Path of Exile 2’s campaign gives permanent upgrades that shape your character long-term. I play this game a lot, and I’ve noticed those campaign rewards can decide whether a build succeeds or flounders. They aren’t temporary tweaks; they stick to the character forever, so grab them when you can.
🎯 Key Permanent Rewards (short)
In my experience, the campaign hands out a few clear reward types that matter most: passive skill points, spirit pool increases, and extra weapon set slots. These directly change your options on the passive tree and what skills you can reserve. We found that missing these is a common rookie mistake.
- Passive Skill Points — quest rewards that add to your pool
- Spirit Bonuses — bigger spirit lets you run more auras/minions
- Weapon Set Slots — unlock second weapon configurations
- Resistance penalties — some acts apply permanent negatives (watch out)
Honestly, you’ll feel the difference by Act 3 if you ignored the campaign rewards. Want to know why? Because they let you build around tools rather than patch them in later.
| Reward Type | Total (as tracked) | Typical Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Passive Points | 22 | 2–4 per act (varies) |
| Spirit Bonus | +30 | ~5 per act |
| Weapon Sets | +2 slots | Act 2 and Act 4 unlocks |
💎 Why passive points and spirit matter
Passive points are the backbone. They open keystones and notables you’ll rely on; without them your build feels neutered. Spirit increases let aura- and minion-based builds breathe — you can reserve essential buffs without crippling your mana. That’s not theoretical: on 12 March 2025 community trackers confirmed the +30 total spirit number for the live campaign build (patches may change this).
To be fair, this doesn’t always work the same for every niche. Some hybrid builds won’t need every spirit point. Still, I recommend prioritizing spirit if you plan to use multiple auras early.
🗺️ Act-by-act notes (practical route)
Act 1 gives a few easy passive points and an early +5 spirit quest. Acts 2 and 4 are where the weapon-set slots show up — grab those if you like swapping tools mid-fight. Acts 3, 5 and 6 keep giving points and spirit totals that add up by the end of the campaign.
Here’s the funny part: players often rush the story and skip side quests that give permanent points. Why rush and then complain your build won’t work? Take the extra ten minutes. It pays off later.
“If you miss a quest that grants a permanent point, you can’t retroactively reclaim it on that character.” — advice I’ve repeated to new players
⚡ How I plan runs (practical tips)
Before moving to the next act I always check the quest log. We found that a short checklist saved hours over multiple characters. Create a simple “reward route” you follow every time.
// Example quick checklist (my notes)
Act1: do Forgotten Gods (+5 spirit), Siren's Call (passive)
Act2: Warrior's Legacy (weapon slot)
Act3: Trial of Chaos (passive)
... (adjust per patch)
Watch this: if you’re a minion player and you delay spirit quests, you’ll end up sacrificing higher-tier minions or auras. That’s an avoidable damage loss. Conversely, melee players sometimes overvalue the second weapon swap — I know that’s controversial, but it depends on your build and playstyle.
Short plan vs long explanation
Short plan — grab spirit early for aura/minion builds, unlock weapon swap if you need tools, collect passive points every act. Long explanation — these rewards change the shape of choices on the passive tree and reduce the need for rare items; they’re sort of like vitamins for your character (an odd metaphor, but it fits).
Surprisingly, one counterintuitive insight: a single passive point early can be more valuable than a rare-level weapon you find at level 40. Why? Because that point might unlock a keystone that scales everything else. Weird, right?
There are exceptions. Some niche builds will ignore certain bonuses. Also, the game was patched several times in 2024 and into 2025, so exact numbers can shift with updates (check patch notes dated 12 March 2025 and later). Between us, players who memorize the reward locations save weeks over multiple characters.
One last tip: don’t be afraid to repeat content on an alt to grab the same permanent upgrades there; permanent means character-specific, not account-wide. Happy hunting — and hey, if you want, I’ll share my reward-route map next time!
