Path of Exile 2 (PoE 2) builds upon its predecessor's deeply intricate and rewarding endgame system, and one of the core components of the game's expansive late-game content is the Atlas of Worlds. For veteran players and newcomers alike, the Atlas remains one of the most rewarding, engaging, and profitable features of PoE 2, and understanding how it works is key to mastering the game's endgame progression.

In this comprehensive guide to Atlas of Worlds and Mapping in PoE 2, we'll explore how the Atlas system works, how to progress through maps, optimize your farm, and get the most out of your time in the game's complex endgame system.

What is the Atlas of Worlds in Path of Exile 2?

The Atlas of Worlds is essentially the endgame map system in PoE 2, where players explore an interconnected network of maps, each with its own challenges, bosses, and loot. The Atlas allows players to experience high-level content after finishing the main campaign, enabling them to engage in mapping, which consists of completing randomized map areas to gain valuable rewards such as Path of Exile 2 Currency, rare items, and crafting materials.

In PoE 2, the Atlas system has been reworked and expanded from the original, providing new layers of complexity, interaction with league mechanics, and unique rewards. The Atlas acts as the hub for endgame progression and rewards, with each map contributing to your progress and unlocking further challenges and lucrative drops.

Key Features of the Atlas of Worlds

1. Maps and Tiers

Maps in PoE 2 are divided into various tiers based on their difficulty and the rewards they offer. As you progress through the campaign and complete endgame content, you will unlock higher-tier maps.

Low-tier maps (Tiers 1-5) are easier and drop basic items and currency. These are ideal for farming early currency, divination cards, and basic crafting materials.

Mid-tier maps (Tiers 6-10) provide better rewards and offer a moderate challenge. Completing these maps will give you access to better loot and allow you to start experimenting with map modifiers that increase difficulty and rewards.

High-tier maps (Tiers 11-16 and beyond) are the most challenging and rewarding, where you can encounter endgame bosses, high-value drops, and special map mechanics. These maps drop the best currency and rare items, and completing them is key to progressing in the PoE 2 economy.

2. The Atlas Tree

The Atlas Tree is a key feature of the Atlas in PoE 2, allowing players to customize their mapping experience by investing in passive skills that modify the outcomes of their maps. Each map you complete will grant Atlas Points, which can be allocated to various branches of the Atlas Tree to improve your mapping efficiency.

There are multiple nodes in the Atlas Tree, and you can specialize in certain areas, such as:

Increased Item Quantity: Boost the quantity of items that drop in your maps.

Increased Item Rarity: Increase the chances of rare or unique items dropping.

Map Boss Modifiers: Improve the chances of high-level map bosses appearing.

League-Specific Mods: Add league-specific mechanics to maps to increase the rewards (like Delve, Breach, Harbinger, etc.).

Investing in the right nodes can significantly increase the rewards you gain from mapping, so it's important to align your Atlas Tree with your playstyle and the currency or items you want to farm.

3. Map Modifiers

As you run maps in PoE 2, you'll encounter various map modifiers that change how the map works and what rewards you'll receive. These can be applied through the map device, where you can use currency to modify your map and add difficulty or special mechanics to increase the rewards.

Some common map modifiers include:

Increased Monster Health and Damage: Makes the enemies tougher and the map more difficult but often rewards players with higher loot chances.

Item Quantity and Rarity: These increase the number of drops and the quality of those drops, making them incredibly useful for farming rare items and currency.

Breach, Delve, and Strongbox Mods: These add additional challenges like spawning Breachlords, creating Delve encounters, or adding strongboxes filled with additional loot.

Map modifiers can also introduce specific challenges, such as afflictions that affect your character, like Elemental Weakness or Curses. Understanding how these modifiers work and how to stack them to increase your rewards is crucial for maximizing your efficiency and profitability in the Atlas.

4. Sextants and Zana's Mods

One of the most powerful tools at your disposal for modifying maps in PoE 2 are Sextants and Zana's Modifiers. These items allow you to further tweak the outcome of your maps, increasing their difficulty and their potential rewards.

Sextants: These are consumable items that can be applied to specific map regions on the Atlas. They add additional effects like spawning more monsters, adding currency drops, or increasing the difficulty of the map, all of which will enhance the loot. However, using Sextants can also make maps more difficult, so use them strategically.

Zana's Mods: Zana, the Map NPC, offers special modifiers that can be applied to your maps, such as Delve or Breach encounters, or increasing the number of strongboxes on a map. Zana's mods are especially powerful for boosting rewards and adding variety to your map runs.

Using both Sextants and Zana's mods in combination with other map modifiers will allow you to create incredibly lucrative and rewarding map experiences. These tools can be expensive but are an excellent investment if you're serious about currency farming and maximizing your endgame potential.

How to Progress and Optimize Mapping in PoE 2

Mapping and progressing through the Atlas of Worlds is a rewarding experience, but to get the most out of it, you need to optimize your approach. Here are some tips on how to progress through the Atlas efficiently:

1. Complete Maps in Sequence

When you first start mapping, you'll have a mix of low, mid, and high-tier maps. Focus on completing low-tier maps (Tiers 1-5) early on to unlock the mid-tier maps and gain Atlas progression. As you progress, the Atlas Tree will unlock further points, and you can begin targeting mid-tier and high-tier maps for more valuable rewards.

2. Focus on Map Mods that Increase Drops

To optimize currency farming, focus on map modifiers that increase Item Quantity and Item Rarity. These modifiers enhance your chances of getting valuable currency drops (such as Exalted Orbs), rare items, and even divination cards that can be sold for a profit.

3. Use the Atlas Passive Tree Wisely

The Atlas Passive Tree offers an abundance of options for customizing your playstyle. If you are focused on currency farming, prioritize nodes that improve your drop rates, such as Increased Item Quantity or Monster Drop Quantity. If you are more focused on boss farming or special mechanics, you may want to focus on nodes that boost boss encounters or league-specific modifiers.

4. Engage with League Mechanics and Special Events

Many of PoE 2's best rewards come from league mechanics that you can add to your maps through Zana's mods or Sextants. Breach, Delve, Harbinger, and other league mechanics provide exciting new challenges and increase the currency and loot drops significantly.

5. Crafting on Maps and Trade

Mapping is also a great way to farm items for crafting. As you complete maps, you'll acquire rare items that can be used to craft powerful gear or be sold to other players on the trade market. Mastering crafting and using maps as a farming tool for crafting resources will allow you to profit from both your own maps and poe2 trade opportunities.

Conclusion

The Atlas of Worlds in PoE 2 is an essential aspect of the game's endgame content, offering players countless hours of exploration, boss battles, and currency farming. Understanding the core mechanics of mapping, Atlas progression, and optimizing your farming strategies will lead to massive rewards and the ability to create powerful gear and unique items.

Whether you're a seasoned Path of Exile player or a newcomer to PoE 2, mastering the Atlas of Worlds will be essential for unlocking the full potential of your character and experiencing the best that the game has to offer. So, grab your maps, modify them to your heart's content, and dive deep into the Atlas to unlock your riches!