PoE 2 Tower Removed : Faster Maps and More Currency

When a patch drops that changes one of your core endgame systems, you know the developers are listening—and Path of Exile 2’s 0.3.1 update does just that. In particular: the tower mechanic on the Atlas has been overhauled.

It’s not just removed—it’s fundamentally reshaped to streamline map progression, reduce friction, and sharpen what many players consider the heart of PoE 2: mapping, boss fights, loot, character growth, and the ability to quickly buy PoE 2 Currency for essential upgrades and items.

What changed

Before the update, Towers served as chokepoints: if you wanted strong modifiers, you needed access to overlapping towers. The more towers nearby, the more potential modifier load—so players were constantly jockeying Atlas positioning just to “juice” maps.

Now: Tablets (the modifier items) have been decoupled from Towers. Instead of using Towers to activate modifiers on maps, you apply Tablets directly to waystones (maps). Depending on how many modifiers a map already has, you can use one, two, or up to three

Towers still exist—but they no longer act as gates. Their role is now more optional: boosting visibility on the Atlas, dropping guaranteed Tablets when cleared, etc. This gives the player more control and removes the dependence on RNG or map placement for modifier strength.

Map completion reworked

Another major change: Every endgame map now has a boss required to finish it. Killing all rare monsters in a map—something that previously dragged out runs and introduced a lot of aimless searching—is no longer needed. Instead, complete the boss, wrap up the map.

More than just “map bosses everywhere,” though, there are two tiers: Mundane Map Bosses and Powerful Map Bosses. Powerful ones drop stronger rewards and can yield higher‐tier waystones. Mundane bosses are easier and less rewarding—but because they’re everywhere, they give a clear, consistent endpoint for most runs.

Other changes

Some of the biggest maps have been reduced in size. Monster density in early‐tier maps has also been reduced so that low‐tier progression is less of a slog.

New features (shrines, rogue exiles, wisps, etc.) are now more commonly guaranteed per map. These features help fill out runs with interesting side content, but without distracting from the map’s main path or boss.

Why this matters

The devs’ goals are clear: reduce friction, make the endgame feel rewarding rather than tedious, and ensure the player’s time is well spent. It’s not just about making things “easier”—it’s about preserving what’s fun and pruning what’s not.

For veteran players, the old tower system introduced a lot of artificial grinding: finding or shaping overlapping Towers, hoping map layout worked in one’s favor, sometimes running dozens of suboptimal maps just to get to maps that felt “juiced.” The update diminishes that unevenness.

For newcomers, the change makes PoE 2’s endgame more approachable. You no longer have to learn the “Tower meta” just to feel competitive or efficient. The map‐boss requirement gives a clear goal, and the ability to use Tablets without Towers means fewer hidden barriers. Additionally, players can now more easily manage and utilize PoE 2 Currency to strengthen their characters and enhance their progression.

A few trade-offs and what players may still miss

For those who liked the strategic element of positioning Towers and planning for overlapping buffs, that kind of spatial meta is reduced. Players who enjoyed the challenge of optimizing location will miss that layer.

Though Tablets are more powerful now, there’s discussion about whether increasing their explicit modifier power (to compensate for fewer overlaps) will create balance issues or widen the gap between casual players and those able to push hard content.

Mobalytics

The feel of exploration might shift: when map completion can happen via defeating a boss alone, some of the reward for fully exploring a map (for loot, rarer encounters, etc.) might diminish. But many players already saw that exploration of rares as tedious. The trade‐off seems intentional.

This update signals Grinding Gear Games is increasingly prioritizing player experience over mechanical complexity in the endgame. The Tower mechanic was ambitious, but over time it became a source of frustration: a gate rather than a feature. PoE 2’s evolution here shows a willingness to reassess systems that aren’t serving the game well.