In Path of Exile 2, Atlas progression is one of the most important aspects of the game that players must master to advance through the endgame. While the primary focus of the U4GM game is building characters, crafting items, and battling hordes of monsters, the Atlas serves as the gateway to some of the most challenging and rewarding content. In this article, we’ll break down the basics of Atlas progression and provide you with some tips for improving your journey through it.

What is the Atlas?

The Atlas in Path of Exile 2 is a map system that allows players to explore increasingly difficult areas of the game. It consists of a large web of interconnected regions, each of which offers unique challenges, rewards, and encounters. Every map you run progresses your Atlas, and as you complete these maps, you unlock new regions and layers of difficulty, culminating in the hardest content in the game.

Getting Started: Unlocking the Atlas

When you first begin your adventure in Path of Exile 2, you won’t have immediate access to the Atlas. In fact, the initial stages of the game focus more on developing your character and learning the mechanics. However, once you’ve completed the main story acts, you’ll unlock the Atlas. From here, you’ll begin running maps and unlocking new regions.

At this stage, it’s important to understand how the game generates maps. Each time you run a map, it adds to your Atlas progress. You’ll be able to view the regions you’ve unlocked on the Atlas itself and track your progress in each. This will help you plan your strategy and determine where to focus your efforts.

Focusing on Map Completion

One of the best ways to improve your Atlas progression is by focusing on map completion. The more maps you complete, the higher your Atlas completion percentage will be. As you increase your completion percentage, you’ll unlock more challenging regions and bosses, which will reward you with better loot and higher levels of experience.

To complete a map, you need to finish all of the required objectives, such as defeating the map’s boss, clearing all monsters, and completing any bonus objectives that appear on the map. Each map has its own set of modifiers that make the content more challenging, so it’s important to tailor your character build to the difficulty of the map.

Using Map Mods and Chiseling for Efficiency

To make your Atlas progression more efficient, you should experiment with using map modifiers and chisels. Map modifiers are affixes that can be applied to your maps, increasing their difficulty but also their rewards. Chisels, on the other hand, improve the quality of the maps, making them more rewarding when completed.

For example, if you apply a modifier like “Area contains additional bosses,” you’ll increase the number of bosses in the map, which means more loot and experience. However, this modifier also makes the map harder, so it’s crucial to assess whether your character can handle the extra difficulty.

Using chisels on your maps will also increase the drop rates of higher-tier items and improve the overall quality of loot. This will allow you to progress faster as you’ll be receiving better gear and currency that can help you prepare for tougher challenges ahead.

Engaging with the Endgame

As you improve your Atlas progression, you’ll eventually unlock the endgame content, such as the Searing Exarch, the Eater of Worlds, and other powerful bosses. These encounters require precise character builds and careful planning, but they offer massive rewards, including valuable currency and items that are essential for creating the strongest builds in the game.

To prepare for these encounters, focus on acquiring powerful gear, crafting your items, and refining your build. By continually upgrading your gear and optimizing your character, you’ll be able to take on the most difficult Atlas challenges with confidence.

Conclusion

Atlas progression in Path of Exile 2 is a crucial aspect of the game that directly affects your character’s power, progression, and overall enjoyment. By focusing on map completion, experimenting with modifiers and chisels, and preparing for endgame content, you’ll be able to maximize your Atlas progression and enjoy all that the game has to offer. Remember, the journey to mastering the Atlas is long, but with dedication and strategy, you’ll emerge victorious.