Fracturing Orbs are one of the newest and most intriguing items introduced in Path of Exile 2, arriving with the 0.2.0 update, Dawn of the Hunt. These orbs bring a fresh layer of complexity and strategy to item crafting, encouraging players to carefully manage their gear's modifiers and add a new kind of depth to the endgame experience.

If you're keen to learn what Fracturing Orbs are, how to acquire them, and how to use them most effectively, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to start utilizing this powerful crafting currency.

What Are Fracturing Orbs?

In Path of Exile 2, Fracturing Orbs are a special type of currency item designed to "fracture" - that is, permanently lock - a modifier on a piece of equipment. This means that once a modifier is fractured, it cannot be changed or removed by any other crafting method, including Chaos Orbs, Divine Orbs, Orbs of Annulment, or Vaal Orbs.

This new mechanic adds a fascinating dimension to crafting because it allows you to preserve valuable stats or bonuses on your gear while still having the freedom to re-roll or modify the other affixes.

How To Get Fracturing Orbs

Unlocking the Atlas of Worlds

Fracturing Orbs are strictly an endgame currency item. You won't see them until you've progressed through the campaign and unlocked Path of Exile 2's Atlas of Worlds, a vast, sprawling map system that serves as the hub for high-level exploration and loot farming.

Finding the Corrupted Nexus

Once on the Atlas, your primary goal is to locate Corrupted Nexus nodes. These are special map nodes identifiable by a distinct red icon covered with a veiny pattern reminiscent of the classic Windows pipes screensaver. These corrupted areas introduce stronger monsters and new challenges, but also open the path to Fracturing Orbs.

Clearing Corrupted Maps and Cleansing

After choosing a Corrupted Nexus, enter the map and defeat the boss at the end. Upon completing this, nearby nodes on the Atlas will be marked as cleansed, indicating that their map modifiers have reset, and monsters will respawn, allowing you to farm them again for loot and Fracturing Orbs.

Farming Fracturing Orbs

Every time you kill enemies on cleansed nodes, you have a chance to obtain a Fracturing Orb drop. However, it's important to note that these drops are relatively rare. You shouldn't expect a Fracturing Orb to drop from every kill - patience and persistence are key.

If farming these orbs proves too slow or difficult, you can always turn to the official Path of Exile 2 trade marketplace, where players regularly buy and sell Fracturing Orbs. Currently, prices hover around 70-80 Divine Orbs, so it's a costly but viable option if you need them urgently.

How To Use Fracturing Orbs

Understanding the Mechanics of Fracturing

Using a Fracturing Orb on an item will randomly select one of that item's modifiers and lock it in place. This means you can no longer modify or remove that particular modifier with other crafting Path of Exile 2 currency.

There are, however, some important caveats:

Only items with four or more modifiers can be fractured. This limits their use mostly to rare or high-end items.

The locked modifier is chosen at random. This makes using Fracturing Orbs a gamble-you may lock a beneficial stat or an unwanted one.

You only have a chance proportional to the number of modifiers. For example, if an item has four modifiers, each has a 25% chance of being fractured.

Recommended Usage Strategies

Because of the randomness involved, it's wise to use Fracturing Orbs cautiously:

Avoid using them on essential or perfectly rolled gear. Locking in the wrong modifier could ruin the item's usefulness.

Use them on items with several undesirable mods. If an item has one good modifier among three bad ones, a Fracturing Orb might help preserve that good one.

Don't hesitate to deconstruct (decon) items if the fractured mod isn't the one you want. This minimizes your losses and keeps your crafting resources efficient.

Combining Fracturing Orbs with Other Crafting Currency

Fracturing Orbs are especially powerful when paired with other currencies like Orbs of Annulment, which remove unwanted modifiers. For example:

Fracture a desired modifier to lock it in place.

Use Orbs of Annulment to remove other undesirable modifiers.

Then, re-roll or add new modifiers using Chaos Orbs, Divine Orbs, or other currencies without risking your prized stat.

This combination offers a way to sculpt rare items more precisely, though it still depends heavily on RNG.

Why Fracturing Orbs Matter

Fracturing Orbs add a whole new layer of strategic crafting to Path of Exile 2. Rather than relying purely on luck and countless rerolls, they let players retain crucial bonuses on their equipment while continuing to improve other aspects. This system allows for more customization and experimentation in your build, encouraging creativity and careful resource management.

Final Tips

Farm regularly on cleansed corrupted maps to maximize your chances of getting Fracturing Orbs.

Be patient and strategic with their use-don't waste them on low-value Path of Exile 2 items.

Watch the trade market if you want to buy or sell Fracturing Orbs; prices fluctuate with supply and demand.

Combine Fracturing Orbs with other currencies to unlock powerful crafting opportunities.

By mastering Fracturing Orbs, you'll gain a powerful edge in crafting, allowing your character's gear to reach new heights in Path of Exile 2. Whether you're pushing endgame bosses or trading for the best loot, these orbs are an essential tool in your arsenal.