Understanding the Immortal Syndicate and Updates in Patch 3.26

Introduction

The Immortal Syndicate was introduced during the Betrayal league in late 2018. This league mechanic centers on completing Jun’s missions within your maps, managing the Syndicate Board, and eventually unlocking and raiding Safehouses for lucrative rewards.

It is among the most intricate systems in the game, with complex Syndicate manipulation rules and optimal board management strategies. This guide explains everything needed to profit heavily from Syndicate content!

Changes in 3.26 Secrets of the Atlas

The Betrayal mechanic received a major overhaul in patch 3.26, with updates to rewards, Mastermind progression, and overall quality of life improvements.

Key changes include:

• The Mastermind encounter now requires a map fragment dropped by Safehouse Leaders.

• Defeating the Mastermind no longer resets the Syndicate board or grants Tier 4 Safehouse rewards.

• Veiled Chaos Orbs can again drop from Safehouse Leaders.

• Safehouse rewards have been revamped.

• Timed crafting challenges now provide a base item and are stronger.

• Allflames can drop from the Mastermind.

• Intelligence gain rates have been lowered.

This guide is continuously updated for the latest patch details; some info might be slightly outdated.

Overview of the Syndicate

The Immortal Syndicate is divided into four branches: Transport, Research, Fortification, and Intervention. Members are assigned to these branches, though players can reassign them. There are 17 possible members, with a maximum of 15 active at once. Removed members are replaced from the inactive pool.

Each member specializes in certain rewards, which change depending on their current branch. More details on these variations will follow later in the guide.

Basic Syndicate Mechanics

The Syndicate system uses several core mechanics that influence rewards, encounters, and member strength.

Rank
Each Syndicate member has a rank shown by stars on their portrait, ranging from Unranked to Rank 3. Only members with ranks can be assigned to branches. Assigning a member to a branch through encounters automatically grants them Rank 1.

Higher ranks boost rewards significantly and provide more Intelligence about Safehouses or the Mastermind.

Intelligence
Players collect Intelligence on Syndicate divisions by interacting with members. Enough Intelligence reveals the location of that branch’s Safehouse, which can then be raided.

Safehouses also need to be scouted with Intelligence to reveal the Syndicate Mastermind.

Relationships
Members have relationships influencing encounters and choices. These include:

• Friendly/Allied (green thread)

• Neutral/No relation

• Hostile/Rivalry (red thread)

Relationships affect what happens during and after encounters.

Safehouses

When sufficient Intelligence is gathered for a division, all members assigned to that branch retreat to its Safehouse. The player can open portals to these Safehouses through Jun or the Betrayal tab.

Safehouses are defended by the division’s leader and assigned members. The rewards after clearing depend mainly on the leader’s identity and rank.

Immortal Syndicate Encounters

The Syndicate may appear randomly starting in Act 9 areas, or be forced via Jun’s missions on the Atlas device.

Jun can be summoned to your hideout to unveil Veiled items dropped by Syndicate members, allowing players to pick from three unique crafts for the item.

Four main encounter types correspond to the Syndicate’s divisions:

• Transport: Syndicate tries to move a payload between two portals. Defeat them before the payload reaches the end to claim rewards. A timer bar shows the remaining time.

• Research: Jun stands by the Syndicate Laboratory entrance. Inside, monsters try to destroy evidence; if successful, the encounter fails.

• Fortification: Syndicate members hold a fortress with healing totems and destroyable doors. Monsters spawn continuously to defend it. Syndicate members teleport out to fight but return to heal.

• Intervention: Syndicate members appear aggressively from portals, chasing the player. Attempting to flee causes them to teleport to the player’s new location.

Members in encounters are mainly from the relevant division, but friendly or hostile allies might join. Certain Atlas passives increase chances of additional members appearing.

Defeating a Syndicate Encounter

Once you defeat Syndicate members in an encounter, you are given choices on how to handle them. There are three main options, with Interrogate and Release always available.

Interrogate
Interrogating a Syndicate member imprisons them for the next three encounters, temporarily removing them from play. This also grants Intelligence for a division each turn and reduces the member’s rank by one when released.

If the member is Rank 1, they lose their division assignment upon release (dropping to Rank 0). This method can be used to remove members from certain branches while still gaining Intelligence. Rank 2 or 3 members keep their division but lose one rank. Interrogating a Safehouse leader demotes them, promoting the next highest-ranked member. Any equipped items are destroyed upon interrogation.

Interrogation is valuable for generating Intelligence and rearranging members on the board.

Bargain
Bargaining offers varied rewards based on the Syndicate member and their branch. This option usually appears when the member is alone or the last in an encounter. Bargain possibilities include:

• Swapping divisions with another member

• Exiting the Syndicate

• Removing hostile relationships

• Receiving rewards tied to their branch

• Gaining Intelligence on a division

• Increasing a member’s rank

• Removing all items from a division

• Creating friendly ties between members

Execute
Execution raises a member’s rank by one and is only available in specific scenarios:

• Two members present with a neutral or hostile relationship

• Three members present, with the first interacted member offering Interrogate or Execute

If the executed member lacks a division, they are promoted and assigned to the last encountered branch.

Betray
When two friendly members appear, the Betray option is available instead of Execute. Choosing this causes their relationship to turn hostile and can remove a member from the active roster.

Release
Releasing members grants no rewards or progress but is often useful. If you want to maintain a well-set Syndicate with high-ranking members, releasing a troublesome member avoids deranking or unwanted board changes. This is often the safest choice to continue Syndicate runs without disruption.

Immortal Syndicate Members and Their Rewards

The Immortal Syndicate consists of 17 members, each providing distinct rewards influenced by the division they belong to. The rewards scale according to the member’s rank when a Safehouse is completed.

Here’s an updated summary for patch 3.26:

Member	Transportation	Fortification	Research	Intervention
Aisling	Double Veiled Items	Craft: Veiled Exalt	Craft: Veiled Chaos	Torment Scarabs
Cameria	Abyss Scarabs	Trapped Chest: Cluster Jewel	Craft: Jewel	Delirium Scarabs
Elreon	Fragments	Trapped Chest: Corrupted Equip	Craft: Tainted Currency	Beyond Scarabs
Gravicius	Full Stack Div Cards	Trapped Chest: Div Cards	Div Card Swap	Divination Scarabs
Guff	Currency	Trapped Chest: Rare Equipment	Craft: Reflecting Mist	Blight Scarabs
Haku	Unique Strongbox	Domination Scarabs	Craft: Influence Orbs	Ambush Scarabs
Hillock	Trapped Chest: Influenced	Craft: Influenced Equipment	Craft: Eldritch Implicits	Influence Scarabs
It That Fled	Corrupted Breach Maps	Grants Breachstone Map Device	Craft: Tainted Sockets	Breach Scarabs
Janus	Gold	Kalguuran Scarabs	Cadiro – Unique Vendor	Expedition Scarabs
Jorgin	Sulphite Scarabs	Trapped Chest: Delve Modifiers	Craft: Talisman	Bestiary Scarabs
Korell	Anarchy Scarabs	Trapped Chest: Essence Equip	Essences	Essence Scarabs
Leo	Incursion Scarabs	Trapped Chest: Corrupted Unique	Craft: Djinn Vaal Orb	Ultimatum Scarabs
Riker	Unique Items	Trapped Chest: Unique Items	Craft: Ancient Orb	Titanic Scarabs
Rin	Map Currency	Trapped Chest: Unique Map	Craft: Map	Cartography Scarabs
Tora	Quality Gems / XP Lens	Trapped Chest: Gem	Craft: Gem	Ritual Scarabs
Vagan	Harbinger Scarabs	(Currently Bugged)	Craft: Fractured Item	Legion Scarabs
Vorici	Full Stack of Currency	Craft Item: Chromatic/Jewel/Fusing Orbs	Craft Item: Chance/Scour Orbs	Harvest Scarabs

---

Strategies for Maximizing Syndicate Rewards

Certain Syndicate members offer significantly better rewards when positioned correctly. Optimizing your Syndicate setup can substantially increase your wealth flow during a league. Some scarabs and crafting options align well with specific league economies.

Recommendations include:

• Aisling in Research for advanced veiled crafting

• Vorici in Research to add white sockets

• It That Fled in Research for upgrading Chayula Breachstones

• Gravicius in Intervention for Divination Scarabs

• Elreon in Intervention for Reliquary Scarabs

• Hillock early on for improving quality on Unique Flasks and Weapons

While other rewards may also be lucrative, these setups tend to offer the most consistent profits.

The Syndicate Mastermind Encounter

After interrogating enough Safehouse Leaders, the Syndicate Mastermind will be revealed, unlocking a multi-phase boss fight. This battle can be accessed either from your hideout or through a Syndicate encounter within a map.

The Mastermind, Catarina, adjusts her difficulty based on your progress. Entering her lair from your hideout sets the fight level according to the average of completed Syndicate encounters, capped by your highest level. If the fight feels overwhelming, you can open portals to her lair from inside a map, forcing the level to match the map’s area, often making the fight easier.

---

Fight Breakdown

The initial phase takes place in a separate room, simpler and shorter than the main arena. Catarina attacks with clear telegraphed moves like slashes and mortars. After taking some damage, she summons zombies to attack. You do not need to kill the zombies to move forward.

Next is a gauntlet-style run, similar to Syndicate Safehouses. You can clear monsters or simply rush through to reach Catarina’s main arena, the Sculpture Garden.

---

The Sculpture Garden Arena

This large square arena is divided into four corner sections, separated by sarcophagi and coffins, with clear entrances. Each corner contains a totem that can be destroyed. The center features a massive undead totem surrounded by a “+” shaped cross pathway.

Catarina uses the same attack patterns as earlier. Each time she loses 25% of her health, she becomes immune and summons one of your active Safehouse Leaders to fight. After defeating the summoned member, the central totem fires a rotating flame attack in multiple directions, dealing heavy damage.

---

Totem Mechanics and Skeletons

During the flame phase, Catarina charges corner totems. When ready, she becomes immune and targets a player with an arrow indicator, signaling to move to the corresponding corner. Standing near the totem causes continuous damage but destroys it permanently, corrupting that corner’s area into a damaging zone.

All four totems must be destroyed—one per phase—to defeat Catarina. As more totems fall, the arena becomes progressively more hazardous.

Between phases, Catarina summons skeleton packs that crawl toward the player and explode on contact. While avoiding them is possible, clearing skeletons is advisable for smoother progression.

---

Encounter Summary

Though the fight can seem complex initially, Catarina’s attacks are well telegraphed and slow. The frequent breaks at each 25% health mark give time to handle adds and reposition.

---

Conclusion

The Immortal Syndicate offers highly valuable rewards such as veiled crafting and white socket addition, providing strong incentives to master the system. The flexibility to customize your Syndicate to your preferred rewards suits both Solo Self-Found players and those in Trade Leagues.

Besides profitable loot, Syndicate encounters grant significant experience, helping players level faster if they can survive the challenges.

Overall, the Immortal Syndicate combines strategic depth, rewarding gameplay, and excellent profit potential, empowering players to tailor their approach and maximize their gains.