Path of Exile 2: Corruption Altar Guide

Corruption is a risky yet potentially rewarding crafting system in Path of Exile 2, involving Vaal Orbs and Altars of Corruption. This system allows players to alter an item's properties randomly, with the risk of making the item useless or incredibly powerful. Once an item is corrupted, it cannot be changed again.

There are two ways to corrupt items in Path of Exile 2:

1. Altar of Corruption

To use the Altar of Corruption:

1. Locate an Altar of Corruption. Location: Jiquani's Sanctum, Act 3. These altars are not marked on the map and must be found through exploration.
2. Interact with the altar to open the corruption menu.
3. Drag the item to be corrupted onto the triangle in the menu.
4. The item is then instantly corrupted, with its properties changing randomly.

[Notable landmark] Paquate's Mechanism: A Corruption Altar that can replicate the effects of a Vaal Orb, corrupting an item.

2. Vaal Orbs

To use Vaal Orbs:

1. Obtain a Vaal Orb, which can drop anywhere, becomes more common in Act III and beyond. Can also be obtained as a possible reward in the Trial of Chaos.
2. Right-click the Vaal Orb.
3. Left-click the item to be corrupted.
4. The item will be immediately corrupted, with its properties changing randomly.

The availability of Vaal Orbs or an Altar of Corruption will determine which method to use. Vaal Orbs are obtained through playing or trading, while Altars of Corruption are found in specific locations.

Corruption outcomes Example

When an item is corrupted, or drops corrupted, one of the following outcomes will apply at random. The specific effect within each outcome may use a weight system dependent on item level and item class/base type.

Non-unique equipment

• (25%) No change.
• (25%) Reroll up to three modifiers.
• (25%) Adds a special Vaal enchantment to the item.
• (25%) Adds an item socket to martial weapons and armour, ignoring socket limits. For caster weapons, ±10% to Quality, up to 23%. Also affects inherent weapon skills. For jewellery, no change. (This outcome is not removed by Omen of Corruption.)

Unique equipment

• (25%) No change.
• (25%) Randomises the numerical values of explicit modifiers (like a Divine Orb), then applies a modifier magnitude multiplier of 0.78x to 1.22x (in 0.01 increments) before rounding. Applies before quality effects. The resulting values are rounded to the nearest whole number, rather than always being rounded down like most decimal values in the game.
• (25%) Adds a special Vaal enchantment to the item.
• (25%) Adds an item socket to martial weapons and armour, ignoring socket limits. For caster weapons, ±10% to Quality, up to 23%. Also affects inherent weapon skills. For jewellery, no change. (This outcome is not removed by Omen of Corruption.)

In Path of Exile 2, the Corruption Altar introduces a dynamic element to item crafting that can influence the economy, particularly with the involvement of PoE 2 Currency. As players seek to enhance their gear through corruptions, they often use valuable in-game currency like Chaos Orbs or Exalted Orbs to support the process, especially when they are aiming for rare or specific modifiers. This creates a supply and demand situation where certain types of corrupted items can become highly sought after, increasing the worth of these items and driving fluctuations in the PoE 2 currency market. The unpredictable nature of corruption further fuels the excitement and value of these items, making currency management crucial for players looking to optimize their gear while navigating the risks involved.