Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2 is set to shake up the ARPG genre with its Early Access launch, focusing heavily on delivering a robust and rewarding endgame. Unlike many modern ARPGs that prioritize lengthy campaigns but fall short on endgame depth, Grinding Gear Games is building Path of Exile 2 with hundreds of hours of endgame content as its core offering. During Early Access, players will have access to seven distinct endgame systems, each filled with unique challenges and rewards.

Early Access Campaign and Endgame Access
The game will eventually feature six acts, but the Early Access version offers only the first three acts, as we highlighted in our previous article. Players must complete these acts twice to unlock the endgame. After finishing the acts once, players will tackle them again on a temporary "Cruel" difficulty level. Completing this second round grants access to the endgame systems, ensuring that even Early Access players can enjoy most of the game’s advanced content.

Exploring the Atlas
At the heart of Path of Exile 2 ’s endgame lies the Atlas, a massive hub filled with maps that players must cleanse of corruption. Maps are unlocked and progressed by defeating powerful enemies and completing objectives. Players access these maps through the Ziggurat, where they use Waystones to open portals. The tier of the Waystone determines the map's difficulty, with higher tiers providing tougher challenges and greater rewards.

Players can also modify Waystones with items like the Orb of Transmutation or Orb of Augmentation, increasing both the map’s difficulty and its rewards. Strategic planning is essential, as each map offers unique layouts, enemies, and rewards.

Randomized Encounters and Unique Challenges
Each map features randomized enemy packs, with over 400 monster types available in Early Access alone. One in four maps contains a boss encounter, and additional surprises like Precursor Artifacts, Strongboxes, and Essences keep gameplay dynamic:

Precursor Artifacts: These monuments empower nearby monsters. Defeating them grants players temporary buffs, such as faster movement or increased loot drops.
Strongboxes: These loot-filled chests trigger monster ambushes when opened, often accompanied by harmful effects or spells.
Essences: Monsters frozen in corruption drop Essences upon defeat, which can be used to upgrade items, adding unique modifiers based on the Essence type.
Failure in completing a map locks it, forcing players to find alternate routes on the Atlas. Successfully clearing maps rewards points for the Atlas skill tree, allowing players to adjust map difficulty, increase rewards, or add unique modifiers to encounters.

Seven Distinct Endgame Systems
PoE 2 offers seven endgame systems to ensure that players have plenty of content to explore. Each system includes unique mechanics, challenges, and pinnacle encounters that test even the most skilled players. The seven systems are:

Breach: Open tears in reality to fight hordes of monsters. Progress through this system adds points to the Atlas tree, increasing Breach difficulty and rewards.
Ritual: Defeat enemies within ritual circles to earn Tribute, which can be exchanged for powerful items. Completing Rituals unlocks the mysterious King in the Mists.
Delirium: Activate mirrors that spread mist across maps, increasing monster strength and rewards the deeper you venture.
Expedition: Use explosives to uncover hidden artifacts, but be prepared to fight the monsters they attract.
Trial of the Sekhemas and Trial of Chaos: These trials start during the campaign and extend into the endgame with escalating challenges.
Pinnacle Boss: The ultimate test of skill, requiring players to obtain keys from three factions and defeat powerful bosses to gain access to a fortress filled with endgame rewards.

Unique Areas and NPC Interactions
Players will encounter diverse locations and NPCs throughout the Atlas. Clearing special areas like Hideouts unlocks customizable bases of operations, while Towers reveal larger sections of the Atlas. Some biomes feature corruption modifiers, adding even more variety to encounters. These locations often provide opportunities for unique rewards and objectives, keeping exploration engaging and unpredictable.

A Bright Future for ARPG Fans
With a streamlined campaign and a focus on long-term replayability, the game is poised to captivate fans for months or even years. Whether battling through Breaches, exploring Delirium mists, or tackling Pinnacle Bosses, players will find no shortage of challenges and rewards in Path of Exile 2’s richly crafted endgame.

Prepare to jump into the Atlas and explore an endgame like never before when Path of Exile 2 early access launches in just a few days!