Key Takeaways

1. The Altar of Corruption and Vaal Orbs are two primary ways to corrupt items in Path of Exile 2.
2. Corrupting gear offers high-risk, high-reward outcomes, including extra modifiers, sockets, or disastrous downgrades.
3. Once an item is corrupted, it cannot be modified again, so choose carefully when attempting corruption.

Path of Exile 2 introduces an array of mechanics to upgrade, modify, and refine gear, offering players limitless opportunities to enhance their builds. Among these mechanics, item corruption stands out as one of the riskiest yet most rewarding systems. At the heart of this mechanic are two tools: the Vaal Orb and the Altar of Corruption.

Both tools serve the same purpose but offer different ways to achieve corruption. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about corrupting gear, including where to find Corruption Altars, how they work, and whether it’s worth the gamble.

What Is Item Corruption in Path of Exile 2?

Item corruption is a mechanic that randomly modifies the properties of an item weapons, armor, or even skill gems while rendering it unmodifiable for the rest of the game.

The potential outcomes of corruption range from incredibly powerful upgrades to catastrophic downgrades. The risk is high, but the reward can be game-changing for your build.

How to Corrupt Items in Path of Exile 2

There are two primary methods for corrupting items in Path of Exile 2:

1. Using the Altar of Corruption

The Altar of Corruption is an interactive object you can find in specific locations throughout the game. Here’s how to use it:

1. Locate an Altar of Corruption in the game world (more on locations below).
2. Interact with the altar to bring up the corruption menu.
3. A triangle-shaped object will appear at the center of the menu.
4. Drag the triangle and drop it onto the item in your inventory that you wish to corrupt.
5. The item will be instantly corrupted, and its properties will change unpredictably.

The Altar is a fantastic alternative when you don’t have access to Vaal Orbs early in the game.

2. Using Vaal Orbs

Vaal Orbs are crafting materials specifically designed for corruption. Here’s how they work:

1. Obtain a Vaal Orb (they become more accessible starting in Act III).
2. Right-click the Vaal Orb in your inventory.
3. Left-click the item you want to corrupt.
4. The item will immediately become corrupted, with its properties modified randomly.

Altar of Corruption vs. Vaal Orb: Which Is Better?

Both the Vaal Orb and Altar of Corruption serve the same purpose. The primary difference lies in accessibility:

• Vaal Orbs: Require farming or trading and appear more frequently later in the game (from Act III onward).
• Altar of Corruption: Appears earlier in the game, such as in Act II’s Vaal Ruins, offering an alternative to Vaal Orbs when they’re hard to come by.

The choice between the two comes down to availability. If you don’t have any Vaal Orbs, seek out an Altar of Corruption to progress your gear upgrades.

Where to Find the Altar of Corruption in Path of Exile 2

The Altar of Corruption is not immediately obvious on your map, so you’ll need to explore to locate it. Here are its main locations:

1. Vaal Ruins – Act II

The first Altar of Corruption can be found in Vaal Ruins during Act II. Be prepared to explore this area thoroughly, as altars are not marked on your map.

2. Jiquani’s Sanctum

A guaranteed Altar of Corruption appears in Jiquani’s Sanctum. To reach this location:

• Unlock the Waypoint to Jiquani’s Sanctum.
• Enter the area and explore until you find the Altar.

Best and Worst Outcomes of Item Corruption

Corrupting items introduces unpredictable changes that can significantly impact your gear. Let’s break down the potential outcomes:

Best Outcomes

1. Additional Modifier: Gain one extra affix or modifier on the corrupted item.
2. Unique Item Upgrade: Reroll modifiers on Unique items (orange-coloured gear). This can improve their stats or abilities.
3. New Socket: Add an additional gem socket to the item, potentially increasing its utility.
4. Nothing Changes: The item becomes labelled as Corrupted but retains its current stats.

Worst Outcomes

1. Affix Removal: Corruption can randomly remove affixes (modifiers) from the item.
2. Item Downgrade: A corrupted Unique item can be downgraded to a Rare item (yellow-coloured). This significantly reduces its value and power.
3. Skill Gem Downgrade: For skill gems, corruption can reduce their quality or level instead of enhancing them.

Limitations of Corrupted Items in Path of Exile 2

Once an item is corrupted, it becomes permanently unmodifiable. Here are the key limitations you must consider:

1. No Upgrades: You cannot improve corrupted items using Blacksmith’s Whetstone or Armourer’s Scrap.
2. No New Affixes: Exalted Orbs cannot add modifiers to corrupted items.
3. No Rerolling: Chaos Orbs cannot reroll affixes on corrupted gear.
4. No Gem Sockets: You cannot add or modify gem sockets.
5. Single Corruption: An item can only be corrupted once.

Due to these limitations, corrupting items should be the final step when upgrading gear.

Should You Corrupt Your Gear?

Corrupting your gear is a high-risk, high-reward strategy that depends on your goals and tolerance for risk.

• Best for Advanced Players: If you’re comfortable with RNG (random number generation) and know the risks, corruption can give your items powerful upgrades.
• Caution for Early Players: Corruption is irreversible and can destroy a valuable item. Avoid corrupting items early in the game unless you can afford the risk.

FAQs: Path of Exile 2 Altar of Corruption

Q1: What is the Altar of Corruption?
The Altar of Corruption is an in-game interactable object that allows you to corrupt gear, similar to using Vaal Orbs.

Q2: Where can I find the Altar of Corruption?
You can find it in Vaal Ruins during Act II and in Jiquani’s Sanctum.

Q3: What are the risks of corrupting items?
Corrupting items can:

• Add extra modifiers
• Remove affixes
• Downgrade unique items to rare items

Q4: Can I modify a corrupted item?
No. Once an item is corrupted, it becomes unmodifiable.

Q5: Should I use the Altar of Corruption or Vaal Orbs?
Use whichever is more accessible. Altars appear earlier in the game, while Vaal Orbs drop more frequently later.