Path of Exile can be a confusing game to wrap your head around at times. The best example of that is the Atlas of Worlds mechanic, which usually confuses newer players when they first unlock it. If you’re one of those newer players, you’re in the right place. Here’s what you need about the Atlas of Worlds and how you can use it to your benefit.
What is the Atlas of Worlds?
The Atlas of Worlds is one of the chief endgame mechanics in PoE. To unlock it, you have to complete some tasks for Commander Kirac during the Epilogue of the campaign. Once you do so, he’ll give you your very own Map Device which will unlock the Atlas of Worlds for you.
The Atlas of Worlds will allow you to run an extra 116 (usually) maps with unique twists and bosses. These maps range from Tier 1 maps to Tier 16 which contain the hardest challenges but also the juiciest rewards. Whenever you complete bonus objectives on these maps you’re rewarded with Atlas Passive Points, which we’ll discuss later.
The Key Mechanics of the Atlas of Worlds
Atlas of Worlds comes with five key mechanics, these are the Favored Maps Slots, Kirac’s Master Missions, Pinnacle Boss Beacons, the Voidstones, and the Atlas Passive Tree. Here’s how they all work.
Favored Maps Slots
Favored Maps Slots are a set of 12 slots that you can unlock by accomplishing certain milestones. These allow you to favorite a map you plan on running multiple times. Additionally, they will also increase the drop rate in that map by a factor of 10.
Interestingly enough, the drop rate stacks, meaning, if you put a single map in all 12 slots its drop rate will increase by a factor of 120!
Kirac’s Master Missions
Kirac’s Master Missions were random missions that you could undertake at the behest of Kirac. However, these were removed in Patch 3.24, so they aren’t really relevant anymore.
Pinnacle Boss Beacons
Atlas of Worlds introduced three new bosses into the game, these are the Maven, the Searing Exarch, and the Eater of Worlds. To unlock these, you have to play through their corresponding questlines.
Voidstones
Atlas Voidstones serve to increase the tier of all maps, up to Tier 16. Each voidstone also gives a 0.4% chance that a Tier 16 map will be converted to a Tier 17 map. To unlock the Voidstones you have to defeat each of the following bosses:
- Decayed Voidstone: Defeat the Uber Elder
- Ceremonial Voidstone: Defeat the Maven
- Grasping Voidstone: Defeat the Eater of Worlds
- Omniscient Voidstone: Defeat the Searing Exarch
Voidstones are also tied to a unique quest that gives you the Atlas Book of Skill, which grants you 1 Atlas Passive Point and 2 Atlas Refund Points.
The Atlas Passive Tree
Once you acquire Atlas Passive Points you’ll be able to spend them on the Atlas Passive Tree. The Atlas Passive Tree is a mechanic that allows you to spend points to influence how the Atlas maps play out.
In other words, the Atlas Passive Tree allows you to change how much loot there is, what kind of enemies there are, the number of enemies, certain effects on the maps, add or remove certain mechanics, etc…
How to Acquire Atlas Maps in PoE
Before you can play a specific Atlas map you have to acquire its corresponding map token in the game world. These will start dropping in Act 8 of the campaign. If you happen to receive one, don’t sell it on the PoE market just yet. Instead, keep it for later when you finally unlock the Map Device from Kirac.
What Are Atlas Passive Tree Strategies?
If you look at the bottom of the Map Device screen you should notice three orbs with four-pointed stars in them. These are your Atlas Passive Tree Strategies slots. The idea behind them is this.
Since the Atlas Passive Tree allows the player to change the circumstances of the game however, they want, the Passive Tree Strategies offers the player a way to save certain routes so that they can farm their effects more easily.
The smartest thing to do when starting out is to focus on the effects that increase your higher-tier map drop chance and currency gain. You will never have enough points to do what you want to do, so prioritize long-term efficiency over everything else.
How to Prepare for the Atlas of Worlds
Early on the Atlas of Worlds maps won’t be much of a challenge even if you’re unprepared. That’s how they get you though! The thing about the Atlas of Worlds is that its difficulty drastically ramps up a few maps in, which is why you have to prepare appropriately.If you don’t have any spare currency lying around, you should buy PoE currency at this point and get yourself some brand-new gear. Here are some of the challenges you’ll be encountering:
- Lots of enemy types that cause freeze
- Lots of enemy types that cause bleed
- Damage scaling that’s all over the place
- Your resistance will be capped at 75%
- Your armor, shields, and evasion will be reduced at certain points
Another good tip is to have each gem socketed in the right place as early as possible since gems take time to level up. The later you do this the more issues you’ll encounter when you get into the higher tier maps.
How to Acquire Atlas Maps
Other than finding them via drops, you can also acquire Atlas maps in the following ways:
- By completing Kirac’s missions
- By buying them off of Kirac
- By altering them with an Orb of Horizons
- By buying them off the market
- By crafting (rolling) them
The last method is the one you should pay particular attention to as it can give you the best maps. It also tends to be the most costly resource-wise, so be careful with how you spend your resources on it.
What is the Maximum Amount of Atlas Passive Points You Can Gain?
The maximum amount of Atlas Points you can acquire is 132. You can acquire them through the following methods:
- 115 via map completion bonuses
- 5 via Maven’s questline
- 6 from Kirac by beating one of the Pinnacle bosses for the first time
- 6 by completing endgame invitations for the first time
If you’re confused as to which ones you’re missing, type in “/atlaspassives” and it’ll give you information on what you’ll still need.
