Path of Exile 2’s early access offers extensive content at launch, including three Acts from the campaign, six Classes, 50 bosses, and about 400 monster types. However, there’s also the endgame in the Atlas, where players will spend much of their time cleansing Corruption.
Similar to Monoliths of Fate from Last Epoch, players use Waystones to travel to nearby nodes, with their level determining the monster level. Each location is distinct, monsters are randomized, and you can enchant Waystones with prefixes for more rewards and suffixes for more challenges. You’ll also discover Strongboxes, which have rewards but contain monsters and traps, and frozen monsters, who give Essences upon defeating them.
Dying means the node is inaccessible from then on, and you need to find a way around to continue exploring the Atlas. Clearing Towers will reveal more Atlas nodes with more challenging and rewarding encounters, like monsters merging on death. As you cleanse Corruption, you get Atlas Points to spend on the Atlas Tree for tailoring rewards.
There are unique locations on the Atlas – some provide lots of XP and a free Unique, while others can be cleared to claim as a Hideout. One in four maps contains a map boss. They’re the same as bosses from the campaign but more challenging and have AI and ability changes. Defeating them provides points for the Boss section of Atlas Tree for more rewards from slaying bosses. Each type of content in the endgame has a separate tree, avoiding the need to keep respeccing.
Path of Exile 2’s early access starts December 6th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. It will retail for $29.99, and it’s expected to last for six months.