The Faded Crisis Fragment is a key endgame currency item in Path of Exile 2, classified as one of the three Pinnacle Keys required to unlock the ultimate boss encounter, the Arbiter of Ash, within The Burning Monolith. This fragment is essential for players aiming to engage with the game’s most challenging content and reap high-level rewards.
To obtain the Faded Crisis Fragment, players must clear Citadels on the Atlas map during the endgame. Citadels are special, high-tier zones that spawn randomly and require Tier 15 Waystones to enter. Within these zones, players face two powerful lieutenants in adjacent areas before confronting the faction leader who guards the fragment. Defeating this faction leader in the Copper Citadel rewards you with the Faded Crisis Fragment.
Collecting all three Pinnacle Keys—including the Faded Crisis Fragment—is necessary to open the gates to The Burning Monolith, where the Arbiter of Ash awaits. This pinnacle boss fight is designed to test the limits of player builds and offers some of the most rewarding loot in the game.
Farming Citadels effectively to acquire more fragments involves increasing your Waystone drop chance. This can be achieved by crafting Waystones with suffix modifiers, using Vaal Orbs to corrupt them for maximum suffixes, and employing Precursor Tablets on nearby Towers to boost Waystone quantity. The higher your Waystone drop chance, the more fragments you can obtain per Citadel run, sometimes earning multiple fragments from a single boss kill.
The Faded Crisis Fragment also holds significant trade value. Due to its rarity and importance, it can be sold for large amounts of valuable currency such as Exalted Orbs. Players often face the choice between using the fragment to challenge the Arbiter of Ash or selling it to fund other builds or gear upgrades.
The Faded Crisis Fragment is a vital item for accessing Path of Exile 2’s pinnacle endgame content. It is obtained by defeating the faction leader in the Copper Citadel, requires strategic farming of Citadels with optimized Waystone drop chance, and carries substantial trade value. Whether you use it to face the Arbiter of Ash or sell it for currency, understanding the fragment’s role is key to mastering late-game progression and strategy.