Path of Exile 2's Popularity Soars by 200%! "Return of the Ancients" Update Ignites Endgame Revolution

On May 30, the "Return of the Ancients" update POE2 Currency (Version 0.5.0) launched, and it's a huge hit.

By the numbers: Steam players peaked at over 340,000 — a 200% jump from the day before. A free weekend event (May 29 – June 1) brought in even more new players.

What's new:

Endgame overhaul: The "Pioneer Stronghold" system replaces the old endgame, offering over 50 hours of content. All final bosses now have their own quest lines.

New league mechanic: "Adel's Rune" lets players forge gear on the fly in ancient ruins — but it also summons tougher monsters.

Two new ascendancy classes: The Martial Artist (Monk) and Spirit Walker (Huntress).

Hottest build right now: The "Infused Arcane Orb COC" — it can melt endgame bosses in seconds.

The bad news: Players are still complaining about clunky melee combat (warriors feel sluggish early on) and poor optimization for Path of Exile 2 Currency Orbs. Some even call it "the worst-optimized game in the world."

Bottom line: The update brought players back in a big way, but developer GGG still needs to fix balance and performance before the full 1.0 launch later this year.