How do Voidstones work in Path of Exile?

With Path of Exile: Siege of the Atlas adding so many new mechanics to the game, it’s to be expected that a few older mechanics and items are being removed (goodbye Navali). One of the larger sets of items on their way out are Watchstones, which were previously used to unlock and upgrade certain endgame maps. The system doesn’t leave entirely in their absence, though, as the Watchstones will have their role filled by Voidstones.

In general, Voidstones are a simplification of the older system. Instead of placing an array of Watchstones into 16 different slots to unlock and upgrade your maps, you only need to track down and place four Voidstones into your Atlas. Although Voidstones are no longer necessary for unlocking certain maps, they are still used to upgrade the difficulty of your maps, to a maximum of tier 16.

Each of the four Voidstones drops from a different endgame boss. The Ceremonial Voidstone drops from The Maven. The Decayed Voidstone drops from the Uber Elder. The Grasping and Omniscient Voidstones drop from the two Pinnacle bosses, the Eater of Worlds and the Searing Exarch respectively.

Like Watchstones, Voidstones can still be modified using Sextants, and Siege of the Atlas adds a few new Sextants to the mix. Additionally, since Sextant modifications can no longer be stored in Watchstones for situational swapping, they can instead be stored using Surveyor’s Compasses. You can purchase Surveyor’s Compasses from Kirac in an unlimited quantity, at the cost of one Chaos Orb apiece.

Related: All new unique items in Path of Exile: Siege of the Atlas