Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt Expansion Released – Everything You Need to Know

Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt – A Historic Launch

On April 4th, 2025, the Path of Exile community welcomed the long awaited expansion Dawn of the Hunt, the first major patch since Path of Exile 2 entered Early Access. And truth be told, it was absolutely worth the wait. With a surprisingly smooth launch, impressive player numbers, and a deep rework of core gameplay mechanics, this update marks the beginning of a new era for Grinding Gear Games' ARPG.

A smooth release with stable servers

Unlike the game's initial launch back in December 2024, which was plagued by connection issues and long queues, Dawn of the Hunt delivered a flawless, problem free launch. GGG clearly learned from past mistakes, strengthened their infrastructure, and offered a stable experience from the very first minute. Players were able to jump into the new content right away, without delays or interruptions, something rarely seen in major online updates.

Over 250,000 concurrent players on Steam

And the success wasn’t just technical. Path of Exile 2 quickly reached over 250,000 concurrent players on Steam, securing its spot among the most played games on the platform. At the time of writing this post, the game ranked 4th on Steam, trailing only behind Counter Strike, Dota 2, and Schedule I. A massive achievement, especially for a hardcore Early Access title.

A new endgame reality

With Dawn of the Hunt, Path of Exile 2 officially says goodbye to the so called “Netflix mode.” You can no longer mindlessly clear maps while watching your favorite show on a second screen. Now, attention and awareness are essential. The nerfs introduced in this update were significant and widely felt, especially among previous meta builds, and defensive layers. Still, the outcome is a better, more strategic, and more rewarding game.

Positioning, ability timing, and enemy behavior now matter more than ever. Maps require focus, and every encounter can be lethal if you're not paying attention. Despite the increased difficulty, the game remains incredibly fun, maybe even more so, thanks to a higher skill ceiling and a new level of satisfaction when mastering a build.

Conclusion:

The release of Dawn of the Hunt proves that Grinding Gear Games is serious about delivering a dynamic, balanced, and constantly evolving experience. This patch wasn’t just a set of number tweaks and nerfs, it was a bold step forward for Path of Exile 2, with more content, more challenge, and a much stronger technical foundation.

With stable servers, an engaged community, and transformative changes that reshape the core gameplay loop, this expansion is a clear invitation to dive headfirst into the world of Wraeclast.

Stay tuned to PoE Builds for insane guides, news, and everything about the meta.

Let the hunt begin!