.
Even before its release, Path of Exile 2 had already surpassed 1 million pre-orders, a number that continued to climb rapidly in the hours leading up to launch. This unprecedented demand forced the development team to implement a last-minute database upgrade to handle the influx of new players purchasing Early Access. Despite these efforts, some players experienced temporary disconnections and login issues, highlighting the immense anticipation surrounding the game's release.
Read Game8's review of Path of Exile 2's Early Access build!
