Path of Exile 2: Burning Monolith Explained

The Burning Monolith: Accessing Path of Exile 2's Endgame Pinnacle Boss

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.

Unlocking the Burning Monolith

The Burning Monolith is the gateway to 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 three extremely difficult-to-locate Citadel map nodes yields three Crisis Fragments. These fragments, when combined on the Monolith's altar, unlock the Arbiter of Ash encounter. Ensure your character build is optimized before engaging this formidable boss, as the Arbiter of Ash boasts devastating attacks and millions of HP, making it the game's toughest pinnacle boss.

Locating the Elusive Citadels

Path of Exile 2 features three Citadels – Iron, Copper, and Stone – each guarded by a unique map boss that must be defeated to obtain the corresponding Crisis Fragment. The primary difficulty lies in their unpredictable location.

Citadel attempts are one-time only. The randomized nature of each player's Atlas makes Citadel locations unique and seemingly random. Community strategies, while not guaranteed, include:

1. Directional Progression: Choose a direction on the Atlas and systematically explore until a Citadel is found. Unlocking Towers provides a broader map view.
2. Corruption Tracking: Focus on Atlas nodes exhibiting corruption, clearing them efficiently, unlocking nearby Towers, and repeating the process. This can be combined with method 1.
3. Clustered Appearance: Anecdotal evidence suggests Citadels often appear in clusters. Finding one may indicate the proximity of others.

Citadel hunting is a late-game activity, best undertaken with a fully optimized build and significant boss-fighting experience.

Alternatively, Crisis Fragments can be purchased via the in-game trading website or Currency Exchange, although their rarity commands a high price. This cost may be justified to avoid the considerable time investment required for hunting them.