Path of Exile 2

The Atlas Passive Tree is one of the most powerful ways to shape your endgame experience in Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt. By investing points into the tree, you can increase how often certain mechanics appear in your PoE maps, things like Expedition, Strongboxes, Breach, and more. But before you can do that, you’ll need to collect the points.

Here’s how it works.

Your First Steps

The first chunk of Atlas Passive Points comes from areas touched by corruption. You’ll recognize them on the Atlas by the red tendrils creeping in from the fog. When you enter the zones, your goal is to complete something called a Nexus of Corruption.

To get started, look for a Tier 1 Waystone with at least four modifiers. Pressing Alt while hovering over it shows how many mods are active. Some of them are “hybrid” mods, so what looks like four might only count as three. Be sure to double-check.

Once you’ve confirmed the requirements, clear the area and defeat the main boss or final rare enemy. After that, a special PoE 2 Corrupted Boss will appear. Beat it, and you’ll get a Crystalline Core of Knowledge. If you use it, you’ll immediately receive two Atlas Passive Points.

But be aware, if you fail to clear the Nexus, you get nothing. You’ll have to find another corrupted area and try again.

Working Your Way Up the Tiers
The process doesn’t end with one Nexus. In fact, to get the full set of points from corruption, you’ll need to complete a Nexus on every Waystone tier from 1 through 15. That’s a total of 15 successful clears, and each one gives you two points. Do the math, and that’s 30 points just from corruption alone.

Every time you clear a Nexus, the surrounding zones become “cleansed.” This can sometimes add new modifiers to the area, and the monsters may get a bit weirder or stronger. The cleansed areas are also great for farming, with a decent chance to drop valuable PoE 2 items like PoE Fracturing Orb.

The Extra 10 Points from Unique PoE 2 Maps

The last 10 points come from something different: Unique Maps. They have a distinct orange icon on the Atlas and are special one-off maps with unique layouts, bosses, or mechanics.

Each time you complete a Unique Map for the first time, you earn two more Atlas Passive Points. You’ll need to complete five different Unique Maps to reach the full 10.

Running the same Unique Map twice won’t help, so variety is key here. Keep an eye out for new ones, especially when trading or looting.

Not Easy, But Not Impossible

Getting all 40 points unlocks a ton of flexibility. Want more Legion? Invest in the nodes. Want to boost your Breach chances? Go for it. The points give you control over how your maps play out, letting you focus on the mechanics you actually enjoy.

It takes a bit of work, especially with the corrupted areas being random and sometimes tricky, but it’s worth the effort. With a full tree, every map feels like it’s built around your favorite playstyle.

So if you’re just starting your Atlas grind in Dawn of the Hunt, now you know what to aim for. Happy hunting!