PoE2 Dawn of the Hunt Atlas: Find Corrupted Nexus

Mastering the 0.2 Atlas: Your Endgame Roadmap

The 0.2.0 Atlas isn't your old-school map device—it's a beast of progression tied to Corrupted Nexus zones, boss maps, and clever vendor play. Here's how to conquer it, step-by-step.

Finding Corrupted Nexus Zones: The Fog Trick

To max out your 40 Atlas points, you need 15 Corrupted Nexus completions (2 points each, tier 1-15 maps with 4+ modifiers) and 5 unique maps. The catch? Corrupted zones are rare - unless you know where to look.

The Tower Hack: Zoom in on towers in the fog of war. If you see corruption vines (think purple tendrils) snaking around them, that's your cue - a Corrupted Nexus is hiding inside. These can be seen from a distance, so be sure to scout towers aggressively.

Pro tip: Stick to easy maps for these runs. Fail a Nexus and it's gone - you'll have to hunt another one. We've learned this lesson the hard way and burned a few level 15s.

Map: Sustain: Doriani's Goldmine

Sustaining maps in 0.2.0 is a breeze thanks to Doriani, the vendor who's basically your personal map printer.

This is how it works: He sells waystones one tier below your highest completed (e.g., tier 14s after a tier 15) for 18,000 gold—peanuts once you're rolling. Lower levels are even cheaper.

Crafting Hack: Buy three, hit the Reforge Bench, and 3-to-1 them into your target tier. Gold is plentiful if you're clever with your looting, so this is almost infinitely sustainable.

Modding Basics: Slap Transmute, Augmentation, and Regal Orbs on every map - Goggles are dirt cheap. Save Alchemy Orbs for level 14+; they're too rare early on. We've been stingy with our 26 Alch, trust us.

Tier up: Boss Maps and Towers

Climbing tiers isn't random anymore—it's all about boss maps.

Boss map rule: Only boss maps will drop tiers higher than your current max. If you're stuck at level 10, spam boss maps to get to 11. Strong builds should prioritise these to get to level 15 quickly.

Tower Power: Overseer Tablets (e.g. "2-4 maps in range contain bosses") are your MVP. With 3+ map modifiers, they unlock two tablet slots - stack them for boss spawns, better loot, and +1 tier jumps. Precursor tablets (+1 area level) also make a good pair for XP.

Atlas Trees: Starter Picks

Your 40 points shape your grind, and we've tested a few setups:

0-20 points: Grab Breach and base map sustain nodes - early juice without overcomplicating.

20-40 points: Pivot to boss and tower boosts (e.g. Overseer chance). Strongboxes flopped for us; shrines and essences were meh, but viable.

Endgame: Max tower synergy and boss loot - linked below if you want a peek.

Bonus Tips for the Grind

Fog Scouting: Don't sleep on towers - check every foggy edge. We've found Nexus zones halfway across the Atlas this way.

Gold Hoarding: Loot everything; 18k gold per Doriani run adds up quickly.

Boss Rush: If your gear's solid, chain boss maps—tier 10-11 is the sweet spot to leapfrog tiers.

Why This Atlas Matters

The 0.2.0 endgame flips the script—less RNG, more strategy. Corrupted Nexus hunting with towers cuts the frustration, Doriani's vendor trick keeps the maps flowing, and boss maps turbocharge your progression. It's a system that rewards smarts over brute luck, and once you've got it, staying in tier 15 feels like cheating. We've been living in tier 15 land for days now, and it's a goldmine - literally.

Thanks for Reading

This 0.2 Atlas guide should have you carving through Path of Exile 2's endgame like a pro—Corrupted Nexus zones on lock and maps for days. Wraeclast is always changing, so keep an eye on MMOJUGG for what's next!