Path of Exile 2 Campaign Overview

The Path of Exile 2 campaign takes place 20 years after the events of the original game. You explore 6 Acts with different thematic set pieces, each of which culminates in a unique boss fight. The PoE 2 campaign offers a less linear design to encourage players to progress the Act in the order they prefer. There is also a huge emphasis on immersion and interlinked design with GGG drawing inspiration from titles like Witcher 3 and Dark Souls.

The Path of Exile 2 campaign takes place 20 years after Kitava is defeated. That's a long time, especially in Wraeclast, so while you can expect to see some familiar faces there's going to be a lot of new ones as well. The PoE 2 campaign also blends a mix of familiar places like the Vastiri Desert with many new ones like the Vaal Ruins of Aggorat previously lost to the jungle!

• Procedural World
  • Path of Exile 2 uses procedural generation so that each playthrough feels slightly different, helping to keep the campaign fresh and engaging as you complete it on multiple characters.
  • To create the feeling of a living world, GGG said they plan to change the layout each league.
• Death
  • You do not lose experience on death during the campaign. However, monsters do respawn meaning you need to re-progress through the zone to continue your journey.
  • Quest objectives are also reset.
  • Bosses have checkpoints so you don't need to run back, but they do heal to full when the player dies.
• Epic Boss Battles
  • You encounter over 100 bosses during the Path of Exile 2 campaign, each with its unique theme. These fights are mechanically intense but have patterns you can learn and master.
  • Minor bosses offer permanent bonuses similar to Bandits or Passive Point quests.
• No Labyrinth
  • To Ascend you complete unique quests. The details here are unknown but these quests could offer greater insight into the lore of Wraeclast and each Exile's backstory.
• NPCs
  • Call in various NPCs throughout the campaign to provide information, help you with puzzles, or act as a turn-in for your current quest. This cuts down on the amount of time you need to spend going back to town.

As the game opens, the Iron Count sentences you to death. After narrowly escaping execution, you begin Act 1 on a beach before defeating a monster to enter the Clearfell Encampment, the Act's town. If this sounds familiar, that's because these are the same storybeats you experienced at the beginning of the original Path of Exile campaign. From here, you continue by exploring dark forests, dank sepulchers, and blighted landscapes in an attempt to track down the Seed of Corruption in this area which draws heavy inspiration from gothic horror.

As you progress through the Act you defeat many monsters terrifying the citizens of Clearfell. The narrative here is very much focused on solving local problems. You encounter a variety of supernatural horrors, restless dead, and bandit lords, laying each to rest in turn. This culminates in a battle against the Iron Count a powerful shapeshifter who wields the power of corruption. Defeat him and his lupine allies to gain access to the Vastiri Outskirts.

After completing Act 1, you travel with a Maraketh caravan exploring the wastes of the Vastiri Desert. Your goal is to track down an opposing tribe called the Faridun, but to do this you need to make your way across the treacherously shifting sands and open the way through ancient ruins. The Ardura Caravan is your base of operations throughout Act 2. This Act uses the caravan's mobility to allow for more player choice, select a destination then disembark to complete your task.

The desert is teeming with dangers, you encounter rival Maraketh tribes, explore ancient boneyards, and fight your way through tombs crawling with monsters. Act 2 is broken down into smaller sub-missions, each of which is reached by embarking from the caravan, so it presents a collection of smaller narratives contained within each quest. However, it culminates in a battle against Tor Gul the Defiler, a gigantic multi-limbed skeleton absolutely seething with corruption.

Act 3 from the Path of Exile 2 campaign was front and center in the reveal at ExileCon 2023. This Act takes place in the ruins of the Vaal city of Aggorat near Utzaal. Gone are the dusty tombs and shifting sands, now you're walking through jungles and avoiding gigantic spiders. You enter many of these ruins, including the Vaal Machinarium, and even encounter a familiar face, Alva! These ruins might be ancient, but don't expect them to be empty, there are numerous Vaal constructs to battle along with the reanimated husks of the inhabitants.

There is more to Act 3, but for now, those secrets are hidden in the jungle. But we're sure Alva will arrive just in time to reveal more about the lost Vaal civilization.

We know a lot less about Act 4 than the previous acts in the Path of Exile 2 campaign. This is because most of the gameplay demos and reveals have focused on the first 3 Acts thus far. Players got a bit of hands on time during ExileCon 2023 but we haven't seen much since.

Act 4 is also where you encounter the Kalguurans. with the port city of Kingsmarch acting as a central hub. Kingsmarch was recently featured in Path of Exile 1's Settlers of Kalguur league and it seems the port has expanded significantly in the last 20 years. Who better to ferry you between each island than an experienced Kalguur captain!

While the theme is ostensibly related to the Karui this is only partially true because Each island has its own biome including terrain, monsters to defeat, and bosses to challenge. You can travel to each of these islands in an order of your choosing. Much like Act 2, these stories look to be largely self contained while still following the overarching narrative of tracking down the Seed of Corruption.

For example, you might encounter an area inhabited by goblins. They've taken to taming the wildlife and worshipping a local giant. These goblins are unlikely to appreciate an Exile showing up on their shores so you can expect a bloody welcome.

Currently, GGG has not revealed information on Acts 5 or 6 in the Path of Exile 2 campaign. With that said, I do have a bit of a fun theory. Act 1 is inspired by gothic horror, taking clear cues from games like Witcher 3 or Dark Souls. Then Act 2 has a Maraketh theme, Act 3 a Vaal Theme, and Act 4 a Karui theme. In Path of Exile 1, the Legion conflict takes place between 5 factions, the Maraketh, Vaal, Karui, Templar, and Eternal Empire. So maybe Acts 5 and 6 in the Path of Exile 2 campaign are themed around the remaining factions, the Templars and Eternal Empire?

Dive in and explore the 6 Act campaign for Path of Exile 2. Immerse yourself in lush jungles, travel the shifting sands, and take to the high seas to go on an adventure as you level towards the endgame. Each Act provides a unique setting and culminates in a battle against a powerful boss.

Written by: Tenkiei

Reviewed by: Crouching_Tuna, Havoc616, Palsteron