Welcome to our Memory Maps guide! Memories are fancy items that drop in Tier 14+ maps and grant you a set of maps with special quirks that range from extremely boring to extremely profitable. They're quite different from the regular mapping experience, though, so let's take a closer look at them.

Table of Contents

Memory Mechanics

Memory Maps differ quite a bit from the ones you're used to run. First of all:

  • As shown in the video above, you enable them by using the Memory Item directly onto the Atlas. You choose the first map, but the rest are randomly chosen by game..
  • To open the maps, you must talk to the relevant NPC in your hideout. Talk to Niko for Niko's Memory of X etc.
  • Memory Maps are not affected by your Atlas Passive Tree. You also can't use fragments such as Scarabs.
  • Memory Maps can be crafted directly in the NPC's window, but note they can't be taken out, so careful with Corrupting them!
  • If you fail a Memory Map, don't worry; you can still do the next ones in the chain.
  • You can have up to 5 different Memories active on the Atlas at the same time.
  • Each Memory has a fixed set of maps it paths over, ranging between three and six.

Now, Memory Maps have two special quirks: Each is a spin on a league mechanic that greatly modifiers the encounter in bizarre ways, and each successive map in the sequence scales its map mods. For example:

  • Kirac's Memory of Survivor's Guilt paths through four maps.
    • Map 1 has 15% increased Explicit Modifier magnitudes. Map 2 raises this to 30%. Map 3 to 45%, Map 4 to 60%.
      • This affected the mods you yourself roll on the map, like when using an Orb of Alchemy. It also affects the amount of Item Quanity & Rarity they grant!
    • Map 1 has 40% more Monster Life. Map 2 has 80%, Map 3 120% and Map 4 160%.
  • This successive buffing of the Memory Maps' special modifiers applies to several mods in each map, guaranteeing they get more dangerous, but more rewarding the deeper you go into the map chain.

Right, that about sums it up. Now we can check out all the Memories!

Kirac's Memories

Kirac has three types of memories, themed around Harbingers and Shrines.

Kirac's Memory of Survivor's Guilt

Maps granted: 4. Here are the mods. The values in brackets change depending on which map in the sequence you're currently running.

  • Players in Areas take on the form of Harbingers
  • Items found in Areas are replaced by stacks of Currency Shards.
    • (15/30/45/60)% increased Explicit Modifier magnitudes
    • Players have (4/5/6/7)% chance to summon a pack of Harbinger Monsters on Kill
    • (40/80/120/160)% more Monster Life
    • (10/20/30/40)% increased Monster Damage

It's basically a currency shard loot pinata.

Kirac's Memory of Phaaryl

Maps granted: 4.

  • Areas contain additional Harbinger Portals
  • Harbinger Portals drop additional Currency Shards when destroyed
    • (15/30/45/60)% increased Explicit Modifier magnitudes
    • Area contains (8/10/12/14) Harbinger Portals
    • Harbingers have (25/50/75/100)% increased Cooldown Recovery Rate

Beware that Cooldown Recovery Rate, it means Harbingers summon packs of monsters much faster!

Kirac's Memory of the Pantheon

Maps granted: 3

  • Areas contain additional Shrines
  • Areas contain Shrines guarded by Pantheon Monsters
    • (20/40/60)% increased Explicit Modifier magnitudes
    • Area contains 4 additional Shrines
    • Area contains (2/3/4) additional Shrines guarded by Pantheon Monsters
    • (60/70/80)% increased Duration of Shrine Buffs on Players
    • (30/35/40)% increased Effect of Shrine Buffs on Players
    • Monsters Worshipping Shrines have (200/250/300)% More Life

Pantheon Monsters refer to Rare monster with a God-touched modifier, such as Solaris-Touched. These, coupled with the Shrine effect, can make these monsters extremely dangerous. Back in Path of Exile's past, these monsters used to drop a lot of genuinely good loot, but they have been nerfed since. This Memory isn't that great.

Alva's Memories

Alva has two Memories, themed around Incursion and Strongboxes.

Alva's Memory of Reverse Incursion

Maps granted: 4

Incursion but in reverse! The portals will spawn Incursion monsters as well as two Architects. These can drop Rare items with Incursion modifiers, but unlike the actual Temple of Atzoatl, they aren't restricted - any Architect can drop any Rare Incusion mod item.

  • Areas contain additional Temporal Incursions
  • Temporal Incursion Portals have their directions reversed.
    • (15/30/45/60)% increased Explicit Modifier magnitudes
    • Area contains (3/4/5/6) Temporal Incursions
    • Incursion Architects have 50% chance to drop an additional Rare Incursion Item
    • 100% increased Experience gain
    • Incursion Monsters have (100/200/300/400)% more Maximum Life
    • Incursion Monsters deal (10/20/30/40)% more Damage

Alva's Memory of Cascading Fortunes

Maps granted: 4

  • Areas contain additional Strongboxes
  • Strongboxes are found in Sequences
  • Strongboxes in a Sequence open when the previous Strongbox in the Sequence has unlocked
    • (15/30/45/60)% increased Explicit Modifier magnitudes
    • Area contains (3/4/5/6) additional Strongboxes
    • Strongboxes are found in Sequences of 3
    • Strongboxes have a 4% chance to be an Operative's Strongbox
    • Boxes have 100% chance to be guarded by an additional Pack of Monsters
    • Monsters contained in Strongboxes have (120/250/375/500)% increased Life
    • Monsters contained in Strongboxes deal (10/20/30/40)% increased Damage
    • Strongbox Monsters are Enraged
    • Strongbox Monsters have (200/300/400/500)% increased Item Quantity

Each Strongbox from "Area contains 3/4/5/6 additional Strongboxes" has a Sequence, meaning that for, say, Map 1, with 3 Strongboxes, you actually have 3x3=9 total Strongboxes. In addition, Strongboxes #2 and #3 in the Sequence copy the modifiers and quality of the first Strongbox.

Einhar's Memories

Einhar's got three memories for us, centered around Beasts, Essences and Harvest.

Einhar's Memory of Harvest Beasts

Maps granted: 3

Bestiary meets Harvest. This is probably the most profitable Memory you can find.

  • Areas contain Einhar
  • Areas can contain capturable Harvest Beasts
    • (20/40/60)% increased Explicit Modifier magnitudes
    • (2/3/4) Red Beasts in Area are replaced by Harvest Beasts
    • Area contains (4/6/8) additional Red Beasts
    • Beasts in Area do (10/20/30)% more Damage
    • Beasts in Area have (50/100/150)% more Maximum Life

These special Harvest Beasts can only be found in the maps granted by this particular Memory, and they unlock special beastcrafting options that are really strong, and really expensive. Check out the Bestiary Crafts Page to see them!

Einhar's Memory of Crystal Prisons

Maps granted: 5

  • Areas contain additional Essences
  • Essences contain Rogue Exiles
    • (12/24/36/48/60)% increased Explicit Modifier magnitudes
    • 5 monsters are imprisoned by Essences
    • Imprisoned Monsters have (4/5/6/7/8) Essences
    • Essences found are a tier higher
    • Corrupting Imprisoned Monsters cannot release them
    • Monsters Imprisoned by a Shrieking Essence will be Duplicated when released
    • Imprisoned Monsters drop an addition Rare Item with an Essence modifier

These Memory Maps will grant you an absurd amount of Essences, but beware - the Essence Rogue Exiles are extremely dangerous. We recommend running these maps as Normal quality, since the number of Essences dropped do not scale with map mod difficulty.

Einhar's Memory of the Sacred Grove

Maps granted: 4

  • Areas contain The Sacred Grove
  • Crops are larger in size
  • Crops contain higher tier seeds
    • (15/30/45/60)% increased Explicit Modifier magnitudes
    • Harvests in Area contain (4/4/5/5) Crops
    • Harvest Seeds in Area are at least Tier 2
    • Tier 2 Harvest Seeds in Area have (10/11/12/13)% chance to be upgraded to Tier 3
    • Tier 3 Harvest Seeds in Area have (2/2/3/3)% chance to be upgraded to Tier 4

This Memory awards quite large amounts of Lifeforce. The later maps are also quite likely to grant you Harvest minibosses (Tier 4 seeds), and sometimes, you may even get 2 Harvest bosses per crop!

Niko's Memories

Niko's got four Memories for us, centered around Tormented Spirits, Breach, and lastly, a fun mashup of Abyss and Beyond.

Niko's Memory of Tormented Souls

Maps granted: 3

  • Rare and Unique Monsters found in Areas are Possessed and their Minions are Touched
    • (20/40/60)% increased Explicit Modifier magnitudes
    • Rare and Unique Monsters in Area are Possessed by at least (1/2/3) Tormented Spirit(s)
    • Rare and Unique Monsters in Area are Possessed by up to 4 Tormented Spirits and their Minions are Touched
    • Area contains (4/6/8) additional packs with a Rare monster

The ultimate place to get hundreds of Rare items you'll never pick up.

Niko's Memory of Grasping Hands

Maps granted: 6

  • Areas contain many additional Breaches
  • Breaches open and close faster
    • (10/20/30/40/50/60)% increased Explicit Modifier magnitudes
    • Area contains (6/8/10/12/14/16) Breaches
    • Breach Hands are small
    • Breaches open and close 100% faster
    • Breaches have (5/10/15/20/25/30)% increased Area of Effect
    • Breach Splinters have 1% chance to drop as Breachstones instead
    • Breach Monsters have (20/40/60/80/100/120)% increased Maximum Life
    • Breach Monsters deal (10/20/30/40/50/60)% increased Damage

This is the longest Memory in the game. Word of advice: Breaches open and close ridiculously fast, and monsters are very dangerous. Bring a well-polished build to make the most out of this Memory!

Niko's Memory of Demonic Onslaught

Maps granted: 4

  • Areas are Breached
  • Areas contain additional Large Breach Hands
  • Breach Bosses have a chance to drop a Breachstone
    • (15/30/45/60%) increased Explicit Modifier magnitudes
    • Area contains (12/16/20/24) Clasped Hands
    • Breach has (25/50/75/100)% chance to contain a Boss
    • Breach Bosses Defeated in Area have 40% chance to drop a Breachstone
    • Breach Monsters have (25/50/75/100)% increased Maximum Life
    • Breach Monsters deal (10/20/30/40)% increased Damage
    • +(25/50/75/100)% increased Monster Pack Size (this modifier is hidden)

These maps are already Breached, meaning there's no Breach encounter hands you have to find. You're already in the Breach from the second you step foot in the map.

Niko's Memory of Chasms

Maps granted: 4

  • Areas contain additional Abysses
  • Abysses have already fully opened
  • Abysses contain monsters from Beyond this realm
    • (15/30/45/60)% increased Explicit Modifier magnitudes
    • Area contains (7/8/9/10) additional Abysses that have already fully opened
    • Area has (25/50/75/100)% chance to contains a Boss from Beyond
    • Abyss Jewels found have (25/50/75/100)% chance to be Corrupted and have 5 or 6 random Modifiers
    • Monsters in Nightmare deal (15/20/25/30)% more Damage
    • Monsters in Nightmare have (25/50/75/100)% more Maximum Life

The Beyond monsters are hiding in the fissures / cracks left behind by the Abysses, which opened before you got here. When you approach a fissure, Beyond monsters will begin spawning along its path!

There you have it! Twelve Memories to find and explore, all with their own special rewards. Note that each League generally has a challenge related to completing Memory Maps, so even if this type of content doesn't attract you, at least give them a chance and get closer to receiving free cosmetics as well!