MMOexp:What to Do After the Campaign in Path of Exile 2
Reaching the endgame in Path of Exile 2 can feel overwhelming. After finishing the campaign and unlocking the Atlas, players are suddenly presented with dozens of systems, activities, bosses, and progression paths. Many players make the mistake of immediately jumping into every piece of content they encounter, slowing down their progression and POE 2 Orbs their rewards.
If you're wondering what to do after completing the main story, this guide outlines a step-by-step progression plan that will help you efficiently unlock Atlas points, sustain Waystones, improve your character, and prepare for the game's most challenging bosses.
Step 1: Focus on Atlas Progression First
When you first arrive at the Ziggurat Refuge and begin mapping, your primary objective is not to run every side activity you encounter. While content such as Abyss, Breach, Ritual, Expedition, and Azmerian Temples may seem tempting, your first priority should be progressing toward the Fortress and unlocking key Atlas systems.
As you advance through maps, you'll encounter Precursor Towers. These should be your first major targets. Completing towers grants valuable Atlas passive points and opens the path toward the Ancient Gateway and Fortress regions.
Inside the Fortress, many maps contain special Atlas icons that reward Atlas passive points upon completion. Large towers can provide up to four points each, making them one of the fastest ways to strengthen your Atlas tree early on.
The goal here is simple: unlock as many Atlas points as possible before investing heavily into specific league mechanics.
Step 2: Open the Eastern and Western Gateways
The next major milestone is unlocking both the Eastern and Western Gateways.
These gateways eventually lead to Enigma Chambers, which function similarly to the old Citadel encounters. Inside, players face powerful versions of familiar campaign bosses such as Count Geonor, Doryani, and Jamanra.
While these bosses are significantly stronger than their campaign counterparts, you don't need high-tier Waystones to access them. This makes them an excellent early objective.
Defeating both Enigma Chambers unlocks access to the Burning Monolith, one of the most important progression systems in the entire endgame.
Many players delay this step, but doing so limits Atlas progression and prevents access to several crucial passive nodes.
Step 3: Unlock the Burning Monolith
The Burning Monolith serves as a gateway to some of the most important Atlas upgrades.
Completing this progression path unlocks powerful Atlas nodes that dramatically improve map rewards. One particularly important node allows Irradiated Precursor Tablets to begin dropping. Without unlocking these nodes, players effectively lock themselves out of some of the game's most valuable farming opportunities.
The Burning Monolith also opens the path toward the Origin Tower, where additional progression rewards await.
Even if your character isn't powerful enough to fully clear the content immediately, simply unlocking these systems should be a priority.
Step 4: Sustain Your Waystones
One of the biggest challenges in Path of Exile 2's endgame is maintaining a healthy supply of Waystones.
Without proper Atlas investment, many players run out of Waystones and find themselves unable to progress efficiently.
Early Atlas points should focus heavily on Waystone sustain. Prioritize nodes that provide:
Increased Waystone drops from map bosses
Additional Waystone quantity
Increased Waystone rarity
Additional tablet drops
These bonuses work together to create a self-sustaining mapping loop.
Doryani also serves as an important backup source. He sells Waystones up to Tier 14 based on the highest map you've completed. While purchasing them costs gold, they can help bridge progression gaps if your drops are lacking.
Once you reach higher tiers, the Reforging Bench becomes an extremely useful tool. Combining lower-tier Waystones allows you to create higher-tier versions and accelerate progression.
Step 5: Decide Between Trade and Solo-Self-Found Progression
Your next decisions depend heavily on how you play the game.
For Solo Self-Found players, league mechanics become important sources of gear upgrades.
Ritual is excellent for acquiring uniques.
Breach provides useful ring upgrades and crafting materials.
Abyss offers strong crafting opportunities and valuable currency items.
Expedition remains one of the most reliable and rewarding mechanics while remaining relatively accessible.
Delirium, however, should generally be avoided early. The difficulty spikes significantly compared to other mechanics and can slow progression dramatically.
Trade League players can often skip some of these early gearing strategies and focus more aggressively on Atlas progression and farming efficiency.
Step 6: Unlock the Atlas Masters
One of the smartest things you can do after establishing basic Atlas progression is unlock the Atlas Masters.
Hilda
Hilda's questline revolves around hunting powerful monsters throughout the Atlas.
While her bonuses may seem underwhelming at first, they become incredibly powerful later in progression. Her passive tree enhances powerful bosses, Rogue Exiles, and Azmerian Spirits.
For most players, simply unlocking Hilda early is enough. Fully investing into her mechanics is generally reserved for later stages of endgame.
Jiquani (JGO)
JGO provides some of the most valuable rewards in the Atlas.
His questline revolves around hidden locations such as Sealed Vaults, Reservoirs, and Jade Isles. Completing these encounters unlocks bonuses that improve:
Lineage Support Gem drops
Additional content spawns
Tablet effectiveness
Rogue Exile encounters
Many valuable Lineage Support Gems, including some of the most expensive gems in the economy, can drop through this progression path.
Doryani
Doryani upgrades are obtained by cleansing Corrupted Nexuses.
Once upgraded, Doryani provides powerful benefits such as:
Additional revives
Irradiated areas
Improved loot drops
Enhanced map rewards
These bonuses become extremely valuable for farming strategies later in progression.
Step 7: Build Your First Farming Strategy
Once your Atlas is established and your character is reasonably geared, it's time to focus on currency generation.
For most players, Abyss and Breach offer the easiest and most accessible farming strategies.
Abyss farming can generate valuable Omens, rare crafting materials, and currency items.
Breach farming remains one of the best methods for acquiring catalysts and high-demand league-specific rewards.
At this stage, your goal is not to fully juice maps. Instead, focus on building a consistent source of income while continuing Atlas progression.
The most successful players combine efficient farming with ongoing progression rather than treating them as separate activities.
Step 8: Defeat the Arbiter
The Arbiter represents one of the final major progression checkpoints.
Defeating this pinnacle boss unlocks the final section of the Atlas tree and grants access to additional Waystone modifiers.
This is where endgame farming truly begins.
Four-modifier tablets dramatically increase map rewards without significantly increasing difficulty. Properly rolled tablets can multiply profits across virtually every farming strategy.
Whether you're farming Ritual, Abyss, Breach, Expedition, or another mechanic entirely, defeating the Arbiter should be a top priority.
Step 9: Enter the True Endgame
After defeating the Arbiter and fully unlocking your Atlas systems, the game transitions into its final stage.
At this point, players should:
Complete remaining Atlas trees
Finish Master questlines
Farm high-tier content
Push pinnacle bosses
Optimize farming strategies
Upgrade gear toward endgame perfection
As your character becomes stronger, Atlas nodes that increase monster effectiveness become increasingly valuable. While they make enemies significantly tougher, they also provide some of the best rewards available in Path of Exile 2.
This is where the game's deepest progression systems truly shine.
Final Thoughts
The biggest mistake new endgame players make in Path of Exile 2 is trying to do everything at once. The most efficient progression path focuses first on Atlas points, Waystone sustain, Gateway progression, and unlocking the Burning Monolith before investing heavily into league mechanics buy POE2 Currency.
By following this progression order, you'll unlock powerful Atlas bonuses sooner, maintain a healthy supply of Waystones, gain access to valuable farming opportunities, and prepare your character for the game's toughest encounters.
Once those foundations are established, the rest of the endgame opens up naturally, allowing you to focus on what Path of Exile 2 does best: building wealth, chasing powerful loot, and pushing your character to its absolute limits.