The Rise of the Abyssal Path of Exile 2 League Mechanic, Explained

Path of Exile’s The Third Edict brings an exciting and chaotic new league mechanic to the game, expanding its endgame depth once more.

The abyss brings a lot of ruin, but also gives everyone a massive boost to get amazing rewards, especially when used correctly. Here’s everything you need to know about PoE 2’s Abyss.

How Does the Abyss Work in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict?

The Rise of the Abyssal brings an interesting new mechanic to the game, spawning more monsters for increased rewards, including a bounty trove at the end.

The mechanic is simple. You are going to see some abyssal cracks or fissures on the ground. These fissures lead to a center pit, spawning more monsters. Each crack will spawn monsters already, and if you see the tiny circles on your minimap, they can either be colored or grayed out. When grayed out, that means the monsters spawned near that fissure have been defeated.

If it is still colored, there’s still a monster alive. Once all tiny circles are grayed out, the pit opens up, spawning more monsters. Once defeated, it opens an abyssal trove or coffer at the end.

This mechanic can happen in every zone, which usually adds way more monsters than you typically would encounter. Hence, you’ll have an easier time leveling if you blast through the abyss as you finish the campaign.

As you progress, there are going to be some unique mechanics or items exclusive to the abyss. At the start of Act 2 onwards, you have the possibility to get a Gnawed Jawbone, which is a new currency used to craft gear. This item will drop from opening abyss troves or bounties.

You’ll also find the new area, the Lightless Passage, in Act 2, where you can use the Gnawed Jawbone to craft items inside the Well of Souls in the Lightless Passage. You can also use this mechanic to infuse your Waystones to get more powerful affixes, making the map way harder but more rewarding.

These additions give players more flexibility in the endgame, especially when thinking of farming strategies or crafting early endgame items.

The abyss also features a new powerful boss, supposedly, when you get the Kulemak’s Invitation dropped from endgame Abyssal Commanders.

There are a few interesting, unique items featured in the Rise of the Abyssal patch, such as the Darkness Enthroned and Undying Hate Timeless Jewel.

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