Path of Exile 2 Hasn’t Killed Diablo 4, but Together They’ve Overwhelmed Last Epoch

SUMMARY

• The success of Path of Exile 2 and Diablo 4 has pushed Last Epoch into its final stand, with player numbers dropping sharply since its peak.
• While Last Epoch offered unique features like customizable builds and season-long progression, it failed to sustain its initial player enthusiasm.
• The upcoming Season 2 update focuses on dungeon upgrades, fast travel improvements, and thrilling new boss battles, aiming to reignite interest in the game.

Path of Exile 2 has taken the gaming world by storm with its early access launch in December 2025 and quite obviously, it has been compared to Blizzard’s Diablo 4.

Dungeon crawler enthusiasts have been debating on whether Diablo 4  is better or if Path of Exile 2 holds the advantage. Whether Path of Exile 2 is truly the successor to Diablo 4 remains to be seen. However, it is absolutely certain now that both these titles have absolutely devastated Eleventh Hour Games’ Last Epoch.

All the hype for Last Epoch early access release of Path of Exile 2. | Image Credit: Eleventh Hour Games

When Last Epoch was launched in February 2024, it was praised and fans of the dungeon crawler space did truly enjoy it. With tweaks to features within the iconic Diablo franchise, Last Epoch truly brought an improved version of the game. During this time, Blizzard was preparing for the next season of Diablo 4. Last Epoch really helped ease this waiting time for Diablo fans as the game was built on mechanics established by iconic dungeon crawlers. All this changed after the early access release of Path of Exile 2.

The demise of a potential Diablo 4 successor and the rise of Path of Exile 2

Last Epoch was never a terrible game. It was clear via gameplay that the developers were huge fans of Diablo and the dungeon-crawler genre. However, it is difficult to emulate the hype that Diablo 4 has. Simply put, the Diablo franchise is quite possibly the most successful dungeon-crawler franchise out there.

Judging by the numbers of survival for Last Epoch looks slim when compared to Path of Exile 2 | Image Credit: Grinding Gear Games

For a fan-made game, Last Epoch is certainly a huge success. Eleventh Hour Games have gone above and beyond to at least compete with Blizzard. Unfortunately, it just didn’t have the manpower or finances to compete against the mammoth that is Diablo. The release of Diablo 4 in 2023 already garnered a huge amount of hype. Not to mention, regular seasonal updates. In fact, there is still a huge amount of doubt regarding Path of Exile 2 dominating the ARPG space because of Diablo 4′s stature.

At its peak, Last Epoch boasted around 265,000 players online. However, the game has failed to reach those heights after Path of Exile 2 started garnering more attention from gamers. Even when the game did reach its peak, it was soon surpassed by Path of Exile 2’s peak of 480,000. Last Epoch’s numbers have dropped drastically since then and the chances of its survival indeed look slim judging by the numbers.

Could Last Epoch be a potential rival to Path of Exile 2?

The numbers speak for themselves, and it has become increasingly clear that gamers are more drawn to Path of Exile 2 than any other title. However, Eleventh Hour Games may have a final trick up their sleeves to save Last Epoch with the game’s Season 2 update. A blog post on Steam from the developers outlined their plans for Last Epoch‘s next big update. 

Last Epoch’s boss fights are a strong contender against Path of Exile 2 | Image Credit: Eleventh Hour Games

In short, the blog revealed that they plan to tackle a whole bunch of bugs, add a few more fast travel options, and some new dungeons. However, the most significant update will be the addition of new bosses.

While the Last Epoch doesn’t have as many bosses as Path of Exile 2, the fights are still incredible and probably their strongest feature. The excitement from boss battles is what drew audiences to Last Epoch in the first place, and adding more of them will only improve the game further. 

Written by Darsh Devanand

Articles Published: 2

Darsh has been a gamer for as long as he can remember, starting out as a kid glued to the screen with his trusty keyboard in hand. He’s also a huge Batman nerd—borderline obsessed if he’s being honest. Over time, his love for storytelling found its way into his work, from creating social media content to writing for tech and scripting podcasts. To him, gaming is more than just fun—it’s where immersion, creativity, and great stories come together. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably catch him messing around on his guitar or rewatching classics like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad. Storytelling, in any form, is what keeps him going.