Path of Exile flies past PoE 2 as the free Steam ARPG's new update lands

Path of Exile is back, as the long-awaited PoE 3.26 update Secrets of the Atlas finally lands almost a year on from the free Steam game's last season. The original Grinding Gear Games ARPG, built as a spiritual successor to Diablo 2 and now well over a decade old, continues to prove why it's so beloved among the loot-grinding faithful even set against its own sequel. With a major endgame overhaul and the introduction of mercenary companions, Secrets of the Atlas and the new Mercenaries of Trarthus league make now the ideal time to give Path of Exile a try.

The hype built up over many years of Path of Exile gave PoE 2 the springboard to become a colossal success, even though you still currently have to pay to join the new action RPG's ongoing early-access test. If you've been won over by the sequel, I'd highly encourage giving the original a chance. It's a free Steam game, Grinding Gear Games is still very much actively supporting it as evidenced by this major upgrade, and any purchases, like stash tabs, that you've made in Path of Exile 2 will carry over if they have a direct equivalent in the first.

I recently spoke to Path of Exile game director Mark 'Neon' Roberts about how the studio is working to ensure that the pair can stand side-by-side, offering very distinct takes on the ARPG genre. "One could argue that they're completely different titles at this point," he tells me, "they just happen to have the same name." He's also adamant that the team maintains high production values for its new leagues, while also incorporating quality-of-life features introduced with PoE 2 such as the ability to pause.

The first PoE is set a long while before its successor, but you might well spot some familiar names and faces if you find yourself invested in its story (something I think Path of Exile handles pretty well, although you're free to ignore it if you prefer to just keep blasting). The new Secrets of the Atlas update introduces a new way to approach the endgame, too, which gives veterans a great reason to return but should also offer slightly more structure to help newcomers get to grips with what you're supposed to be doing post-campaign.

The Mercenaries of Trarthus league, meanwhile, is the actual seasonal mode you'll be playing if you start now, and its big focus are the eponymous mercs that you'll find dotted all across the land of Wraeclast as you adventure. These can be hired to fight alongside you, battled to claim their best gear and loot as yours, or forced into exile if you'd rather avoid running into them in the future. It's another feature that should be helpful for those starting Path of Exile 1 for the first time, especially if you're coming across from games with similar features such as Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred.

Since the launch of Path of Exile 3.26 Secrets of the Atlas, its Steam player count has risen to a high of 179,556 concurrent players. While that's not as high as the Settlers of Kalguur launch, we're still on day one, so there's certainly potential for that number to keep climbing as we get into the weekend proper. Even as-is, it puts PoE as the sixth most-played game on Steam in the past 24 hours, sneaking ahead of Elden Ring Nightreign and even Stellar Blade. If you want to join them, you can play for free on Steam or via the GGG launcher.

Alternatively, take a look through more of the best games like Diablo for all manner of monster-smashing, loot-cashing satisfaction, or browse the best free PC games to play in 2025.

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