How to Get and Use a Fracturing Orb in Path of Exile 2

Crafting in Path of Exile 2 is deeper and more punishing than ever, especially at the endgame level where every modifier can determine whether an item is mediocre or mirror-worthy. Among the most powerful tools available to advanced crafters is the Fracturing Orb, a rare and highly valuable piece of POE 2 Currency that can permanently lock an affix on an item. Used correctly, it can save hours of crafting and enormous amounts of currency. Used poorly, it can completely ruin an item.

This guide explains exactly what a Fracturing Orb does, how to obtain one in Path of Exile 2, and when you should use it during crafting.

What Is a Fracturing Orb

A Fracturing Orb is an endgame crafting currency that allows you to permanently preserve one modifier on an item. When applied, it randomly selects one existing affix and "fractures" it. A fractured modifier is displayed in gold text and cannot be removed, modified, or replaced by any other crafting method.

This mechanic is incredibly powerful because it protects a valuable modifier from being lost during risky crafting steps such as Chaos Orbs, Exalts, or advanced meta-crafting techniques. However, the randomness of the fractured affix is what makes Fracturing Orbs dangerous, there is no guarantee the modifier you want will be the one that becomes locked.

How to Get Fracturing Orbs in Path of Exile 2

Fracturing Orbs are strictly endgame currency and cannot drop during the campaign or early Atlas progression. To farm them, players must interact with specific Atlas mechanics.

Cleansed Monsters and Corrupted Nexus

Fracturing Orbs only drop from cleansed monsters, which do not naturally appear in standard maps. To spawn them, you must complete a Corrupted Nexus on the Atlas.

Once a Corrupted Nexus is successfully cleared:

Nearby maps become cleansed

These maps gain additional modifiers

Cleansed monsters will spawn in the affected areas

Cleansed monsters have a chance to drop a Fracturing Orb upon death

Improving Drop Chances

While Fracturing Orb drops are rare, you can improve your odds by:

Increasing item rarity on the Waystone

Equipping rings and amulets with item rarity bonuses

Running higher-density maps affected by the cleanse

However, there is one important exception.

Guaranteed Fracturing Orb Drop

If a cleansed map contains the Immured Fury boss encounter, the Fracturing Orb drop is guaranteed. These encounters are extremely valuable and often heavily contested by high-end players due to their consistency.

Additional Requirements

To open a Corrupted Nexus, you must use a Waystone with at least four explicit modifiers. Completing the Nexus will also spawn the Eater of Flesh boss, which rewards Atlas passive skill points, making the encounter valuable even beyond Fracturing Orb farming.

Alternatively, players who do not want to farm directly can acquire Fracturing Orbs through the Currency Exchange, though prices are often extremely high.

How to Use a Fracturing Orb

Using a Fracturing Orb works similarly to other crafting currencies:

The target item must have at least four affixes

The orb randomly selects one affix

That affix becomes fractured and permanently locked

The item remains craftable, but the fractured modifier cannot be altered

Once fractured, no crafting method in the game can remove or change that modifier, making it a permanent part of the item.

When You Should Use a Fracturing Orb

Timing is everything. Fracturing Orbs are among the most expensive POE 2 Currency items in the game, often costing multiple Divine Orbs each. Using one incorrectly can be devastating.

Best Time to Use It

The optimal time to use a Fracturing Orb is during the early stages of an endgame craft, not at the very end.

Ideally, you should:

Roll or craft four strong affixes

Preferably tier 1 or tier 2 modifiers

Ensure that every existing affix is something you would be happy to fracture

Because the fractured modifier is chosen randomly, the more "good" modifiers on the item, the higher your chances of locking something valuable.

Why Early Crafting Is Better

If you fracture early:

You protect at least one high-tier modifier

You can safely continue crafting around that locked stat

Future mistakes won't completely brick the item

If you wait too long and fracture a finished item:

You risk locking an irrelevant or low-impact modifier

The cost-to-value ratio becomes much worse

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Fracturing low-tier modifiers: Never use a Fracturing Orb on an item with weak stats

Using it too early: Fracturing with only one or two good affixes is extremely risky

Forgetting corruption rules: Corrupting an item makes it unusable for further crafting, even if it has a fractured mod

Chasing a specific affix: You cannot target which modifier gets fractured

Fracturing is always a gamble, even in the best scenarios.

Final Thoughts

Fracturing Orbs are one of the most powerful, and dangerous, tools in Path of Exile 2. They allow crafters to lock in valuable modifiers and protect progress during complex crafting processes, but their high cost and RNG nature mean they must be used carefully.

If you're serious about high-end crafting and understand the risks, Fracturing Orbs can save massive amounts of time and POE 2 Currency. If not, they can quickly turn a promising item into an expensive regret.

Mastering when and how to use a Fracturing Orb is a defining skill for endgame crafters, and one that separates casual players from true Path of Exile veterans.

MMOexp POE 2 Team