Although Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0 has only been released for a little over a week, judging from the community’s feedback, many players have already completed all Acts and Interludes and are starting to prepare for the endgame. However, in the heavily reworked Return of the Ancients endgame, completing a series of encounter quests and collecting all Atlas points is no longer easy.
Therefore, you will definitely need the walkthrough guide for completing Endgame in patch 0.5.0 provided here by POECURRENCY.com, as well as some tips you can use during the process. It is understood that the endgame in this new league will be almost identical to that in POE 2 1.0, which is expected to be released this year, so even if you haven’t reached it yet, please start preparing now.
Passing Route
Whether you’re a newcomer to the sequel or a loyal fan of the series, I highly recommend that you unlock Precursor Tower in the upper left corner of Atlas as soon as you enter the endgame of POE 2 Return of the Ancients. Once it’s destroyed, Fortress will become visible. Once the map is complete, you can proceed to Ancient Gateway.
For players seeking rich loot and a compelling storyline, Ancient Gateway is a must-see. It offers the chance for a thrilling encounter with Arbiter of Ash and allows you to advance Return of the Ancients storyline. Most importantly, completing this series of battles and exploration quests will reward you with two Atlas Passive Points from Origin Tower.
It’s worth noting that while all the maps surrounding Ancient Gateways on both the east and west sides can provide you with some Atlas points, it’s not worth spending Waystones to enter and run every single one. Due to certain affixes, some maps can be fatally dangerous, so don’t waste your time and money. Just choose a few maps that interest you or are the most profitable to run.
Next, you can head to the more challenging Tier 10 Enigma Chambers. These are crucial for advancing your Atlas progress and acquiring usable Atlas passive skill points in the current Return of the Ancients, so ignore the other map nodes nearby and just rush in. There’s no particular choice between East and West Enigma Chambers; you can choose either one.
During this process, you’ll acquire fragments that can be used to unlock encounters with Arbiter of Ash. If you want to collect all Atlas points faster, POECURRENCY.com only recommends fighting Standard Arbiter of Ash. The guards and the bosses themselves are not a problem for characters already capable of endgame builds. While the 10 passive points offered by Uber Arbiter of Ash are very tempting, one should proceed with caution and within your means.
After completing all the combat requirements, head to The Origin Tower and speak with Doryani. He will guide you to Patriarch and Matriarch Halls to begin farming Origin Spark and Origin Cradle. Note that this farming attempt is limited, so be mindful of your combat strategy; and remember to bring them back to The Origin Tower and combine them to unlock the battle against Arbiter of Divinity, which is the new Endgame Pinnacle Boss added in POE 2 0.5.0.
So the quantity and quality of loot and PoE 2 currency it provides are much higher than what you get from painstakingly running the early maps in Endgame, so prioritizing completing the challenges here is the most cost-effective approach. After that, you can freely run any map in Atlas in Return of the Ancients to acquire the remaining passive skill points.
However, POECURRENCY.com would like to give you a little advice: try to run the maps behind the unlocked towers first, because they are usually more difficult. Once you successfully run them, it will be easier to run the maps that are closer to you. These maps don’t require too much from your character, but you can still get something out of them and not be exploring at a loss.
Tips
After learning about effective route planning for exploring the overhauled endgame in Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0, here are some tips for the process.
Get Some Items in Market Instead of Farming
The first tip might surprise some players: directly acquire Origin Spark and Origin Cradle from the in-game market to start the battle against Arbiter of Divinity, thus avoiding getting stuck with the limited number of attempts you could previously make.
According to the current market trends, the average price of these two items is 3 to 4 Divine Orbs, with a minimum price of 2.98 and a maximum price of 4.01. Therefore, if your budget allows, you can directly acquire these Pinnacle Keys using currency, saving time and effort.
Of course, if your budget is spent on modifying gear and other enhancements in endgame builds, that’s fine too, because POECURRENCY.com has plenty of cheap POE2 currency for sale, which are not only safe but also delivery quickly, so they will not affect your progress.
With the help of this top-tier shop in Path of Exile 2, Pinnacle Keys are easily obtained, allowing you to farm Arbiter of Divinity multiple times for a wealth of loot and more passive skill points. Most importantly, it significantly reduces the number of times your character dies, which is a major advantage in Endgame.
Effective Use Endgame Mechanism
Having resolved the major challenges of the initial boss encounter, the next step is to introduce the strategies provided by POECURRENCY.com for running regular maps: effectively utilizing the league mechanisms in endgame, such as Abyss and Ritual, which can allow you to gain some Atlas passive skill points within 10-15 minutes.
Another map mechanic worth recommending is Expedition. Although the community says it doesn’t provide skill points, the loot and currency it contains are very generous, enough to support you for a long time in endgame. In addition, don’t overlook any Strongboxes on the map; some of these have a very high probability of containing high-level gear.
The above outlines the walkthrough route and corresponding strategies for the endgame in POE 2 0.5.0 Return of the Ancients. Overall, the endgame in this new league is slightly more difficult and deeper to explore than previous leagues, which may be preparation for the release of Path of Exile 2 1.0. Let’s look forward to it!