Video games news, releases, esports and culture — all the biggest gaming stories in one place.
Path of Exile 2 players broke the game by summoning 2,000 skeletons and then lured unsuspecting players into the ultimate frame rate shredder
Path of Exile 2 players have found a way to grind the game to a halt by summoning enormous numbers of skeleton minions, then luring other unsuspecting players into the resulting chaos. The stunt highlights how certain build combinations in the game's Minion system can be pushed to extremes that overwhelm the engine, causing severe frame rate drops for anyone nearby, and underscores the kind of performance and balance issues that can emerge in loot-driven action RPGs with deep character-building systems.
Reports describe players amassing around 2,000 skeleton summons at once, turning their character into a walking swarm that tanks performance for themselves and others sharing the same area. Rather than keeping the trick to themselves, some players have deliberately drawn other unwitting users into these skeleton-packed zones, effectively weaponising the frame rate crash as a prank. The episode points to an exploit or unintended interaction within Path of Exile 2's minion mechanics that developer Grinding Gear Games may need to address.
In short
- Path of Exile 2 players summoned around 2,000 skeletons at once.
- The mass of minions tanks frame rates for everyone nearby.
- Players have lured others into these swarms as a prank.
Explained simply
Path of Exile 2 is an online action role-playing game made by New Zealand developer Grinding Gear Games. Players fight monsters, collect equipment and develop characters by combining skills and abilities.
One way to play is to build a character around minions: creatures that fight alongside the player. Skeletons are among the summons available, and the game’s flexible character-building system allows players to combine abilities in many ways.
In areas shared with other players, a large number of active summons can affect everyone’s performance, making the game run less smoothly. That makes extreme minion builds relevant to both players and the developer, which may need to adjust mechanics that cause problems.