'Path of Exile 2' has climbed to 15th place in Internet cafe rankings following the release of its new expansion, 'Return of the Ancients.'

According to data from the Internet cafe game research service Gametrics, 'Path of Exile 2' reached 15th place in online game rankings as of the 1st, jumping 37 spots from its 52nd-place ranking just before the update. The average playtime was recorded at 160 minutes. On the global platform Steam, the game hit a peak of 420k concurrent players immediately after the update.

Key factors driving user influx include the new league content, endgame overhaul, balance patches between classes, and the addition of new ascendancy classes. The new league content, 'Aldur's Runes,' allows players to combine runes to earn items and currency as rewards. To diversify combat strategies, the developers added new ascendancy classes—'Spirit Walker' and 'Martial Artist'—and adjusted class balance.

The endgame Atlas, which players enter after completing the act story, has been redesigned from a structure centered on repetitive combat to one based on story. Alongside this, the Atlas passive tree, which provides rewards, has been revamped, and a challenge system that grants cosmetic items upon mission completion, as well as an in-game build planner, have been introduced.

Lee Jeong-bae, Business Division Director at Kakao Games, stated, "This expansion centers on large-scale endgame content that many users have been waiting for, and we are seeing positive reactions not only to the new ascendancy classes but also to the class balance adjustments." He added, "We will do our best to enhance the game's quality leading up to its official launch."