Path of Exile 2 and Marvel Rivals ignited the gaming world with incredibly successful launch weekends. Let's delve into the details of these impressive achievements.
A Massive Player Base
A Weekend of Record-Breaking Launches
The weekend of December 6th and 7th saw the simultaneous release of two highly anticipated titles, each attracting an astounding 500,000 players on their respective launch days. Marvel Rivals, a free-to-play team-based PVP arena shooter, debuted 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 particularly noteworthy, reaching a peak of 578,569 concurrent players on Steam alone. This impressive figure is even more remarkable considering the game's paid Early Access status. Twitch viewership for the game also soared, exceeding 1 million viewers on launch day. The sheer volume of players attempting to access the game even temporarily overwhelmed SteamDB, the popular database site, leading to a humorous public acknowledgment from the SteamDB team.
Prior to launch, Path of Exile 2 already boasted over 1 million pre-orders, a number that continued to climb rapidly in the hours leading up to the server launch. This unprecedented demand necessitated a last-minute database upgrade to handle the influx of new players. Despite the server expansion, login issues and disconnections persisted, with players facing substantial queue times. This overwhelming response is a testament to the game's highly anticipated arrival.
Read Game8's review of Path of Exile 2's Early Access version!
