There are four special events that players can encounter while mapping the Path of Exile 2 endgame Atlas – Delirium, Rituals, Expeditions, and Breaches. All of these events can spawn on endgame maps, and are marked with a unique symbol that hovers above each map’s Node on the Atlas Map screen.
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In PoE 2, Breaches are one of the most common Atlas features, though it isn’t immediately obvious what a Breach is or what to do with one after discovering it on a map. This guide covers how to start Breaches, what you must do to complete a Breach, how the Breach Passive Skill Tree works, and the Breach rewards you can get for completing these endgame events.
PoE 2 Breaches & Breach Circles, Explained
How To Complete Breach Events In Path of Exile 2
Atlas Map Nodes with Breach Events are highlighted on the Atlas Map with a purple icon featuring an outstretched hand that reaches upward. If you see this icon above a Map Node, it will contain a Breach somewhere within.
Breaches appear like glowing dark purple areas, and a giant hand in the middle of the corruption. Click on the hand and a gigantic Breach circle will begin to expand outward. In the bottom-left of the screen you should see a new bar appear. The circle will continue to expand outward, and you will continue to take part in the Breach mechanic, as long as this bar does not empty.
Killing enemies within the limits of the PoE 2 Breach circle will fill the bar, which slowly depletes with time. The circle doesn’t just affect existing monsters, though – it also spawns new ones in its wake, significantly increasing the number of enemies you will encounter in the affected zone. Clasped Hands will also spawn throughout the Breach circle, which PoE 2 players can interact with for Splinters, Catalysts, and other Breach rewards.
Over time the number of enemies you must kill to maintain the Breach will become too much to keep up with, and the circle will begin to retract inward.
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When it retracts back to the spot where you started the Breach, the event will be over, but all of the loot that dropped will still be there. Consider leaving most of the loot that drops during the event to pick up later – unless a Unique or Divine Orb drop, that is, as it can feel awful to lose those to a random death.
Breach Passive Skill Tree
Increase Rewards With PoE 2 Breach Passives
Like the Atlas Passive Skill Tree, the Breach Passive Skill Tree modifies the Breach event to make it more rewarding and enhance the experience in a variety of ways. To see the Breach Passives, PoE 2 players can open up the Atlas Map, open the Atlas Passive Skill Tree, then scroll to the left side.
The Breach Passive Skill Tree has a distinctly purple coloration and includes powerful buffs to the Breach system including:
- Rising Pyre and Interdimensional Assault, which increases the number of enemies (and therefore increases the amount of rewards) that can spawn within a Breach
- Crumbling Walls, which grants a small chance to vastly increase the number of Breaches available on affected maps
- Grasping Hands, which increases the number of Grasping Hands and the rewards they drop and increases the number of Magic enemies (and therefore increases the chance for higher-tier loot drops)
You can get Breach Passive Skill Points by defeating the Pinnacle Boss, Xesht, We That Are One. Spawn this boss by combining 300x Breach Splinters and turning them into a full Breachstone. Bring this to the Realmgate near the beginning of your Atlas Map, and activate it to take on this boss.
There are four Difficulties which each grant 2x Breach Passive Skill Points apiece, for a total of 8x Breach Passive Skill Points. Increase the Difficulty of this boss fight by spending your Breach Passives, as you are practically required to increase the Difficulty of this encounter before every Notable node in the tree.
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Breach Rewards & Pinnacle Boss
Catalysts and Splinters and Bosses – Oh My!
There are two major Breach-specific Currencies you should pay attention to and pick up at every opportunity. Catalysts are essentially Currency items that allow you to add Quality to Jewelry (Amulets and Rings). Each Catalyst is associated with different Modifier types – the Carapace Catalyst, for example, enhances Quality but only affects Defensive modifiers, while the Neural Catalyst only affects Mana modifiers. These do not overlap – the active Catalyst effect is always for the most recent Catalyst applied.
You can acquire Breach Rings that can be improved well beyond the default 20% Quality to a huge 50% Quality, theoretically boosting the numbers well beyond a normal Ring could. Catalysts are the only thing that can improve Jewelry to this extreme.
Splinters are the last unique Breach Currency, which can be combined en masse to create a Breachstone. Using a Breachstone at the Realmgate will take you to the Twisted Domain, a unique boss arena for Xesht, We That Are One. This unique boss drops higher-tier loot than normal, and grants 2x Breach Passive points on defeat. But If you die, you must re-farm the summoning materials and try again later – there’s no second chances.
- Franchise
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Path of Exile
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Nudity, Violence
- Early Access Release
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December 6, 2024