Path of Exile is famously brutal. If you’ve spent any time in Wraeclast, you know the feeling of hitting a wall so hard your character’s gear basically disintegrates. But there is a specific kind of pain reserved for those chasing the endgame. It's the "40/40." For the uninitiated, every three-month league in Grinding Gear Games' ARPG comes with a set of 40 specific challenges. They start easy—basically "click this chest"—and end with tasks that require the patience of a saint and the reflexes of a pro gamer.
The challenge 40 wiki pages are often the most visited resources during the midpoint of a league. Why? Because by week six, the casual players have dropped off. The people left are the grinders. They want that totem pole for their hideout. They want the exclusive armor sets that prove they survived the latest league mechanic without losing their minds.
It’s not just about clicking buttons. It’s about efficiency.
What the Challenge 40 Wiki Actually Tracks
Most people think these challenges are just a checklist. They aren't. They’re a roadmap of the entire league’s economy and meta. When you look at the challenge 40 wiki entries for recent leagues like Affliction, Necropolis, or Settlers of Kalguur, you see a pattern. The developers use these challenges to force you into corners of the game you’d usually ignore.
You might love Delve. Too bad. Challenge 38 says you need to defeat a conditional Uber Maven while standing on one leg (metaphorically).
The wiki serves as a collective brain for the community. It’s where the "optimal" way to cheese a boss is documented. For example, if a challenge requires you to defeat a boss without being hit by a specific wave, the wiki doesn't just say "don't get hit." It tells you that if you stand in the back-left corner behind a specific pillar, the hitbox doesn't register. That’s the kind of tribal knowledge that separates a 36/40 player from a 40/40 legend.
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The Infamous "Grinds"
There is always one. Every league has that one challenge—usually number 40—titled "Endgame Grinds." This is the gatekeeper.
It usually asks you to do things like reach Level 100, defeat 100 Uber Elder Guardians, or complete 500 Tier 16 maps. It is a pure test of time. Most players look at the challenge 40 wiki and realize they don't have the 200 hours required to finish that single entry. And that's okay. Honestly, 36/40 is the "sane" person’s finish line because that’s usually where the last major cosmetic reward sits.
But for the completionists? The wiki becomes a bible. They track the "Maps per hour" stats religiously. They calculate the chaos-to-divine ratio needed to buy the fragments for the boss kills they can't do themselves.
Why the Meta Shifts Around These Challenges
It’s weird how a list of 40 items can change the price of items in the trade market.
If a challenge requires "Defeat a Map Boss while they are affected by 5 different Delirium layers," suddenly the price of Delirium Orbs skyrockets. If you're smart, you use the challenge 40 wiki early in the league to predict what people will be desperate for in month two.
I’ve seen players make hundreds of Divines just by selling "challenge completions." They sit in the global /820 channel and offer spots in their boss fights. You pay them an exalt (well, a Divine now) and just stand by the door while they melt the boss. The wiki helps these "service runners" stay ahead of the curve by identifying which challenges are the most frustrating for the average player.
Complexity is the Point
Path of Exile isn't interested in holding your hand. The developers, led by Mark Roberts (taking over the reins from Chris Wilson's public-facing role), have leaned into the idea that "hard" is a feature, not a bug.
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Take the "Conditional Boss Kills." These are the bane of every high-damage build. If you have 50 million DPS, you usually kill the boss before the specific mechanic you need to dodge even happens. You actually have to lower your damage or wait through phases. The challenge 40 wiki is essential here because it explains the exact triggers for these phases.
Sometimes, the community discovers that a challenge is bugged. It happens. A lot. The wiki is the first place that will tell you "Don't bother trying this on a Tuesday because the server-side patch broke the tracking."
How to Approach 40/40 Without Burning Out
Honestly? Don't start on day one.
If you try to rush all 40 challenges in the first two weeks, you will hate the game. The smart way to use the challenge 40 wiki is to play naturally until you hit about 20 completions. Usually, those happen just by playing the campaign and starting your Atlas.
Once you hit that wall around 25, that's when you open the spreadsheets.
- Group the challenges by location. If three challenges involve the Labyrinth, do them all in one afternoon. Don't keep going back.
- Check the "Buy vs. Earn" status. Some things are just cheaper to buy from another player. Your time has a value.
- Ignore the "Endgame Grind" until last. It will happen naturally if you're doing the others.
The challenge 40 wiki is a testament to how complicated this game has become. Ten years ago, the challenges were things like "Level a character to 60." Now, you need a PhD in game mechanics and a secondary monitor just to keep track of your progress.
The Reality of the Rewards
Is it worth it?
The rewards are digital. They disappear (mostly) when the league ends, except for the cosmetics you get to keep in your permanent collection. But there’s a prestige to it. When you walk around the Rogue Harbour or a busy town instance with the full Tier 4 armor set from a difficult league, people know. They know you spent the hours. They know you braved the RNG.
They know you spent a lot of time refreshing the challenge 40 wiki.
Actionable Steps for Your Next League
If you're looking to actually hit that 40/40 milestone next time around, stop winging it.
- Bookmark the Wiki Early: The community usually populates the specific requirements within 48 hours of launch.
- Join Global 820: This is the unofficial "challenge" chat channel. It's chaotic, it's fast, but it's how you get the hard stuff done.
- Build a "Bosser": Most leagues require at least one character that can handle heavy single-target damage. If your league starter is a fast map-clearer with zero defense, you're going to have a bad time with the boss conditionals.
- Track Your Progress Externally: Use tools like PoE Lab or community spreadsheets linked in the challenge 40 wiki. The in-game UI is okay, but it doesn't give you the "how-to" tips you need when you're stuck.
The path to 40/40 is a marathon. It’s supposed to be a grind. If it were easy, that golden eagle totem in your hideout wouldn't mean anything. So, keep the wiki open, keep your resistances capped, and for the love of Innocence, don't forget to trade for your fragments before the prices double in the final week.