In the wake of Path of Exile Crucible, the newest chapter in the action RPG game\u2018s ongoing saga, the PoE Steam player count is almost ten times what it was before Crucible\u2019s launch.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot to love about Path of Exile Crucible; there\u2019s the new Crystalline Geodes, overhauls to Atlas Trees, Breach Stones, and Abyssal Depths, and so much more. You don\u2019t have to take it from me, though; the game\u2019s current player count speaks for itself.<\/p>\n

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On April 7, the PC release date for Crucible, Path of Exile\u2019s Steam stats increased tenfold (or nine-and-a-half-fold), surging from 23,324 at\u00a09am PST \/ 12pm EST \/ 5pm BST \/ 6pm CEST to 211,637 when Crucible launched.\u00a0While the hype has died down a little, the stats sit at 96,189 at the time of writing, over four times April\u2019s base peak.<\/p>\n

The game also hit a new record for concurrent players, dwarfing their original stats of 50,000 with an impressive 321,180 concurrents<\/a>. As I said before, even with the hype dying off the stats are still up on the original record by 46,189 \u2013 not bad at all.<\/p>\n

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Path of Exile has\u00a0struggled to really compete with Diablo over the years \u2013 after all, Blizzard\u2019s saga of strife is the father of the ARPG genre. With the Diablo 4 release date on the horizon and the beta over and done with, Grinding Gear\u2019s timed Crucible\u2019s release perfectly. It scratches that Diablo 4 itch post-beta weekend, and is the fresh new life PoE needed.<\/p>\n

Those\u00a0Diablo 4 beta\u00a0withdrawals have hit pretty hard, huh? I can relate, but equally Grinding Gear has knocked it out of the park with Crucible, so its success is the perfect mix of good timing and awesome new content.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been inspired to dive into Crucible, we have a list of all of the Path of Exile Crucible Gems that accompanied PoE patch 3.21 so that you can get to grips with all of the new systems. If you\u2019ve already taken Crucible for a spin, we also have a list of the best games like Diablo to keep you busy, as well as a rundown of the best free PC games if you\u2019re looking for something new.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n