Why is Last Epoch getting review-bombed on Steam?

One of the best APRGs in recent years, Last Epoch has received mixed reviews on Steam over the last few days. The game came out of early access in February 2024 and quickly gained popularity due to its simple, yet extensive approach to ARPG elements. However, the recent acquisition of Eleventh Hour Games by Krafton has raised concerns among fans regarding its future.

Let’s find out how Eleventh Hour Games’ decision to join Krafton is affecting the title.

Note: Some aspects of this article are based on the writer's opinions.

Some players find Last Epoch's Krafton acquisition to be a harbinger of ruin

Fans are unhappy with Eleventh Hour Games' decision (Image via Eleventh Hour Games)

A press release by Krafton on July 25, 2025, revealed that the South Korean gaming giant has acquired Eleventh Hour Games. Since then, Last Epoch has been receiving negative reviews. While its overall rating remains very positive at 80%, over the last few weeks, players have expressed frustration by calling the developers a ‘sellout.’

“The players helped make this game possible. A great passion project, fans like me were willing to support. Selling out and betraying your fan base when you could have just continued to work hard and make the game the best it could be, like GGG has done to make PoE1 what it is today, and profit from a passionate fan base,” one of the Steam reviews said.

Fans criticize Krafton's acquisition (Image via Steam)

Other reviews have also expressed similar sentiments, and while it is unlikely that Krafton will make the title pay-to-win, gamers fear a significant increase in monetization elements. Paid character slots, stash space, and battle passes are a few things that come to mind.

That isn’t to say both things can’t exist simultaneously. Path of Exile did a great job monetizing the game while providing quality updates, although some may not say the same about Krafton. The company also recently faced controversy related to Subnautica 2 when it decided to delay the game and fired multiple key developers.

Last Epoch controversy may give Path of Exile 2 an advantage

PoE 2 gains an advantage over LE (Image via Eleventh Hour Games // Grinding Gear Games)

Last Epoch was a crowdfunded game and saw huge success during early access and launch. The community even sided with Eleventh Hour Games during the Season 2 launch when Grinding Gear Games decided to release its major update for Path of Exile 2 just weeks later.

Last Epoch’s Season 3 is set to launch on August 21, 2025. While it’s difficult to judge how the review bombing will impact its player count, it does provide an advantage to its competitor. PoE 2’s 0.3 update will release a week later, on August 29, 2025, and unlike last time, the game will hopefully not get as much heat this time.

Check out our other related articles:

About the author

Mayank Singh Rathour is an MMO writer at Sportskeeda. He graduated from college with a degree in Business Administration and has over two years of experience as an esports journalist.

Mayank was introduced to gaming at an early age and played Contra, Double Dragon, Castlevania, etc., on his Nintendo DS. When he was a little older, Counter-Strike — a title that majorly helped develop his passion for gaming — became his favorite pastime. Though he's played a bunch of games since then, his love of CS has remained strong. Shroud, a former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro, is an inspiration to him. He's also a fan of series' esports scene, following teams like Vitality, NAVI, and The Mongols closely.

When Mayank has some free time, he plays basketball and helps people build PCs.

Know More

Edited by Dinesh Renthlei