Subject: Severe Network Latency Spikes After 0.4 Update – Game Unplayable

+1 - but to be fair today is the first day I've found the game unplayable as a result
Update - now completely and utterly unplayable. Not so much lag spikes - as the inverse! Constant 5 second network response time in game with an occasional spike down 300ms

Help!
It's been bad for weeks but the game is especially unplayable today for some reason. Lag spikes and disconnects every few steps
Same, just today spikes of 1500 plus, for a split second then down to 20, then to 500. Cant play. Was better just yesterday.
today i am also noticing massive lag spikes, first time this season really.
Game is completely broken since last patches. Latency spikes all over the place and still getting game lockups every hour ever since launch. Game locks up, I push wait for game, wheel spins and the game reloads and is fine. Atleast 500 freezes since launch its mind boggling. I have never seen a game so broken performance wise. A game that performs this badly shouldnt be selling any mtxs in early access its a slap in the face.

TLDR fix your broken game before you sell mtx!
Last edited by Sindica#0929 on Jan 15, 2026, 11:42:52 AM
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stkmro#2432 wrote:
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limityt#0828 wrote:
I am writing to report a critical and persistent network issue introduced with the 0.4 update that has made Path of Exile 2 virtually unplayable.

Since the 0.4 patch, my in-game latency, which is normally a stable 30ms, frequently and abruptly spikes to between 80ms and 200ms. These spikes last for a few seconds before instantly dropping back to normal, causing severe stuttering and freezing. This happens with alarming frequency and has directly resulted in multiple character deaths in the endgame, resulting in significant lost progress.

I want to be very clear: this problem is unique to Path of Exile 2. My network is stable, and I experience no such latency issues in other online games I play regularly, including Diablo 4, DOTA 2, CS:GO 2, and PUBG. The game was perfectly stable for me in version 0.3.

Troubleshooting Steps I Have Exhausted:

Adjusted all in-game settings (graphics, audio, network options) with no effect.

Tried connecting from different networks (home, mobile hotspot).

Used multiple different gaming VPN/accelerator services.

Ensured no background applications were consuming bandwidth.

None of these measures provided any relief, which strongly indicates the problem originates from changes in the game's code or netcode introduced in update 0.4. I am not alone; similar reports of network-related stuttering exclusive to PoE 2 are appearing on the forums.

This is not a minor inconvenience. The instability has a direct, punitive cost in a hardcore ARPG. I am requesting an immediate investigation and a clear explanation from the development team regarding what in the 0.4 update is causing these debilitating latency spikes and when a fix can be expected.


Try Exitlag. It works for me but I am not sure if it will work for you.

The downside is that Exitlag is not free and it costs a monthly subscription. It suxs greatly but I have no choice. If I want to play the poe2, then I am being forced to pay for the Exitlag subscription.


Thank you for your suggestion. I have no plans to play at the moment. This season has been terrible, and I will see what happens next season. Perhaps next season, the official update will be generous and invest manpower to solve this problem? hah

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