PoE2 Campaign Story Overview

The events in PoE2's campaign take place 20 years after the story of the original game. You explore 6 Acts with different thematic set pieces, each of which culminates in a unique boss fight. There are around 100 different areas to explore and 100 unique bosses to challenge as you progress through the 50 hours of content. You can think of this as a full AAA video game available completely for free with a deep and expansive endgame attached! In terms of visuals and storytelling inspiration, GGG has previously mentioned Witcher 3 and Dark Souls so expect a grimdark world with lots of obscure bits of lore hidden away in the nooks and crannies of the world.

The Path of Exile 2 campaign takes place 20 years after Kitava's defeat. 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 places familiar to long-time Path of Exile players like the Vastiri Desert with many new ones like the Vaal Ruins of Aggorat previously lost to the jungle! All of this content is available completely for free, and the campaign story continues in the endgame through PoE2's leagues.

• 6 Acts
  • PoE 2's campaign storyline unfolds over 6 distinct Acts. Each of these takes place in a new location themed around one of Wraeclast's major factions.
• 50 Hours of Content
  • If you follow a Campaign Walkthrough or Build Guide and rush to the endgame, it's going to take you a lot less time to reach mapping.
  • However, if you want to take your time, do side quests, and beat all the optional bosses, the PoE2 campaign offers 50 hours of content.
  • This includes 100 unique bosses each of which has its own lore and background for you to uncover.
• Character Progression
  • You don't just defeat bosses for lore reasons, they also offer character progression bonuses.
  • These include Spirit, additional Passive Points, and possibly some Attributes.
• NPCs
  • You encounter a variety of NPCs as you explore PoE2's expansive campaign story. This includes the time traveler Alva and the mysterious Hooded One.
• Challenging Combat, Immersive World
  • Path of Exile 2's bosses aren't just for show, each of them has mechanics you need to learn and avoid. Many of these fights have an environmental aspect, utilizing the room itself to power their most devastating attacks. If you fall, the boss resets but luckily there should be a checkpoint nearby which makes it easy to get back into the fight.
  • The campaign takes place in an immersive world, the zones use procedural generation so they feel a bit different each time. You're offered a lot of freedom as to where you go and which problems you want to resolve allowing you to forge your own path through the dark world of Wraeclast.

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.

Team up with the mysterious Hooded One to begin solving the problems facing the citizens of Ogham. 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.

Author's Note: 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 PoE2 campaign's story are themed around the remaining factions, the Templars and Eternal Empire?

One Act could be a return to the city of Oriath, destroyed by Sirus the Awakener. Then, rebuilt under Commander Kirac with some help from a group of Exiles. The other could explore what the eternal empire looked like under the reign of Emperor Chitus. Maybe we'll finally learn more about the origins of Virtue Gems?

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