Path of Exile 2 Returns with a New Expansion — How Did the Streaming Audience Respond?
- 5 days ago
- 7 min read
Strong viewership from the U.S. and Korea, and patch notes interpreted through creator content
By Junsu Kim (HealT) | 2026-06-15 08:30:36
Original Link : https://www.thisisgame.com/series/426131?newsId=400081
A look at this week's hottest title through global streaming metrics! Together with the analytics solution ContentFlux, we examined how players and viewers responded to one of the most anticipated updates of the season.
Today's spotlight is Path of Exile 2. Following the launch of its new expansion, Return of the Ancients, how did the title perform across the global streaming landscape?
Expansion Pack "Return of the Ancients" Drives Growth Across Key Metrics
Path of Exile 2 is a PC online action RPG developed by Grinding Gear Games and published in Korea by Kakao Games. The game entered global Early Access on December 7, 2024, and is known for its deep skill customization and highly flexible character-building systems.
The newly released Return of the Ancients expansion broadens player options with the addition of two new Ascendancy classes: Spirit Walker and Martial Artist.
The update also introduces Aldur's Runes, a new league centered around rune combinations and rewards, as well as an in-game build planner designed to lower the barrier to entry for new players. In addition, the Atlas endgame system has been redesigned from a repetitive combat-focused structure into a more narrative-driven experience.
▶ New Ascendancy Class: Spirit Walker. (Source: Kakao Games)
▶ New Ascendancy Class: Martial Artist. (Source: Kakao Games)
Following the update, Path of Exile 2 has delivered measurable results across several key indicators. Shortly after the expansion launched, the game reached a peak concurrent player count of 420,000 users on Steam.
Growth was also observed in Korea's PC café market. According to GameTrics, a PC gaming market research service, the title ranked 15th among online games as of June 1, 2026, climbing 37 positions from 52nd place prior to the update. Average playtime during the same period was recorded at 160 minutes per user.
Streaming Success Led by the United States and Korea
According to the ContentFlux Top 100 chart, Path of Exile 2 entered the rankings during the fourth week of May and experienced an overall rise in performance during the first week of June before showing a moderate decline across most platforms in the second week.
Looking at platform-specific performance:
On YouTube, the game ranked 63rd during the fourth week of May (May 25–31), generating more than 13.7 million weekly views. It then climbed five positions to 58th during the first week of June (June 1–7), surpassing 16.3 million weekly views.
During the second week of June (June 8–11), the title slipped four places to 62nd, recording more than 3 million views.
On Twitch, Path of Exile 2 entered the chart in the fourth week of May at 10th place, supported by more than 1.1 million peak concurrent viewers. It then climbed to 7th place in the first week of June with over 1.3 million peak concurrent viewers, before returning to 10th place in the second week with approximately 432,100 peak concurrent viewers.
On Korea's CHZZK platform, the game ranked 25th in the fourth week of May with more than 24,000 peak concurrent viewers. It rose seven positions to 18th in the first week of June, reaching over 37,200 peak concurrent viewers, before falling back to 25th in the second week with approximately 10,800 peak concurrent viewers.
On SOOP, the game ranked 21st in the fourth week of May with over 4,300 peak concurrent viewers, improved to 19th in the first week of June with more than 7,700 viewers, and then returned to 21st in the second week with approximately 2,200 viewers.
▶ Path of Exile 2 rankings based on cumulative views and peak concurrent viewers during the fourth week of May 2026.
▶ Path of Exile 2 rankings based on cumulative views and peak concurrent viewers during the first week of June 2026.
▶ Path of Exile 2 rankings based on cumulative views and peak concurrent viewers during the second week of June 2026.
Analysis of global audience distribution over the most recent 14-day period (May 29–June 11, 2026) shows that the United States accounted for the largest share of YouTube views at 41.2%, followed by Korea (14.9%), Japan (9.3%), France (6.6%), Germany (5.3%), Austria (5.1%), Taiwan (4.7%), Russia (4.5%), and Sweden (4.3%).
The United States also led in content creation volume at 13.6%, followed by Korea (11.1%), Brazil (7.3%), Thailand (6.8%), Japan (6.3%), Russia (5.0%), Canada (4.0%), Germany (2.9%), and Spain (2.7%).
▶ Distribution of Path of Exile 2 YouTube views by country.
▶ Distribution of Path of Exile 2 YouTube content creation by country.
On Twitch, English-language streams dominated audience share, accounting for 43.2% of peak concurrent viewership. Russian followed at 15.9%, with Portuguese (8.9%), German (6.4%), Chinese (5.9%), Spanish (4.1%), Japanese (4.0%), French (3.4%), and Polish (2.2%) trailing behind.
Streaming activity showed a similar pattern. English-language broadcasts represented 58.9% of all streams, followed by Russian (12.7%), Portuguese (6.6%), Chinese (4.9%), German (4.0%), Japanese (3.8%), Spanish (3.6%), Thai (2.2%), and Polish (1.7%).
▶ Distribution of Path of Exile 2 Twitch peak concurrent viewers by language.
▶ Distribution of Path of Exile 2 Twitch streaming broadcasts by language.
Reading the New Patch Through Creator Content
To better understand what kinds of content players are paying attention to, we analyzed videos from global creators covering the new season and examined audience reactions.
First, U.S.-based Path of Exile 2 creator FGKorbyn21 published a video documenting his Martial Artist Monk build progression throughout the campaign and his attempt to defeat the final boss, The Arbiter of Divinity.
FGKorbyn21 completed the campaign in approximately eight hours on Day One, reached level 90, and farmed Atlas passive points. He also provided detailed explanations of gear choices—including his staff, gloves, armor, and helmet—as well as his skill gem and support gem setup.
However, he pointed out several frustrations, including a bug that prevented Power Charge generation when using the Charged Staff in a specific boss arena, as well as the increased difficulty of weapon crafting following Essence Crafting nerfs.
Comment sentiment on the video was measured at 36% positive, 48% neutral, and 16% negative.
Key Points
Completed the campaign and reached Level 90 while challenging the final boss, The Arbiter of Divinity
Detailed breakdown of core gear choices including staff, gloves, armor, and helmet
Comprehensive explanation of skill gem and support gem combinations
Shared Ascendancy selections and passive tree optimization strategies
Expressed excitement for future updates and patches
Low Points
Bug preventing Power Charge generation when using Charged Staff in a specific boss arena
Essence Crafting nerfs making high-quality weapon acquisition more difficult
Build limitations caused by missing key equipment pieces
Difficulty maintaining Energy Shield due to passive and gear nerfs
Extremely high prices for certain core build items
▶ Excerpt from ContentFlux AI's summary of FGKorbyn21's Path of Exile 2 video.
▶ Sentiment distribution of comments on FGKorbyn21's Path of Exile 2 video.
Positive Summary
Viewers expressed strong appreciation for the detailed Monk build guide, praising its clarity and efficiency from campaign progression through endgame content. Many also highlighted the quality of the newly introduced Aurora weapon skin effects and their vibrant visual presentation.
Neutral Summary
Discussions focused on technical questions regarding early endgame progression, methods for generating Power Charges during boss encounters, and alternative skill setups. Viewers also exchanged tips concerning the Charged Staff and Storm Bell interaction bug.
Negative Summary
Many criticized bugs affecting key skills such as Charged Staff, Storm Bell, and Killing Palm, noting a decline in bossing effectiveness. Newer players also expressed concerns about build complexity, expensive gear requirements, and confusing progression systems.
▶ Excerpt from ContentFlux AI's summary of audience sentiment for FGKorbyn21's video.
Next, Korean gaming creator GamerBinu introduced a variety of starter builds tailored for Season 0.5: Return of the Ancients.
Taking into account both buffs and nerfs introduced in the new season, GamerBinu provided recommendations designed for both beginners and experienced players.
Rather than focusing solely on strengths, he also objectively discussed factors such as control complexity, gearing requirements, and overall opportunity cost, helping players make more informed decisions.
Comment sentiment for the video was 51% neutral, 29% positive, and 20% negative.
Key Points
Starter build recommendations for Season 0.5: Return of the Ancients
Whirlwind Amazon build excels in boss encounters within confined spaces
Barasita build combines the strengths of summoner and spellcasting archetypes, making it beginner-friendly
Deadeye Bow build benefits from buffs to cold skills such as Ice Arrow
Titan build offers strong survivability and clear speed despite shield-related nerfs
Low Points
Whirlwind Amazon requires high button intensity and difficult gearing
Martial Artist feels sluggish before reaching core unarmed milestones
Deadeye Bow struggles with survivability and precision requirements during the campaign
Titan leveling performance suffers due to shield skill nerfs
Grenade builds can result in significant DPS loss for inexperienced players due to inherent delays
▶ Excerpt from ContentFlux AI's summary of GamerBinu's Path of Exile 2 video.
▶ Sentiment distribution of comments on GamerBinu's Path of Exile 2 video.
Positive Summary
Viewers expressed strong interest in the new season's systems and build diversity. Many praised the rapid release of high-quality informational content and supported recommendations for accessible builds such as Barasita and Martial Artist.
Neutral Summary
Discussion centered on the pros and cons of starting classes such as Deadeye, Barasita, and Spirit Walker, particularly regarding farming speed, survivability, mapping efficiency, and endgame potential. Comparisons with Diablo IV and requests for additional passive tree guidance were also common.
Negative Summary
Many players expressed fatigue over having to replay the campaign every season. Others questioned whether the inconvenience of switching between controller and keyboard controls during gameplay had been adequately addressed.
▶ Excerpt from ContentFlux AI's summary of audience sentiment for GamerBinu's video.
Video content surrounding Path of Exile 2's latest expansion is increasingly serving as a living patch note, validating written patch changes through real gameplay experiences.
Whether creators focus deeply on a single class or compare multiple starter builds, viewers are using these videos as practical tools for deciding how they want to approach the season before investing significant playtime.
Reading patch changes through creator content has become an established way of engaging with modern game streaming culture.
This article is provided through a content partnership with GC. (ContentFlux )
