PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt 0.2f Simulacrum Farming - Is it Worth It?

Simulacrum farming has always been a high-risk, high-reward endgame activity in Path of Exile, and Patch 0.2f brought some much-needed changes. Farram's testing across 20 Simulacrum runs post-patch reveals the real impact of these updates. Here's a detailed breakdown of the loot, profits, and whether farming Simulacrums in PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt 0.2f is finally a worthy investment of time and resources.

Investment and Setup for Simulacrum Farming: High Stakes, High Potential

Before diving into Simulacrum profitability, it's crucial to understand the upfront commitment involved, because farming Sims isn’t for the faint of heart or light of wallet.

Farram kicked off the test run with a bulk purchase of 20 Simulacrums, priced at 91.5 Exalts each, bringing the total investment to a hefty 1830 Exalts.

At the time of purchase, the exchange rate floated around 1 Divine = 164 Exalts, but this rate shifted to 193 Exalts per Divine by the end of the experiment.

This fluctuation in PoE 2 Currency value is an important reminder that the PoE 2 economy is dynamic, and ROI calculations need to stay fluid if you're tracking long-term profit margins.

While that number might seem staggering, it’s the kind of capital-intensive setup seasoned players expect when targeting high-end content like Sims.

Notably, this wasn't just a fire-and-forget operation. The total time commitment came in at approximately four hours, including time spent clearing, sorting drops, and handling sales.

This setup is all about volume and efficiency—running in bulk gives you a broader sample for RNG and sales, and allows for streamlined stash management and pricing decisions.

It’s a big investment, but one that positions you to leverage both raw currency drops and marketable rares, assuming you’re collecting and selling intelligently.

So, was it worth it? That’s where the loot math comes in next.

Key Drops and Values: Where the Simulacrum Farming Profit Lives

After investing nearly 2,000 Exalts into 20 Simulacrum runs, the real question becomes: what is the return? 

The loot breakdown provides insight into what’s still holding value in the current Simulacrum ecosystem—and what’s just filler.

Close Helms and Identified Rares

One of the most consistent high-return drops came from Close Helms, with 11 total obtained across the batch.

These items continue to offer a steady profit margin, especially when they roll with favorable mods or crafting potential.

But it’s the volume of Identified Rares that really pads the drop pool. Farram sorted and priced 736 rares, estimating their combined value at around 25 Exalts.

While these aren't game-changers individually, when processed and bulk-sold smartly, they add meaningful weight to your total return.

Still, without standout megalomaniacs in this run, Rares struggled to carry the load solo.

Gilded and Greed Emotions

Simulacrum’s emotion-based loot continues to play a central role in profitability:

• 395 Gilded Emotions added up to 98.75 Exalts, almost enough to fully cover one Simulacrum run on their own.

• 169 Greeds pulled in 101 Exalts, slightly outperforming Gildeds and proving they still maintain relevance in post-patch farming.

While these emotions no longer dominate profits like in earlier metas, they’re still foundational, especially when collected consistently in bulk.

Paranoia, Envy, Joy, and Other Emotions

This batch also produced a smaller, but more valuable, set of premium emotions:

• 8 Paranoias = 152 Exalts – among the highest ROI per item.

• 4 Envies = 52 Exalts

• 4 Joys + 1 additional variant = 74.4 Exalts

• 4 Spares = 32 Exalts

• 5 Fears, 2 Sufferings, 1 Isolation – small but non-negligible additions.

These drops bring volatility to the loot pool: they’re high variance, with some runs offering big gains while others come up short.

In this case, they provided moderate support but didn’t deliver a standout payload.

Currency Drops

Where things started looking up was in raw currency drops, especially given how consistent and tradable these are:

• 94 raw Exalts – a standout number and a stable source of income.

• 48 Chaos Orbs – minor in value but helpful for bulk trades.

• 76 Vaal Orbs – another small bonus for bulk sellers.

• 2 Greater Annulments and 1 Greater Jewel – very little value here, mostly junk-tier.

• 7 Divines – 5 from gear trades, 2 from raw drops. These were mostly from selling high-tier rares, reinforcing the importance of checking every base.

Here's a way to earn currency in PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt. Might come in handy later on.

Skill Gems and Jewels

While not a primary moneymaker, gem and jewel drops still carried some economic weight:

• 10 Gemcutter’s Prisms – modest value.

• 220 Skill Gems – mostly low-tier, but bulk selling potential exists if you know your market.

• 8 Unique Jewels – all used for bulk sales at 4 Exalts each, totaling 32 Exalts.

While these aren't consistent jackpot items, they form part of the overall profitability puzzle, especially when the main loot pool under-delivers.

This section of the loot tells a clear story: you don’t need a jackpot drop to break even, but you do need to grab and sell everything that holds value—from rare boots to bulk skill gems.

The Simulacrum farm works, but it's a grind built on volume and vendor-savvy, not lottery-tier drops.

PoE 2 0.2f Simulacrum Farm Profitability Breakdown

At the end of the full 20-run Simulacrum session, the total profit landed just north of 6 Divines, translating to about 1.5 Divines per hour across the roughly four-hour investment.

While this figure won't blow anyone away, it's a consistent and stable return, especially in the current 0.2f economy.

What makes this result notable is the absence of any jackpot drops—no valuable megalomaniacs, no standout legacy gear, and no luck-based spikes.

The profit margin for this PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt 0.2f Simulacrum Farm was achieved entirely through grit, volume, and smart trading.

Factors Limiting Higher Returns

Several elements limited the upside of this farming session:

• No High-Value Megalomaniacs: These have historically been game-changers in Simulacrum farming. Not getting even one that sold well was a noticeable setback.

• Mana Flask Nerf: With mana flasks no longer holding the easy profit they used to, a whole loot category has effectively been neutered. This directly cut into the farm’s passive return potential.

• Emotion Drops Underperformed: While bulk emotions like Gilded and Greed still contributed, their values have declined compared to earlier metas, putting more pressure on other loot types.

What Carried the Profit?

Despite the above, several sources kept the farm viable:

• Raw Currency Drops: The 94 Exalts and 7 Divines were key in holding up the entire value structure. These drops remain reliable and easy to liquidate.

• High-Tier Rares and Bases: Pieces like boots with double resist and movement speed or helms with strong implicit/crafted combos may not sell instantly, but they add real long-term value when priced correctly.

• Bulk Jewel Sales: Eight unique jewels sold at 4 Exalts each helped pad the total, showing that even niche items can be profitable in bulk scenarios.

What Could’ve Changed the Outcome for Simulacrum Farm?

One well-rolled megalomaniac could’ve shifted this entire result.

Farham notes that had a high-value one dropped, the total profit could’ve reached 14–15 Divines, bumping the hourly profit up to around 3 Divines/hour.

This level of income would have made the farm not just viable, but competitive with other top-tier farming strategies.

Simulacrum farming post-patch is a slow burn, not a flash in the pan.

It’s not the massive money-maker it once was, but if you’re willing to pick up and price every potential sellable item, the profit is there, especially with market knowledge and trading patience.

There’s still volatility in the results, but the foundation for profitability remains intact.

Want divines? Here's the Best Atlas Tree Strategy for Farming Divine Orbs in PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt.

What's Still Selling in PoE 2 0.2f?

Passive Profits from Tiered Rares and Niche Bases

Even in the absence of major drops, high-tier rares and unique bases continue to provide solid, passive income for players who are willing to pick up, sort, and list everything they find.

While some players skip over non-uniques or “junk” rares, those small decisions often add up to meaningful profits.

Boots with 35% Movement Speed and Dual Resists

Boots that combine high movement speed with double resistances are always in demand, particularly for players leveling new characters or refining builds on a budget.

They may not sell instantly, but they’re steady earners, especially if they hit favorable affixes like chaos res or life.

Helmets with Energy Shield and Corruptions

Helmets offering solid energy shield values with useful corruptions (like increased crit chance or +1 to gems) are in surprisingly high demand.

Even corrupted pieces that seem “bricked” at first glance can find buyers if they align with niche builds or farming strategies like our Cash Cow - Fractured Lake Unique Map Currency Farm.

Blood Mage-Compatible Rares

Some rares still sell specifically because they fit popular or emerging meta builds.

Blood Mage builds, for example, are currently popular, and gear that supports them, such as items with flat life, spell modifiers, or corrupted sockets, can fetch decent prices, even when the item itself seems subpar.

High-Socket Corrupted Items

Items with 5 or 6 sockets, especially those with off-color combinations or useful corrupted implicits, still sell frequently.

These are used by players for crafting projects, off-meta builds, or as slot fillers in gear progressions.

They’re easy to overlook but worth the time to list.

Final Verdict

Simulacrum farming in Patch 0.2f Dawn of the Hunt is marginally profitable. While it won’t make you rich overnight, careful item filtering, collecting, and trading can secure a modest return. The key to maximizing profits is:

• Picking up all high-tier bases

• Targeting raw currency drops

• Hoping for valuable megalomaniac jewels

If you're running in a full party, the potential increases significantly. So yes—Simulacrum farming in PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt 0.2f is worth it, but only if you’re thorough, efficient, and maybe a little lucky.