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The reason POE 2’s player numbers dropped so dramatically is rooted in a mismatch between its marketing and its design philosophy. When it launched, the game was promoted to attract a broad player base—but its actual “vision” caters almost exclusively to the top 1% of elite players. Because the original POE was so successful, POE 2 drew in a massive audience. But once players realized the game wasn’t built for them, most left.
The real question now is whether that top 1%—those who remain—spend enough money to sustain the game. That includes not only in-game shop purchases, but potentially also real-money transactions through item farmers (which POE may be indirectly profiting from, depending on how the system is set up).
this take is completely backwards. The player drop isn't because the game caters to the "elite 1%" - it's because it's literally early access with half the content missing.
Most of the playerbase didn't leave because they couldn't handle some mythical difficulty curve. They left because there's 3 acts, missing endgame systems, and obvious placeholder mechanics everywhere. The game isn't even finished yet.
Also, suggesting GGG is somehow profiting from RMT is pure speculation without any evidence. Let's maybe wait for the actual release before declaring the vision a failure?
