Patch 0.4, Fate of the Vaal, is live in Path of Exile 2, and you can feel the mood shift the minute you start chasing drops. People aren’t just “mapping for fun” anymore; they’re mapping with a plan, stacking runs, comparing notes, and budgeting crafts like it’s a second job. If you’re trying to keep your build moving while you hunt the new toys, it helps to think ahead about PoE 2 Currency so you’re not stuck staring at a half-finished setup.

Atziri’s Back, and She’s Not Here to Be Nice

The headline is Atziri. She’s more than a throwback boss, too. She’s basically a lockbox with teeth, because her uniques are tied to killing her, not gambling them into existence. That changes the vibe. You don’t just “get lucky,” you commit to learning the fight, eating a few wipes, and then hoping the drop actually lands. It’s the kind of loop that makes even veteran players sit up a bit straighter.

Boss Uniques That Push You Into Weird Builds

Some of the new gear feels like it was made to tempt you into rerolling. Atziri’s Contempt is a big one if you’re flirting with hybrid damage on spear skills; it’s got that “I can scale this three different ways” energy. Atziri’s Rule is even more unhinged: a staff that makes your spells cost Life. Sounds like a bad idea until you realise that Life cost becomes part of the damage story, and suddenly you’re building around sustain like a maniac. And yeah, Drillneck showing up again matters. Projectile builds love anything that turns pierce into more value, and the return-on-pierce angle is the kind of mechanic you’ll notice instantly when packs start evaporating.

Defence, Socket Shenanigans, and a Proper Gamble Jewel

On the survivability side, Atziri’s Step is the sort of boots you put on and immediately stop thinking about—life, evasion, and a nice little safety net against annoying stun moments. Atziri’s Splendour is the opposite. It’s a body armour that only takes Soul Cores, which means you’re not just swapping a chest, you’re buying into a whole mini-system and seeing where it breaks. Then there’s Flesh Crucible, the jewel that hands you a random Keystone and smacks you with a nasty downside. People will say it’s trolling. People will still run it. That’s the game.

Talisman Finds and Why Players Keep Farming Anyway

Beyond Atziri, the new Talismans are quietly pulling attention, especially for Druids. Fury of the King reads like a gift to Bear setups that want to lean into fire conversion and curse pressure. The Flesh Poppet is pure chaos, copying modifiers when you shapeshift—sometimes it’ll feel pointless, sometimes it’ll swing a fight. Amor Mandragora makes Rage spenders feel smoother by turning that spend into Druidic Prowess, and Lavianga’s Spirits is still the strangest “flask” idea around since you don’t even drink it. If you’re going to grind this patch, keep your stash disciplined and your crafts ready, because the moment a build-defining drop hits, you’ll want the option to act fast with poe 2 currency buy in mind rather than losing momentum mid-upgrade.