Path of Exile 2 Walkthrough Part 3: Act 3 (Vaal Jungle)

This is part 3 of our full Path of Exile 2 walkthrough. It covers Act 3, the Vaal jungle: from the Sandswept Marsh and the Ziggurat Encampment, through the Jungle Ruins, Jiquani's Machinarium and the Drowned City, back in time to Utzaal, and finally the fight with Doryani in the Black Chambers.

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The whole walkthrough

Written for the current early-access version, before the 1.0 launch on December 11, 2026. Acts 5 and 6 arrive with 1.0, and this walkthrough will be updated then.

Act 3 at a glance

Act 3 is the longest act so far and the most spread out. Instead of one straight road, you get a hub town with several branches that feed back into each other. Patch 0.5 rearranged some of these zones to make the route smoother, so older guides and videos may show a different order. When in doubt, trust the zone list in the in-game quest tracker over any video.

These are the rewards worth chasing in this act:

Sandswept Marsh and the Ziggurat Encampment

You arrive in a muddy swamp at the edge of the jungle. The Sandswept Marsh is short. Follow the path, kill what is in your way and head for the exit. This is a good moment to check your resistances, since Act 3 leans hard on chaos, fire and poison damage.

The exit leads to the Ziggurat Encampment, your town for the act. Talk to everyone here. Alva is your main guide to the Vaal ruins, and Oswald and Servi will both matter later. Grab the waypoint, sell your junk and restock flasks.

Jungle Ruins and Mighty Silverfist

The Jungle Ruins are the first real zone of the act and the central crossroads of the early half. Find the waypoint early, because several branches open from here.

• Mighty Silverfist is an optional ape boss in this zone. He hits hard and leaps around, so keep moving and dodge-roll out of his slams. Killing him drops a Book of Specialization, which gives you two Weapon Set passive points. Do not skip him.
• The entrance to the Venom Crypts is also in the Jungle Ruins.
• Look out for the stone altar here. In the current version it is the way to the Matlan Waterways later in the act.

Venom Crypts

The Venom Crypts are a short side dungeon full of snakes and poison. Search the crypt for the Corpse-snake Venom (some guides call it the Venom Vial) and bring it back to Servi. She lets you pick one permanent bonus:

• +25% Stun Threshold - good for melee builds that stand in the fight.
• +30% Elemental Ailment Threshold - helps against freeze, shock and ignite.
• +25% Mana Regeneration Rate - nice for casters who run dry.

The choice is final, so think about your build before you click. If you are unsure, the stun threshold is a safe pick for most characters.

Infested Barrens and Chimeral Wetlands

From the Jungle Ruins, push on into the Infested Barrens. This zone links onward to the Chimeral Wetlands and to the Vaal machine areas, so grab its waypoint.

The Chimeral Wetlands hold Xyclucian, a big chimera boss. He pounces, spits and drops pools on the ground. Stay out of the pools and punish him after each leap. He drops the Chimeral Inscribed Ultimatum, which opens the Trial of Chaos. That trial is one way to earn your next Ascendancy points, so keep the item safe.

Jiquani's Machinarium and Jiquani's Sanctum

The Machinarium is an old Vaal factory. The doors need power, and you get it from Small Soul Cores scattered around the zone. Slot a core into a door to open it. Some side vaults inside hold extra loot if you have a spare core.

At the end waits Blackjaw, the Remnant, a fiery construct. He fills the arena with flames, so stay mobile and do not trade hits in the fire. Beating him gives a permanent +10% Fire Resistance.

Next is Jiquani's Sanctum, a deeper section of the Vaal complex that leads to Zicoatl, Warden of the Core. He uses lightning and electrified ground. Watch for the glowing tiles and step off them before they fire. He drops a Large Soul Core, a key item for the main quest.

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Long play sessions? A comfy gaming headset helps you hear boss wind-ups coming.

Matlan Waterways and the Azak Bog

The Matlan Waterways are a canal system you have to drain. In patch 0.5, the old levers became pressure pads you just walk over, and the last section starts already drained. That makes the zone a lot less annoying than it used to be.

The Azak Bog is now a side zone reached through this part of the act. It is optional, but the reward is huge. The boss is Ignagduk, the Bog Witch. She summons adds and uses chaos damage, so clear her minions fast and keep your life flask ready. Killing her gives a permanent +30 Spirit, which lets you run more auras, buffs and minions. Never skip this one.

The Drowned City, Molten Vault and Apex of Filth

With the water gone, you can walk into the Drowned City, a large ruined Vaal city. It acts as another hub with two important branches.

• The Molten Vault: Fight Mektul, the Forgemaster. He works on a timer with rising molten gold, so bring good damage and focus him down. He drops the Hammer of Kamasa. Give it to Oswald in town to unlock the Reforging Bench, which lets you trade spare items for new ones. You also get a skill gem.
• The Apex of Filth: Climb a tower of rot to reach the Queen of Filth. She spawns waves of bugs and poison. Kill the adds near you, then burst her down. She guards the Temple Door Idol, which you need to enter the Temple of Kopec.

Temple of Kopec

Use the idol to open the Temple of Kopec. At the top is Ketzuli, High Priest of the Sun. He hits hard with fire, so top up your fire resistance first. He is weak to cold. Watch for his sun beams and big ground slams, and step aside early. After this fight, the story sends you back in time to the Vaal city at its peak.

Utzaal and Viper Napuatzi

Utzaal is the Vaal capital in its golden days, now full of soldiers and priests. Run through the streets toward the palace. At the end you face Viper Napuatzi. Many players find her the hardest fight of the act before the finale. Her chaos damage stacks up fast and the arena shrinks over time.

• Get your chaos resistance as high as you can before you go in.
• Stay near the middle so the shrinking edges never trap you.
• Use your dodge roll on her big strikes, not on small hits.

Aggorat and the Sacrificial Heart

Aggorat is the bloody temple district of old Utzaal. Kill enemies until one drops a Sacrificial Heart, then carry it to the sacrifice altar in the zone. Using the heart there grants passive skill points. It is easy to walk past this altar, so take a moment to find it. Missing it is one of the most common reasons people end the campaign a few points short.

Black Chambers: How to Beat Doryani

The Black Chambers hold the final fight of the act against Doryani, the Vaal scholar you have been chasing. The fight has more than one phase, and he gets a big war machine for the later part.

• Early phase: Doryani fights on his own. Stay at mid range and dodge his targeted attacks.
• Later phase: He brings out a huge Vaal war machine with slams and wide area attacks. Watch the wind-up animations and roll away from the marked areas.
• Bring full flasks, and use the checkpoint if you die. Most deaths come from greedy attacks during a wind-up.

Beating Doryani finishes Act 3 and moves the main story forward into Act 4.

Quick Tips for Act 3

• Cap your fire resistance before Blackjaw and Ketzuli, and push chaos resistance before Napuatzi.
• Do not skip Silverfist, Ignagduk or the Sacrificial Heart. Together they are the main power gains of the act.
• Unlock the Reforging Bench early and use it on duplicate gear.
• Upgrade your weapon in town before the Drowned City. Monster damage jumps in the second half.

FAQ

Where is the +30 Spirit in Act 3?

It comes from killing Ignagduk, the Bog Witch, in the Azak Bog. In the current version the bog is a side zone off the Matlan Waterways area, not the Drowned City.

What should I pick for the Venom Crypts reward?

Stun Threshold suits most melee builds, Mana Regeneration helps casters, and Elemental Ailment Threshold is good if freezes and shocks keep killing you. You cannot change the choice later.

How do I get to the Temple of Kopec?

Beat the Queen of Filth in the Apex of Filth to get the Temple Door Idol. Then use it on the temple door from the Drowned City side.

Why am I missing passive points after Act 3?

The usual cause is the Sacrificial Heart in Aggorat. You must carry the heart to the altar and use it. Also check that you killed Mighty Silverfist in the Jungle Ruins for his Book of Specialization.

Is Viper Napuatzi or Doryani harder?

It depends on your build, but many players struggle more with Napuatzi because of her chaos damage and the shrinking arena. Raise your chaos resistance and stay near the center.

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