PoE Threads of Creation replace Scarabs in Path of Exile 3.30, changing how you choose the extra league content that appears in your Maps. Rather than putting Scarabs into the Map Device, you’ll use Threads to add the mechanic you want and improve the potential rewards and difficulty of the area.
This isn’t just a new name for the old item system. The Atlas passive tree is being rebuilt alongside it, and the way primary league mechanics appear in Maps is changing too. If you’ve been using a favourite Scarab setup for farming, you’ll need to revisit that routine when Covens of Umbra launches.
How PoE Threads of Creation work
Threads are items associated with particular league mechanics. There are ten types: Abyss, Bestiary, Betrayal, Blight, Breach, Expedition, Incursion, Legion, Ritual and Ultimatum. When you put one into the Map Device to open an Atlas area, that Thread applies its associated mechanic to the Map. It’s a way to decide which content you want to run instead of waiting for it to appear at random.
Grinding Gear Games says spending more Threads also increases the chance of powerful, randomised effects that transform the mechanic you’ve chosen. Those benefits come with higher monster rarity and difficulty, so an expensive-looking setup isn’t automatically the best one if your build can’t comfortably finish the area.
PoE Threads of Creation have an upper limit of eight expended Threads for the scaling effects described in the 3.30 patch notes. That figure does not mean you can guarantee eight completely different primary league mechanics in one Map. The separate limit is three guaranteed primary mechanics at once.
How to use PoE Threads of Creation in the Map Device
- Choose the Map you want to run and decide which league mechanic you intend to target.
- Get a Thread associated with that mechanic.
- Place the Map and your chosen Thread or Threads into the Map Device.
- Open the area and run the content introduced by the Thread.
- Decide whether the increased difficulty and extra effects justify spending more Threads next time.
Each Thread corresponds to a league mechanic. Check the item you are using before activating the Map Device so you know what it adds. The expansion releases on 13 November 2026, Pacific time.
What happened to Scarabs in PoE 3.30?
Scarabs previously let players add or strengthen particular mechanics in Maps. In 3.30, Scarabs are removed and Threads take their place as the main item-based way to target those mechanics. The new Atlas tree includes more of the effects that previously lived on Scarabs, making the tree itself a bigger part of your farming plan.
Existing Scarabs will turn into either a Thread for their related mechanic or a Frayed Thread. Veiled Scarabs become Frayed Threads. You can use a Frayed Thread, or sell it to a vendor, to receive a random Thread. That’s how saved Scarabs carry over into the new system.
For players who used to juggle a pile of different Scarabs, PoE Threads of Creation should make the decision more focused: choose the content, choose how heavily to invest, then let the redesigned Atlas tree do more of the supporting work.
How Atlas shaping works with PoE Threads of Creation
The Atlas overhaul also introduces shaped regions. When a region is shaped around a particular league mechanic, Maps inside that region can receive a matching Thread effect for free. You aren’t required to spend a normal Thread just to make that shaped mechanic appear there.
These regions move as you run Maps. A region over one of your favourite Maps is therefore an opportunity rather than a permanent guarantee. The developer’s FAQ explains that running its affected Map once causes the region to retreat; you don’t need to complete the mechanic itself for that movement to happen.
This gives PoE Threads of Creation two connected uses: you can deliberately spend Threads at the Map Device, or take advantage of temporary Atlas regions that supply the mechanic at no item cost. Either way, the actual Map you’re running and your character’s strengths matter.
Which league mechanics should you farm?
Your best mechanic depends on the character you’re playing and what you want to earn. Start with a league mechanic you understand and enjoy. Check whether your Atlas passives improve it, and test a modest Thread investment before spending heavily. When you have enough damage and survivability to handle the extra effects, you can experiment with more aggressive setups.
Also keep Threads separate from the Covens’ Fates. A Thread adds league content to a Map at entry. A Fate is selected after a covenite encounter and empowers the area’s boss, potentially letting it drop Wickerman Viscera. Knowing which system you’re dealing with will save a lot of confusion in the first few days of 3.30.
Official source: Grinding Gear Games, Covens of Umbra.
