Path of Exile 2 dev says launch is "relatively imminent" after "a last minute crash" leaves early access buyers waiting at the login gates

Update #2: A new Path of Exile 2 Twitter update says players on Steam should be able to log in to the game after server issues prevented many from playing. There's still no word on a resolution timeline for other platforms, but I've reached out to Grinding Gear for clarification and I'll update this story if I hear back.

"For anyone who purchased Path of Exile 2 on Steam, we've resolved the issue and the purchase queue should be processed in about 15 minutes," reads the tweet.

Update #1: Path of Exile 2 developer Grinding Gear has an update for players still stuck on the login screen, but unfortunately it isn't very encouraging.

In a new tweet, the developer said server instability is ongoing and that a fix will be implemented as soon as possible.

"We've run into the same symptom again with a different problem," reads the latest update from Grinding Gear. "We are working on fixing it again but regrettably every time this happens we have to restart and wipe the databases to prevent them getting into bad or corrupted states. We'll have a fix out as soon as we can! Thank you once again and more updates will follow as we learn more."

Original story:

Path of Exile 2 players are stuck staring at lengthy login screens on the day of the long-awaited ARPG sequel's early access launch - just as developer Grinding Gear Games warned might happen.

In a tweet chain, Grinding Gear says it's working on a fix for "a last minute crash that would have affected a majority of users," which is preventing players from being able to log in to Path of Exile 2, and that a fix is "relatively imminent."

How imminent, you ask? A previous tweet from the official Path of Exile 2 Twitter account said the developer's "current time estimates should have access opening within the next half hour," and that half hour has already passed, so it's probably safe to expect another update in the very near future.

That said, it's hard to know exactly when the issue will be resolved, especially since the a recent update from Grinding Gear isn't entirely encouraging. "We've run into a configuration problem and need to restart the realm," it reads. "Please bear with us while we address the problem."

The developer explains in a follow-up that the issue, again, as expected, has to do with the unexpectedly "massive player numbers" Grinding Gear is trying to accommodate. Thankfully, it sounds like the issue has been identified and a fix is incoming.

"Unfortunately there was an issue which caused multiple characters to have the same character id," reads a tweet. "Thankfully the problem has now been found and is being fixed at this very moment. Your ongoing patience and support is hugely appreciated and we will continue to provide updates as we learn more."

Check out our Path of Exile 2 early access review to see if it's worth the wait.