The hack ‘n slash Path of Exile (PC, PS4, Xbox One) is a huge success and continues to grow. Chris Wilson from Grinding Gear Games has an explanation for this.
How is Path of Exile developing? PoE is very successful. The developer studio Grinding Gear Games has released a graphic showing how the number of hours played (in millions) for the action RPG has changed since 2015.
In 2015, it was just under 150 million hours. By 2019, PoE reached 500 million hours played – and that just in the West. This means the hours played by PoE fans in China and Taiwan are not counted.
I am happy about both the growth and the fact that the number of players we added between 2018 and 2019 in terms of playtime is basically equal to the number of players that played in 2015. That is quite a bit of growth, and we hope we can keep going for as long as we can.”
Chris Wilson, Grinding Gear Games to VentureBeat
Players get what they want
How did this development come about? Grinding Gear Games regularly provides PoE players with new expansions. The team takes player feedback into account. Fans are constantly receiving something new. Furthermore, the Act structure ensures that story fans can be pleased with new Acts.
There is a recipe for Path of Exile content that has something for everyone. We have several player demographics, and we will provide each with content that they enjoy. It took us a while to work out this mix. The early expansions focused completely on adding story, character customization, or early gameplay, with not enough emphasis placed on offering something for all players. And while that really satisfied that group of players, it didn’t really lead to actual growth in player numbers, as other people felt underserved.”
Chris Wilson, Grinding Gear Games to VentureBeat
With the new expansion, they remain true to the formula: On the evening of February 25, Grinding Gear Games (GGG) announced the new expansion Delirium. With this, the team also tries to provide players with content they can enjoy again. According to Chris Wilson, they have thought long about what to introduce to ensure that the content fits with Path of Exile.
Delirium introduces new challenges and relies on one of the core principles of action RPGs: You have to take a big risk to get the best rewards.
Old and new coexist
What does the future look like? Alongside Delirium, GGG is already working on Path of Exile 2. This is a full-fledged sequel. However, it is important to the developers that they do not only offer players a new story with seven acts, 19 new Ascendancy classes, new monsters and items, character models, animations, and more. A key aspect is the possibility for players to transfer their characters and microtransactions from Path of Exile to Path of Exile 2.
We wanted to make a true sequel that exists alongside Path of Exile 1. There is no separated community. There is a shared endgame. Regardless of which story you prefer. There will be some die-hard folks who say: “No, I prefer the original.” Those people can still play in the endgame and meet with their friends who are playing the new content. This also means that many of the improvements in Path of Exile 2, like new rigs for characters and new effects, can influence Path of Exile 1, since they are still in the same game. So it’s not like you’re leaving the old behind and working on the new. It’s an effort to keep the old alongside the new.
Chris Wilson, Grinding Gear Games to VentureBeat
Grinding Gear Games is apparently doing everything right with Path of Exile right now. The success shows that. With Delirium and PoE 2, we will see how this continues to evolve.
