Path Exiled 2's Burning Monolith Revealed

The Burning Monolith: Path of Exile 2's Endgame Challenge

The Burning Monolith, a unique map location in Path of Exile 2's Atlas of Worlds, resembles a Realmgate and is found near the starting area of your mapping journey. However, accessing it presents a significant challenge.

Accessing the Burning Monolith requires three Crisis Fragments, each obtained by conquering a Citadel – an exceptionally rare and difficult map node on the Atlas.

Unlocking the Arbiter of Ash

The Burning Monolith is where you'll face the endgame pinnacle boss, the Arbiter of Ash. Your first attempt to activate the Monolith's door initiates the "Pinnacle of Flame" quest, comprising three sub-quests: Ezomyte Infiltration (Iron Citadel), Faridun Foray (Copper Citadel), and Vaal Incursion (Stone Citadel). Completing these Citadels yields the three necessary Crisis Fragments. Once you possess all three, activate the altar within the Burning Monolith to begin the Arbiter of Ash encounter.

Prepare thoroughly before engaging the Arbiter of Ash. This boss is the game's most formidable pinnacle boss, boasting devastating attacks and millions of HP.

Locating the Elusive Citadels

Path of Exile 2 features three Citadels: Iron, Copper, and Stone. Each Citadel houses a unique map boss; defeating them grants the corresponding Crisis Fragment. The primary difficulty lies in their rarity.

Citadels are one-time attempts.

The Atlas is procedurally generated, making Citadel locations unpredictable. Community theories, based on limited evidence, suggest these strategies:

1. Choose a direction on the Atlas and explore persistently until you locate a Citadel. Utilizing Towers provides a broader view of the surrounding maps.
2. Follow corruption. Scan the Atlas periphery for corrupted nodes, clear them successfully, unlock nearby Towers, and repeat. This can be combined with the first method.
3. Citadels often cluster together. Finding one increases the likelihood of discovering the others nearby.

Citadel hunting is a time-intensive endgame activity, best undertaken when your character is fully optimized and boss encounters are routine.

Alternatively, Crisis Fragments can be purchased via the trading website or Currency Exchange. Their rarity often commands a high price, but this may be a worthwhile investment to bypass the arduous hunt.