The rush for Path of Exile 2 is greater than expected. So great that just a few hours before the launch, the head honcho himself steps in to warn the players.
How many players are expected? Even before the actual release, there was an interview with Game Director Jonathan Roggers. There he stated that they are preparing for a maximum of one million players.
But that magical number of one million has now been surpassed. In a video message on YouTube, Jonathan Roggers informs the fans that about one million keys have already been distributed around 15 hours before the launch.
On Steam, the game is currently the bestseller at number 1, as shown by a post on Reddit. The sale of the game on PS5 has only just started. But instead of just being happy about the many players, the head issues a warning before the launch:
The cinematic intro of PoE2 has already generated hype for the game:
No idea what the backend servers can handle
What kind of warning does he issue? The head of Path of Exile 2 also talks about the problems that come with more than one million players in his video message to the fans.
Since the servers are not designed for a rush of this size, there will be queues on the launch weekend. At the same time, the developers have already ordered more capacity, which is supposed to be “available very soon.”
The big problem, however, seems to be the backend servers. Jonathan Roggers expresses in the video on YouTube what he thinks:
“But I have some concerns regarding the backend issues. To be honest, we don’t know what our backend servers can handle when we reach over one million users. We have now added more database shards and scaled everything we have as much as possible. But we really are not sure what limits we might hit.”
So it is conceivable and probably even likely that there will be server crashes, lags, and other issues.
How do players react to the problems? The community of Path of Exile 2 finds the statement really good. Instead of disappointment or even hatred, players appreciate the open communication. On YouTube, many comments reflect this:
- @Amocoru comments: “That’s how you do it damn right. Admit the problems, prepare the community for it, and allow us to have reasonable expectations. That’s how you run a company.”
- @deathcryr5269 writes: “Something that is rarely seen. A developer who takes the effort to communicate. This is just one reason why I wish them great success.”
- @voyager137 says: “One of many reasons I love GGG is that there’s no corporate speak, just honest, down-to-earth communication. And by the way, congratulations, guys!”
Path of Exile 2 is actually a free-to-play game like its predecessor, but to participate in early access, you need to purchase an edition. You can find our overview of the available editions and their contents here: Path of Exile 2 Supporter Pack: All 7 versions compared
