Live service games are abundant in 2026, with some entering Early Access phases where player feedback is often incredibly important. However, statements from Path of Exile co-creator reveals that taking advice from a larger audience has its ups and downs, with problems sometimes arising when your game is too reliant on player opinions. A direct message to developers from the Path of Exile creative lead shines an even bigger light on this issue, providing an interesting solution to help new games grow.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Advice surrounding newer live service titles might be welcome from developers who have to deal with a wealth of loud criticisms from their player base. For example, both Slay the Spire 2 and Subnautica 2 are going through big push back from their players, with arguments of balance and direction leading to repetitive conversations. Through quotes taken from Path of Exile co-creator Chris Wilson posted on Games Radar, these games could benefit from a new relationship with their vocal audience.
Path of Exile’s Co-Creator Claims That Fans Should Not Be Surveyed For A Live Service Game’s Direction
Chris Wilson was the director of the original Path of Exile, and is experienced with the nuanced discussions that drive the vision behind produced live service games. When giving a message to up and coming developers, he uses a quote from Magic: The Gathering head designer Mark Rosewater, stating “Your audience is good at recognizing problems and bad at solving them.” This statement reinforces a point that Wilson makes — that surveying players about a game’s direction or design usually leads to more problems than solutions.
Listening to players is something all aspiring developers should do, but live service titles are usually in positions where they have to absorb feedback far more. The ongoing nature of live service can lead to lots of feedback about specific topics, especially if a game is trying to adjust its direction in Early Access or a similar alpha/beta period. However, Wilson goes on to mention that there is a fine line between taking complaints seriously and letting players define a game’s direction. In his words, “When you ask players to choose between possible game features in a survey, it can make it seem like you just don’t have that vision.”
Live service failures are abundant these days, and largely due to a lack of strong vision or direction. Observing how players engage with a game is good, but directly involving them in the design process can lead to a lot of differing opinions that conflict with one another. To quote Wilson again, “It gives the impression you are unsure about what matters, or that you don’t understand your own game well enough to assess what’s important.” Surveys might create false expectations, or a desire for features that were never part of a game’s original plan to begin with.
Other Popular Games With Large Communities Have Tons Of Feedback From Players To Shape Experiences
The idea of letting players have unrealistic expectations is an issue seen in many Early Access games right now, including popular titles like Subnautica 2. Although no surveys have been made for that game yet, there is a huge dissonance between developer Unknown Worlds’ vision for non-violent aquatic exploration and players’ desire for weaponry in their adventures. This partially comes from players already expecting weapons from the first Subnautica, with the idea that weapons being on the table meant it was always an intended core feature.
Beyond the other flaws of live service games, this battle with audience expectations can quickly lead to a sour relationship between creators and players. To go back to Wilson’s words, “Once players believe that the only thing stopping an idea from becoming a reality is persuading you to go ahead with it, they’ll campaign for it and expect it.” All of this is to say that Path of Exile‘s detached approach from its audience ironically made things clearer for players to understand.
This relates to the biases players feel about games in general, going back to the point of them identifying problems easily, but rarely having good solutions without influence from personal preferences. Typically, the loudest players will overpower other voices in those scenarios, leading to false directions that don’t represent an audience’s larger desires. In order to grow, clear visions and trust in developer experience when making a live service game usually trumps player feedback, and might be the better path for a title’s choices.
What do you think about Path of Exile‘s approach to player feedback compared to other live service games? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Images courtesy of Marvel Studios -
Image Courtesy of TMS Entertainment -
Courtesy of Kodansha / Kadokawa -
Image Courtesy of DreamWorks, United Artists, Warner Bros
