Path of Exile 2 Free Weekend Draws 410,000 Players With Major Update
The free weekend and update mark the final major content cycle before Path of Exile 2 exits early access, and the player count shows the update has re-engaged the community without surpassing launch hype.
Reporting from 1 sources: Game Spark.
Grinding Gear Games launched a free weekend for Path of Exile 2 on PC and Xbox Series X|S, running until June 2. The event coincides with update 0.5.0, 'Return of the Ancients,' the last major early access league before the planned full version 1.0 release later in 2026. The update refreshed endgame content and added new Ascendancies. SteamDB recorded a peak of about 410,000 concurrent players within 24 hours, the highest for any update so far, though below the launch peak of around 580,000.
Grinding Gear Games has opened Path of Exile 2 to all players on PC and Xbox Series X|S until 5:00 AM on June 2, with no restrictions on content or multiplayer. The free weekend runs alongside update 0.5.0, 'Return of the Ancients,' which the studio describes as the last major league of early access. The update overhauls endgame systems and introduces new Ascendancies, higher-tier subclasses that expand build options.
SteamDB data shows the update drove a peak of about 410,000 concurrent players within 24 hours, the highest surge among all updates to date. The all-time record of roughly 580,000 concurrent players, set at the early access launch in late 2024, remains unbroken. The full version 1.0 is still scheduled for release within 2026.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.