Path of Exile 2: Unveiling Burning Monolith's Impact

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 the Realmgate but presents a significantly more challenging encounter. Located near the starting area of the mapping journey, accessing it requires three rare items: Crisis Fragments.

Unlocking the Burning Monolith

To obtain these Fragments, players must conquer the three Citadels – Iron, Copper, and Stone – exceptionally difficult-to-locate map nodes within the Atlas. Attempting to activate the Burning Monolith's door initiates "The Pinnacle of Flame" quest, splitting into three sub-quests: Ezomyte Infiltration (Iron Citadel), Faridun Foray (Copper Citadel), and Vaal Incursion (Stone Citadel). Completing each Citadel yields a unique Crisis Fragment. Once all three are acquired, they must be used at the Monolith's altar to unlock the fight against the Arbiter of Ash, the game's most formidable pinnacle boss. Prepare a powerful build; the Arbiter boasts devastating attacks and immense health.

Locating the Elusive Citadels

Finding the Citadels is the true challenge. Each player's Atlas is procedurally generated, meaning Citadel locations are random and unpredictable. Citadels are one-time attempts. Community strategies, though not guaranteed, include:

1. Directional Exploration: Choose a direction on the Atlas and systematically explore until a Citadel is found. Unlocking Towers provides a broader view of surrounding maps.
2. Corruption Tracking: Focus on map nodes exhibiting corruption, often found at the Atlas's edges. Clear these nodes, unlock nearby Towers, and repeat. This can be combined with directional exploration.
3. Clustered Appearance: Anecdotal evidence suggests Citadels often appear in groups. Finding one might lead to the others nearby.

Citadel hunting is a late-game activity, best undertaken with a fully optimized build.

Alternatively, Crisis Fragments can be purchased from online trading platforms or the in-game Currency Exchange, though their rarity makes them expensive. This cost may be justified to avoid the arduous Citadel hunt.