Gaining Atlas points in Path of Exile 2 is a core part of long-term progression, unlocking powerful passive bonuses that shape how you farm, fight, and profit. But for some players, especially during early league progression, it can feel like the system is completely broken. Disconnections, vanished Corrupted Nexuses, uncleansed nodes, and POE2 Currency endless fog with nothing spawning can make it seem like you're locked out forever.

The good news? You're not doomed. This situation is frustrating-but it's survivable, and there are reliable ways to recover.

Understanding How Atlas Points Are Earned

Atlas points primarily come from cleansing Corrupted Nexuses hidden within the Atlas fog. These Nexuses act as progression gates:

Cleansing a Nexus grants Atlas points

Nearby corrupted nodes are cleared

New areas of the Atlas become accessible

If a Nexus disappears due to a disconnect or instance crash, the Atlas doesn't always visually update correctly. This creates the illusion that progression is hard-locked.

Why Nexuses Sometimes "Stop Spawning"

What you're experiencing is almost always RNG pressure combined with visibility mechanics, not a permanent bug. Here's what's happening behind the scenes:

Nexuses spawn only within fog-revealed zones

They don't appear in predictable patterns

Long stretches without seeing one are possible

Some nodes may look accessible but remain disconnected until the correct fog path is revealed

In earlier versions (notably 0.3), Nexus spawn RNG was especially brutal. Even experienced players reported running dozens of towers before finding another Nexus.

The Key Solution: Tower Expansion and Fog Control

Build More Towers Than You Think You Need

Towers are not optional-they are your primary Nexus-finding tool. If you've only built 10–15 towers, that's often not enough.

Best practices:

Extend towers in multiple directions

Don't commit to a straight line-branch out

Fully reveal fog before assuming nothing is there

Many Nexuses are hidden just outside what looks like a fully revealed zone.

Use the Grand Project Tablet (This Is Huge)

If you feel stuck, the Grand Project Tablet for Towers is the single most important recovery tool in the game.

Why It Works

Allows aggressive tower placement

Lets you "jump" fog gaps that normal progression can't reach

Reveals hidden Nexus spawn zones that RNG didn't surface earlier

Players who felt completely locked out have confirmed that one good Grand Project chain can instantly fix everything.

Yes, they're expensive-around 40 Exalts-but they're worth it if Atlas progression is stalled.

Don't Panic About Missed Nexus Credit

If a Nexus vanished due to a disconnect:

You did not permanently lose Atlas points

The game still tracks remaining Nexus spawns

New ones can and will appear elsewhere

Running corrupted maps near the original Nexus location usually doesn't fix it-but that doesn't mean progression is gone. It just means the next Nexus is somewhere else in the fog.

Practical Recovery Strategy

If you're stuck right now, do this:

Stop re-running the same maps

Build towers aggressively in new directions

Inspect fog edges carefully-rotate the Atlas view

Use a Grand Project Tablet if available

Keep pushing even if RNG feels terrible

Persistence matters more than perfection here.

Final Verdict: You're Not Locked Out-Just Unlucky

Atlas progression in Path of Exile 2 can feel cruel when RNG stacks against you, especially after a disconnect wipes visible progress. But no confirmed cases exist of players being permanently locked out of Atlas points.

Sometimes the game just asks for patience, exploration, and a bit of currency investment.

Keep pushing the fog.

Keep building towers.

And buy POE2 Currency when RNG fails you-the Grand Project Precursor will save you.

Your Atlas isn't broken. It's just hiding.