Path of Exile 2 endgame activities explained: Trials, Atlas Tree, Breach & more

Path of Exile 2 has lots of endgame activities for players to do once the main story quests are over, and we’ve got a rundown of them all below.

Path of Exile 2 is in early access but that doesn’t mean that Grinding Gear Games haven’t included plenty of endgame modes for players to try. While it’s important to point out that only half the game’s story mode is included in early access, players can still get involved in the endgame once they’ve completed the first three Acts.

There’s lots to try and it can be overwhelming for new players, so below, we’ll cover every endgame mode in early access so far and explain what they are. Remember, there may be even more endgame tasks when Path of Exile 2 releases in full.

Grinding Gear Games

Path of Exile 2 mixes in some MMO elements in endgame.

Atlas Tree

To kick off the endgame of Path of Exile 2, you’ll need to beat all three Acts on Normal and then Cruel difficulty. Once Act 3 ends on Cruel difficulty you’ll be let loose onto the world map of Atlas which you can explore by using the Waystones at Ziggurat.

From here, you’ll gradually unlock more regions to explore and cleanse the corruption by slaying the elite enemies hiding throughout the map. While you can craft more, you can only use a Waystone once, so plan accordingly and select the most appropriate difficulty tier for your current power level. Naturally, the higher the difficulty, the richer the spoils.

As you start ridding the world of corruption, you’ll begin to unlock points that can be spent on the Atlas Skill Tree. This lets you add modifiers to the enemies you face and loot you’ll receive, letting you tailor the experience to your build’s preference.

You’ll need to unlock the map by completing Towers as you explore. Each Tower you complete grants you visibility of the next area of the map, allowing you to plan your journey. As you go, you’ll also be able to establish Hideouts by clearing out the monsters from them. Once done, you can encourage NPCs to move in and even decorate them to your tastes.

Trials of Sekhemas & Chaos

If you still need to unlock your full eight Ascendancy Points, you can now do so by tackling any remaining floors of the Trial of Sekhemas and Chaos. While it’s possible to do most of this before you beat Act 3, the final floors of each can be considered endgame tasks.

For a full breakdown of how to access each floor of the Trials of Sekhemas and the Trials of Chaos, check out our Ascendancy guide which explains in detail.

Grinding Gear Games

Path of Exile is seen by many as a spiritual successor to the Diablo series.

Breach levels

Breach levels are one of the main endgame activities in Path of Exile 2 early access, becoming available once Act 3 has been completed on the Cruel difficulty. It even has its own section on the Atlas Skill Tree.

Each Breach is a tear in reality that lets demons invade the map – which will need to be slain to unlock some nice high-end loot. You can also add modifiers by using Breach Tablets in the various Towers scattered around the map.

You’ll also be able to find items called Breach Stones that create Breach Splinters and after defeating the enemies, you’ll unlock a gateway that lets you cross the Breach into the demon’s reality. From here, you can battle a boss known as Xesht whose defeat will reward you with more Atlas Tree Skill points, and you guessed it, lots of lovely loot.

Ritual sites

Ritual sites are dotted all over Atlas, these are marked on the map by demonic red symbols, so you’ll know where to find them. You’ll need to kill all the monsters at these sites until their blood fills the altar. Doing so unlocks a Tribute that can be used to buy various items. You can even touch the altar to resurrect all the monsters and kill them again.

You’ll also unlock Ritual Precursor tablets that unlock more Ritual maps which in turn can unlock something called Omens. These are items that let you tweak crafting and modify the system to suit your preferences. Once you’ve completed enough Rituals, you’ll eventually need to battle the King of Mists, the very figure who built each Ritual site.

Grinding Gear Games

There’s plenty to do in endgame – and more is probably coming.

Expedition sites

Expeditions are dig sites where you’ll need to use an explosion to unearth lost artifacts, the only problem is that triggers waves of monsters to attack once the explosion has happened.

That’s where you come into slay them all, retrieve the artifacts, and return them to a faction known as the Kalgurrans in exchange for loot and other rewards.

Once again, tablets can be used to create more Expedition sites which eventually lead to a boss fight with Commander Olroth.

Delirium Mirrors

Some maps will contain Delirium Mirrors that transport you into a mist where you’ll need to slay the attacking monsters while delving deeper into the mist. The further you go, the more powerful and rare the enemies and rewards on offer.

You’ll soon start unlocking items called Distilled Emotions that can be used with amulets to add additional skill slots for passive skills – something that is very useful for build crafting.

While you’re deep in the mists you’ll also encounter Simulacrum Splinters that ramp up the difficulty of the enemies but also reward you with points for the Delirium segment of the Atlas Skill Tree.

Remember, the above are just the endgame activities included in early access and more are likely to be added when the game releases in full, or even before.

Until then, check out our builds for the sharpshooting Ranger, the martial artist Monk, the spell-slinging Sorceress, the witch-hunting Mercenary, the melee-focused Warrior, and the minion-summoning Witch classes.