http://www.dsogaming.com/...line-playerbase-by-40/
 
Path of Exile (steam store)
 

According to the press release, Path of Exile’s update 2.6.0 and the accompanying Legacy Challenge League achieved a peak online player count of 112,800 on Friday, March 3rd. The popular ARPG also managed 65,000 players on Steam, which made it the third most active game on the platform during the time frame – only trailing perennial favorites Dota 2 and CS:GO.

 
 
 
 
 

Except, POE isn't freemium. The only thing you can buy in the store is cosmetics for the most part, though stash tabs are nice. Otherwise you can do everything in the game for free. There's nothing locked behind a pay wall.
 
But ya, bots are an issue for sure.

fearpoint
40% increase in bots.
 
Never take freemium numbers as legit.

Every time I look at the games browse list on Twitch.TV they've gotta be botting those view numbers. Stuff like LOL and PUBG feel like something shady is going on with them in the background with esports to inflate numbers. Either that or any given moment the total population of Korea and China are watching those games.