The world of Path of Exile 2 is separated by maps that players can access by progressing from one area to another. When players enter a new map, a new instance is created for a limited amount of time. All creatures, items, and locations within that instance remain static for as long as it remains live.
While players have the option of waiting out an instance’s lifetime (typically 8-15 minutes) in order to reset a map, there is a way to manually reset them as well. Here is how the process works.
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How to Reset Instances in Path of Exile 2
In Path of Exile 2, you can reset an instance by opening the world map at a Waypoint, selecting a map node, and pressing CTRL + Left Click (PC), Triangle (PlayStation), or Y (Xbox). On PC, you can select a map node by clicking on it, whereas on consoles, it only requires highlighting the desired map.
Using these hotkeys brings up the Instance Manager, a menu that allows players to start a new instance and lists all currently active ones. If you’ve entered a map recently, you will be able to choose between re-entering a previous instance or creating a new one. Selecting the latter option will place you in a new version of the selected map, which also resets all map progression, monsters, checkpoints, and map layout.
You can only open a new instance when accessing the world map menu via a Waypoint.
How Do Instances Work in Path of Exile 2?
All instances in Path of Exile 2 are on a timer. Once that timer runs out, that instance will disappear if players are not actively inside it. If you create a new instance for any given map, the previous instance of that map will still remain active for as long as its timer hasn’t run out, and will be accessible from the Instance Manager menu.
Typically, a map lasts between 8-15 minutes, as indicated by the Instance Manager. However, the exact time limit varies from server to server and depends on traffic. Less populated servers often have longer timers. You can check exactly how long an instance will last from the Manager as well.
Maps are randomly generated in PoE 2, but their general layout remains the same.
Can You Reset Endgame Maps in Path of Exile 2?
Technically, yes, but not in the same manner. The method detailed above only works in Path of Exile 2’s campaign. In the endgame, the Atlas maps can only be accessed using Waystones at the Map Device; pressing CTRL + Left Click on a node won’t do anything.
To reset an instance in the endgame, you have to use a new Waystone to enter the node via the Map Device. If this is done at a map node that is already active with portals open, those portals will disappear, and new ones will appear. Entering the map through the new portals will put you in a new instance.
GGG has implemented this limitation into the endgame in order to prevent players from simply redoing a lucrative map over and over, as that would break the balance of the game.
Path of Exile II
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 100%
- Released
- December 6, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Nudity, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Language, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
- Developer(s)
- Grinding Gear Games
- Publisher(s)
- Grinding Gear Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash, MMORPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
