A new Diablo IV season reignites the eternal conflict with Path of Exile 2

Whether you are an avid action role-playing game (ARPG) player or completely new to the genre, Diablo IV (D4) and Path of Exile 2 (PoE2) will be two games that you have heard a lot about. On one side is Blizzard Entertainment’s fourth iteration (we do not count Diablo: Immortal) in the Diablo series, while PoE2 has recently entered its early access. Although both games bring different approaches to the genre, players love to pick one or the other apart.

These two games have a deep history, with Diablo 3 (D3) and the original Path of Exile (PoE) released around 18 months apart. With the early failures of D3, PoE picked up the slack and became the game that ARPG fanatics wanted to play. Eventually, D3 found its footing, and the two games became locked in an unending war. Fast-forward to 2025, and the two are at it again with their new titles now taking the reigns.

When it comes to player count, PoE2 is definitely in the lead. Without question, the newer title has sparked a frenzy, bringing in a whole new crowd into the genre – similar to Baldur’s Gate 3’s emphatic journey. However, even with that, there is a spike in D4 players returning for a new season, and even some of the best ARPG players still respect the game enough to return.

A lot of the successes of PoE2 can be linked to the game not having as many issues, but something must be said for the perfectly-timed release into early access. As many worldwide prepared for their holiday break, Grinding Gears Games, the developers of PoE, set forth. This move meant hundreds of thousands of players had the time to experience their new title’s brilliance. Another factor to always remember is that one of these games is in early access while the other is almost two years old.

While PoE2 has been enjoying its time in the sun, it seems as though the new season of D4 has brought some back to the game. Seasons often have this effect, with players getting to try out new mechanics and builds or simply finding a new class to play. Both games have this system, and over the last few days, D4 has spiked in viewership and player count. However, these numbers could also be due to the time of day and could quickly decrease as soon players have completed the season.

Unfortunately, while some websites do show the D4 player counts, it is all just estimates – apart from the game’s Steam count. Much like with PoE2, most of the players do not utilize Steam to log in and play. The separate clients for each game hold many of the players, so we may never get a true showing of how far one game is in the lead. With that said, there are some promising signs from D4's numbers on Steam, with a steady increase since the new season.

Although it is clear that PoE2 is the victor right now, it stands to reason that those who enjoy the two titles are the real winners. Both developers seem to enjoy the competition from the other and play each other’s games, too. On either side, the two games have had their fair share of issues. D4 has come a long way since its launch and has now become an enjoyable, albeit more toned-down ARPG experience. PoE2 is still learning as well, but being in early access, these issues are far more expected.

At the end of the day, the choice is up to the player. For some of us, both games hold a huge appeal – while others prefer one or the other. The price tag behind D4 can also deter players from joining in, while PoE2 will eventually go free-to-play when it leaves early access. All that said, the best part is the memes, like “D4Bad” – a fantastically catchy song that highlights exactly what the title states.

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