You can refund Ascendancy points through the Ascendancy altar in your hideout, but the cost and process depend on how many points you want to reset

Path of Exile 2 lets you take back Ascendancy points you've spent, which means you can reorganize your build without starting a new character. The game doesn't charge you currency or items for small resets — you can refund individual points or your entire Ascendancy tree for free using the altar in your hideout. The catch is that refunding everything at once costs more than refunding points one at a time, so the method you choose affects your total cost.

The Ascendancy altar sits in your hideout and works the same way whether you're refunding one point or twenty. You interact with it, select which points to refund, and the points return to your pool when ready. You can then spend them on different Ascendancy nodes right away.

Key Takeaways

  • The Ascendancy altar in your hideout lets you refund points without spending currency, as long as you refund them one or a few at a time.
  • Refunding your entire Ascendancy tree at once costs Orbs of Regret, while refunding individual points costs nothing.
  • You can refund points as many times as you want, so you can experiment with different builds on the same character.
  • The altar is always available in your hideout and works when ready — there is no waiting period or cooldown between refunds.

Refunding individual Ascendancy points for free

If you want to change one or two Ascendancy nodes, you can refund those specific points without paying anything. Open the Ascendancy altar, hover over the point you want to refund, and select the refund option. The point returns to your pool and you can when ready spend it elsewhere in the Ascendancy tree.

This method is useful when you're testing a new passive or when you realize a node doesn't fit your build. Since there's no cost, you can refund and respend as many times as you want while you're deciding.

Refunding your entire Ascendancy tree costs Orbs of Regret

If you want to reset all your Ascendancy points at once, the altar will ask you to pay Orbs of Regret — one for each point you've spent. So if you've used 8 Ascendancy points, a full reset costs 8 Orbs of Regret. This is why refunding points one at a time is cheaper if you only need to change a few nodes.

Orbs of Regret are currency items you find while playing or trade for with other players. They're not rare, but they do have a value, so a full reset is a real cost. If you're only changing one or two points, refund those individually instead and save your Orbs of Regret for other uses.

Where to find the Ascendancy altar in your hideout

The Ascendancy altar appears in your hideout automatically once you've completed your first Ascendancy trial and chosen an Ascendancy class. It's a large stone structure, usually placed near the center of your hideout by default. If you've moved it or can't find it, you can use the hideout decoration menu to place a new one.

The altar works the same way whether you're in a normal area or in your hideout — you can refund points anytime without leaving the game or waiting for a reset.

What happens to your refunded points

When you refund an Ascendancy point, it goes back into your unspent pool. You see the total number of unspent Ascendancy points increase by one for each point you refund. You can then walk around the Ascendancy tree and spend those points on any available node, including the ones you just refunded.

There's no limit to how many times you can refund and respend the same points. If you want to test three different builds on the same character, you can refund everything, try build A, refund again, try build B, and so on. The only cost is Orbs of Regret if you do a full reset each time.

Refunding points when you're not sure which build to choose

If you're experimenting with different Ascendancy paths, refund individual points as you go rather than doing a full reset each time. This costs nothing and lets you test changes without spending currency. Once you've settled on a final build, you'll know exactly which points you want and won't need to reset again.

Some players keep a note of their favorite builds so they can switch between them without having to remember which nodes they used. Since refunding is free and when ready, you can change your build as often as the content you're running demands.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I refund Ascendancy points if I haven't finished all the trials?

You can only refund points you've actually spent. If you haven't completed your Ascendancy trials yet, you won't have any points to refund. Once you've chosen your Ascendancy class and spent at least one point, the altar becomes available.

Do I lose anything when I refund a point?

No. When you refund a point, it returns to your pool and you can spend it again when ready. You don't lose the passive bonuses until you actually refund — the moment you refund, the bonuses disappear and the point is available to spend elsewhere.

What if I refund all my points but then change my mind?

You can refund again and respend the points however you want. There's no penalty for changing your mind, and you can reorganize your Ascendancy tree as many times as you need. The only cost is Orbs of Regret if you do a full reset again.

Can I refund Ascendancy points on a hardcore character?

Yes, the refund process works the same way on hardcore characters as it does on standard characters. The altar is available in your hideout regardless of which league you're playing in.