Upon completing the main campaign and the Cruel difficulty Acts 1 through 3 in Path of Exile 2, players unlock the Endgame and gain access to the Atlas of Worlds. Within the Atlas map, players will encounter various unique structures such as the Realmgate, Lost Towers, the Burning Monolith, and Citadels, each offering distinct gameplay mechanics and challenges.
Citadels, in particular, stand out as some of the most elusive endgame objectives. While Lost Towers emerge above the Fog of War and the Realmgate and Burning Monolith appear near the Atlas start point, Citadels are less visible. However, with the 0.1.1 update, Citadels will become more noticeable from a distance. If you're having trouble locating them on your Atlas map, here are some tips to help you find more Citadels in PoE 2.
What Are Citadels For In PoE 2?
In Path of Exile 2, Citadels serve as unique map nodes that come in three types: Iron, Copper, and Stone. Each Citadel hosts a different Boss, featuring reimagined versions of bosses from the PoE 2 campaign, now powered up for the endgame challenge. Defeating these bosses rewards players with a Crisis Fragment, a key component needed to unlock the Burning Monolith, the home of the Atlas pinnacle boss, the Arbiter of Ash. Completing this challenge fulfills the "Pinnacle of Flame" quest, which becomes available after entering the Burning Monolith map and examining the locked door.
- Iron Citadel: Home to Count Geonor (Act 1 boss), appearing as a large city with black walls.
- Copper Citadel: Features Jamanra, The Abomination (Act 2 boss), resembling a large encampment circling the map node.
- Stone Citadel: Hosts Doryani (Act 3 boss), designed like a stone pyramid similar to the ziggurats in Act 3.
To access a Citadel, players must use a Waystone of at least Tier 15 to travel to its map node and activate it. Like other Maps, you have only one attempt to navigate the Citadel and defeat the boss without dying. These areas are highly valuable not only for the Crisis Fragments but also for the chance to obtain exceptional loot from the bosses. Once completed, you cannot re-enter a Citadel; your next step is to continue exploring the Atlas for more.
How To Find More Citadels In PoE 2
With the 0.1.1 update, Path of Exile 2 makes Citadels more visible by adding a large beacon of light above their locations, which can be seen through the Fog of War. This helps guide players more efficiently to each Citadel.
If you can't spot any Citadels near your current location on the Atlas map, the most effective strategy is to move in a straight line in a single direction. This approach reveals the most Fog of War and expands your view of the Atlas, potentially uncovering hidden Citadels. Along your route, head towards any Lost Towers you encounter, as completing these reveals a significant area of Fog around the tower, which may expose nearby Citadels.
Each type of Citadel tends to spawn in specific biomes:
- Iron Citadels are commonly found in Grass or Forest biomes.
- Copper Citadels are typically located in Desert biomes.
- Stone Citadels often appear along the coast of any biome.
If you're targeting a specific Citadel to access the Burning Monolith, navigate towards revealed areas of the appropriate biome type on your map.
Once you've found a Citadel, it's unlikely to find another nearby, as multiple Citadels rarely spawn on the same screen of the Atlas map when fully zoomed out. To find more Citadels after discovering one, change direction completely and move in a straight line away from your previous path.
With the visibility improvements from the 0.1.1 update, you should be able to spot Citadel beacons within a few screens of your revealed map areas. If no Citadels are visible within the Fog of War after the update, continue following these tips: move in a straight line in one direction, and you should eventually see a beacon guiding you to your next challenge.
