Map

Maps are the main type of endgame content in Path of Exile. By placing them in a map device, maps can be consumed to create a randomized instance in which monsters can be fought. Like equipment, they come in, , , and rarities, and can have their own special affixes which may make them more difficult, but also increases their potential rewards. Maps can also have quality, which can be improved with. Map drops are not affected by party size.

Players cannot use maps until the Epilogue after completing Act 10. After completing Picking Up the Pieces, a map device will be added to the player's hideout.

Atlas of Worlds
In the Epilogue, Officer Kirac will give you a short series of quests that lead to the construction of a new map device for your hideout. He will also give you an unidentified Tier 1 magic map to start.

After completing your first map, Kirac will show the player the Atlas of Worlds. The Atlas of Worlds visualizes how maps are connected to each other and form pathways between each map on the Atlas. There are four starting points, starting from the center of the Atlas. Maps are also grouped within 8 regions.

After some exploration, players will encounter Zana, Master Cartographer and a portal that leads to a Citadel, where Watchstones can be placed. Watchstones are dropped by the Conquerors that rule the Atlas, who can be challenged by running maps within their influence region enough times. Once a Watchstone is socketed to a Citadel, it will empower all maps in that region, increasing their map level and adding new maps to the region.

Only connected maps and maps previously completed can drop from a map area. In addition to these rules, this map drop pool only consists of maps that are currently visible on the atlas meaning maps that are removed from changing Watchstones are also removed from the map drop pool. There are exceptions that do not take your Atlas progression into account: During Zana's Atlas Missions which gives you a choice of maps to open, unique maps that may also drop their base type, and various league content that may drop maps.

When four Watchstones are socketed to one region, it increases the Awakening Level of the Atlas. Awakening Levels increase map and influenced item drop chances and difficulty for every map on the Atlas, as well as enabling Awakened Atlas completion marks for maps at a certain level. Running maps in an awakened zone will also draw out the Awakener, the leader of the Conquerors.

Regarding map drops, there is a 2x weighting for incomplete maps, and 4x weighting for adjacent maps, multiplicative.

Modifiers
Each (non-unique) map can have up to 3 prefixes and 3 suffixes, just like other items. Currency related to rarity also works the same, for example, an will turn a basic map into a rare. Modifiers for maps change the properties of the map when one is in that map, thereby making it more difficult and (usually) resulting in increased item quantity for all drops on that map. High increased quantity also affects the drop rates of maps while in a particular map, so high modifiers will increase your chances at continuing to get map drops and finding higher level maps to use. Cartographer's Sextants can affect neighbouring maps. Maps can be made considerably more difficult by using a Watchstone that increases the tier of the item.

Tiers
There are 16 tiers of maps, each tier corresponding to an area level. The lowest tier drops during progression through the game and once inside the map, higher tier maps start dropping. Magic and rare monsters can drop maps that are +1 tier above and map bosses can drop +2 tiers above the map area the character is in, respectively.

Moving from one group of map tiers to the next often imposes a challenge as the higher tier maps become harder to sustain. Furthermore, mid-tier and top-tier maps introduce higher values for the mods they can roll, new mods that are more challenging, and combinations of mods that aren't allowed to coexist on low-tier maps.

Upgrades
If a player has three maps of the same type, these maps may be sold to a vendor to receive one map in exchange. This newly acquired map is of a map base one tier higher in the same region. Which map you get seems to be seeded by map, and different combinations of the same map can result in a different resulting map.

Unidentified Maps
It is possible to put unidentified maps into the map device. There is a +30% quantity bonus when running these maps, but even when you enter the map the specific modifiers to the map are not revealed to you, even though the overall quantity, rarity and pack size is. Some are easy to observe, burning or chilled ground are very obvious for example, but others are harder to know immediately (if there are enough obvious modifiers, together with the quantity, rarity and pack size you might be able to determine what the mods are, though). As such, it's recommended that you have a strong character before tackling such maps; otherwise the map could have many dangerous affixes to put your character in danger. Unidentified maps can be obtained as map drops, by corrupting an identified map or by vendoring 3x magic or rare maps of the same base type.

This bonus does not apply to unidentified unique maps.

Corrupted maps
Like most other items, maps can be corrupted using a. One of the following effects will occur:
 * No effect (other than adding the corrupted property).
 * Increase by one map tier, changing the base type to one appropriate for the new tier, and randomizing the affixes. This is the only way to create a.
 * Reroll into a rare map with up to eight random affixes.
 * Unidentify the item, retaining its affixes and quantity bonus. Unidentified magic or rare maps receive a 30% bonus quantity.

In addition to these effects, all bosses of corrupted maps have a chance to drop Sacrifice Vaal Fragments or Vaal Skill Gems.

A corrupted map can't be modified with currency in any way, but effects from Zana's map device can still be crafted on it.

Other maps
Maps can drop as a Shaper or Elder influenced map. These maps contain additional Shaper or Elder enemies and can drop Shaper or Elder influenced items. They may also have the boss replaced with one of the Guardians of the Void or Elder Guardians, which drop Shaper and Elder map fragments when defeated.

Blighted Maps can drop from blights. They contain battles and items unique to the blight league.

Zana missions have a chance to pick Maps from the Synthesis league. They contain battles and items unique to the league.

Map fragments
Map fragments are items that can be used in a map device to open portals to various high level areas with the full set in the proper alignment. Doubles or triples of the same piece will not work. Fragments can also be placed with a regular map to increase map item quantity. Vaal Fragments can be used alone to open Vaal Side Areas.

Scarabs can also be used to add additional modifiers to the map, and Divine Vessels are used to capture certain boss souls to upgrade a Pantheon power.

Maps by level
Currently there are  base maps and unique maps. Below is a list of all maps currently in game.

Layout ratings:


 * A: The map has a consistent layout that can be reliably fully cleared with no backtracking.
 * B: The map has an open layout with few obstacles, or has only short and well-connected side paths.
 * C: The map has an open layout with many obstacles, or has long side paths that require backtracking.

Boss ratings:


 * 5: High and consistent damage output that is difficult to avoid reliably; skipped by many players.
 * 4: High and consistent damage output that can be avoided reasonably well but still very dangerous.
 * 3: Occasionally high damage output that can be avoided reasonably well.
 * 2: Moderate damage output that can be easily kited and/or reasonably mitigated by most builds.
 * 1: Trivial for most builds.


 * The Hall of Grandmasters is populated by exiles submitted by Grandmaster Supporters, however these are not Unique Bosses.

Divination cards
The following divination cards can be exchanged for maps:

Achievements
These achievements are related to maps:

Version history

 * The Atlas has been completely reworked. There's a new storyline, new boss encounters and new ways to customise your Atlas.


 * Added 32 new maps including two new Unique maps.
 * The entire Atlas has been reworked. Many map names have changed, as have their balance, tier and position on the Atlas. Many maps have also had their boss fights swapped or completely reworked.


 * The map device in The Eternal Laboratory is now decoration only. The new area for opening maps is The Templar Laboratory.


 * Unique Maps can now drop if you have completed their equivalent base type on the Atlas.


 * Atlas of Worlds has been introduced, the whole map system has been overhauled.
 * Existing maps are changed.
 * Added 30 new maps, including 4 tier 16 maps.
 * Added 19 new map bosses.
 * Tier 1 maps now drop from level 58 onwards in Merciless.
 * The extra map drop chance that occurs at the map boss is now on the final map boss you kill, rather than the first one.


 * In maps, the count of monsters remaining is now shown when you press tab to see map information.


 * Added two new Unique Maps: The Vinktar Square and Caer Blaidd, Wolfpack's Den.
 * Maps found in mission subareas of maps are now allocated to the maker of the original map.


 * We have introduced a new series of maps. You can recognise these by their volcanic Karui Stone art rather than the old grey tablets.
 * The new maps range in level from 68-82.
 * Many maps have changed where they fit in the map progression. There are more maps at higher tiers than before.
 * 12 new maps (with accompanying boss fights) have been added.
 * Maps in the new progression have a reworked system of map mods.
 * Item Rarity and Pack Size now appear alongside Item Quantity as benefits that are granted for increasing the difficulty of maps by crafting mods onto them.
 * Map mods on lower-tier maps are generally easier than map mods in previous expansions. Mid-tier and high-tier maps introduce higher values, more challenging mods and scarier combinations of mods that previously weren't allowed to coexist.
 * Maps from the old progression no longer drop. They can be played to find maps from the new progression.
 * Old maps have their old art and mods. Crafting them yields mods from the old progression.


 * Zana allows you to open end-game Maps at a personal Map Device in your hideout. Mods can be purchased that affect the Map as it is opened.


 * Added eight new end-game Maps including a new tier of level 78 maps.


 * Added 11 new types of Maps:, , , , , , , , , and.


 * Start of open beta. Old map item are wiped from server.
 * We've added a new Map tileset (based on The Docks) and have changed the overall ordering of Maps.
 * The following Map areas have been updated so that they're substantially different in layout to before:, , , , , , , , and.


 * The player's "Increased Item Quantity" stat does not affect the drop rate of Map items any more. It does still increase the drop rate of everything else inside Maps.


 * Enabled the Sewers and Crematorium Maps.


 * Removed the Maelstrom of Chaos. It has been replaced by the Maps end-game. For more information about Maps, please read the development diary.
 * The item quantity bonus that a Map has (due to its Mods) will affect the drop rate of Map items within that Map.
 * The drop rate of the Map items themselves is not increased by the additional players.
 * Added 45 Map areas, each with its own boss.
 * }