Path of Exile is the most popular ARPG in recent memory. The fact that it’s free-to-play adds to its exceptional quality. If you’re planning to get the game for yourself or are playing through it. Then you might wonder how many Acts Path of Exile has. In this article, we’ll answer precisely that question.
Path of Exile has a total of 10 Acts within its storyline. Each of these Acts consists of numerous quests, battles, and boss fights.
Read on to learn more about what you should expect from the different Acts in Path of Exile.
Acts In Path of Exile
Path of Exile is an online free-to-play action role-playing game. It has a dark and gritty fantasy world. Filled with diverse environments, monsters, and quests. Additionally, the story of the game is exceptionally compelling and engaging.
The story of Path of Exile revolves around your character’s pursuit of ever greater amounts of power. And your battle against the dark forces that believe in threatening and destroying the world of Wraeclast is the mission. To this end, your character stands in the way through the game’s 10 compelling Acts.
Note: Spoilers for the Main Story of Path of Exile ahead.
Act 1: The Coast
The very first act of Path of Exile is quite the introduction. After greeting you with a very chilling cutscene. The game thrusts you into the deep end by washing you up to the shores of Wraeclast. You learn the basic mechanics of the game here. And the controls you will need to succeed in your mission.
After picking up your starting weapon and defeating a few of the undead enemies that inhabit the shores of Wraeclast, you need to travel to a nearby town and talk to the NPC called Nessa. It won’t take you long to get acquainted with the game.
In this section of the game, you will receive major quests that will require you to investigate various parts of the island, defeat numerous undead and bandit enemies, and ultimately face off against the main boss of Act 1: Merveil, the Siren.
Act 2: The Southern Forest
At the beginning of Act 2, you enter into deeper sections of the island. The game also removes all training wheels at this point, expecting you to interact with all of its systems on a much greater level now that you have learned all of them.
Here you can expect to travel further inland and begin encountering the game’s three main factions. The three main factions in Path of Exile include the Eternal Empire, the Vaal Empire, and the Karui.
You’ll encounter many quests while traversing through this area, such as dealing with bandits and investigating the cause of corruption in the forest, and ultimately you will face off against the main boss of Act 2: Vaal Oversoul. This will mark the end of Act 2, and you will be ushered into Act 3.
Act 3: The City of Sarn
By this point in the story, your character will be entering the titular city of Sarn. This area has been overrun by a powerful entity called Dominus. He is the High Templar of the Theopolis, the ruling theocracy of the game’s world of Wraeclast. Defeating him marks a major turning point in your story.
In this Act, you can expect to do the following type of quests: navigating through the city of Sarn and aiding NPCs or locals with their troubles. Investigating the greater plans of Dominus. And finally, ultimately facing off against the boss, Piety.
Act 4: Highgate
Defeating Dominus and the final boss of Act 3 can vastly change the story of Path of Exile. To this end, we are now tasked with ascending to the mountaintop city of Highgate. The city has been besieged by the forces of the Beast.
The quests within Act 4: Highgate all revolve around stopping the assault of the Beast. This is why you can expect to be doing a lot of quests that involve fighting the Beast’s minions. You will also be investigating the Beast’s origins, and it will all culminate in an epic battle against Malachai.
Act 5: The Fall of Oriath
Act 5 marks the halfway point for your character’s journey in Path of Exile. Within this act, you will see that your character will return to the city of Oriath. This was the original city that your character was exiled from in the first place.
The reason for your return will be that Oriath is now under the rule of High Templar Avarius, and the Church of Innocence.
You must stop their machinations from destroying the city. So, within this act, you’ll be aiding resistance movements throughout and will face off against Avarius and his minions.
Act 6: The Twilight Strand
You must immediately return to Wraeclast. The destruction of Oriath has unleashed a host of powers that have overrun the land, causing new problems to emerge in the world. It’s quite a turbulent time within the story of the game.
In this section, you can expect that the main quest will be to investigate the corruption’s source. You will be involved with dealing with undead and beasts of various kinds. Finally, you will have to face off against the main boss of this Act, Doedre Darktongue.
Act 7: The Broken Bridge
After finally dealing with the horrors unleashed due to your actions in Oriath. You will have to travel to the ruins of the Vaal civilization. Here you will encounter an entity known as the Shade of Innocence. This is the being that has been responsible for much of the corruption in Wraeclast.
In this Act, you can expect a host of different quests. You will traverse through and explore the ruins of the Vaal civilization. Additionally, you will fight many of the minions of the Shade, and your ultimate battle in this Act will be against Arakaali.
Act 8: The Lunaris Temple
In the 8th Act of Path of Exile, you will have to infiltrate the Lunaris Temple. This area serves as the center of the Church of Innocence’s power. If you are to free Wraeclast of its stranglehold, you will need to defeat the entirety of this organization.
The quests within this section involve you navigating the Lunaris Temple. You will also need to engage in combat against the Church’s Elite Guards. These can be quite tough, so keep your guard up. Finally, you will face the Act Boss, Lunaris.
Act 9: The Descent
In the second last Act of the main campaign for Path of Exile. Your character will find themself descending into the deepest depths of Wraeclast. You will encounter the Beast once more in this section. This is your final confrontation with the creature.
The quests in this act will involve traversing the labyrinthine mines and caverns underneath Wraeclast. You will also need to fight off many corrupted miners and beast minions. The boss you face at the end of this Act is called Garukhan.
Act 10: The Cathedral Rooftop
Congratulations if you’ve reached the 10th Act of Path of Exile. You’re at the end of the main story of the game. In this section, you will confront the God of Corruption, Kitava.
It was Kitava who had been manipulating everything that happened in Wraeclast and Oriath. And Kitava must be defeated to end the game.
The quests in this final section involve infiltrating the Cathedral, fighting many of Kitava’s minions, and at the end facing off against Kitava themself.
Path of Exile currently has ten Acts in its main story campaign, each with its unique challenges and content to explore. Wraeclast needs brave adventurers like you! Will you walk upon the path of an exile?