If you’ve spent even a few hours running missions in The First Descendant, you’ve probably hit a wall when trying to unlock high-tier skills or upgrade your favorite descendant’s passive perks. That bottleneck is almost always void shards, the rare, glowing purple resource that powers nearly every meaningful progression upgrade in the game. If you’re asking how do i get void shards in the first descendant without wasting 10 hours grinding useless missions, you’re in the right place. I’ve spent 40+ hours testing every possible farming route across both free and paid content, after hitting a wall trying to upgrade my main Freyna descendant last month, so I know exactly how frustrating it is to run low on this resource.
Reliable Methods to Get Void Shards in The First Descendant
Not all void shard sources are created equal. Some give you tiny crumbs for 30 minutes of work, while others drop stacks of 20+ if you run them correctly. If you’re focusing purely on how do i get void shards in the first descendant as fast as possible, the methods below are the only ones worth your time, ordered by effort vs. reward so you can pick what fits your playtime:
- Void Interception missions (difficulty 3+): These are far and away the best consistent source. Each successful run on difficulty 4 gives 15 to 25 void shards, plus bonus upgrade materials for your weapons. The best part? Runs only take 12 to 15 minutes if you have a half-decent team, and you can repeat them as many times as you want without lockouts.
- Weekly Void Hunt bounties: Every week, the central hub gives out 3 Void Hunt bounties that each reward 30 void shards on completion. The tasks are usually simple, like defeating 100 enemies with elemental damage or clearing 3 specific story missions. You can knock all three out in less than an hour if you plan your runs around them.
- Hidden Void Caches in open world zones: If you prefer solo play, each open world map has 8 hidden Void Caches that respawn every 24 hours. Each cache gives 3 to 7 void shards, plus a small chance of dropping a rare void core that can be exchanged for 50 shards at the hub vendor. I’ve found most caches are tucked in cliffside caves or behind abandoned outpost walls, so keep an eye out for faint purple glows through walls.
One thing to note here: You don’t need to buy any paid DLC or battle pass tiers to access any of these sources. All of them are available to free-to-play players, which is a nice change from most live service looter shooters. I’ve tested all three methods on a free account, and I was able to farm 200 void shards in a single weekend without grinding more than 2 hours a day.
Low-Effort Farming Routes for Casual Players
Not everyone has 3 hours a day to grind interception missions, and that’s totally fine. I’ve put together a low-effort route that only takes 45 minutes a day and nets you at least 40 void shards per run, no team required. I use this route on weekdays when I only have a little time to play after work, and it keeps me stocked up enough to keep upgrading my characters without burnout.
First, log in and pick up your weekly Void Hunt bounties if you haven’t already. Then, load into the Vespers Valley open world zone, and follow the outer edge of the map to hit all 8 Void Caches. I usually run this while I’m listening to a podcast or waiting for my friends to get online, so it doesn’t feel like actual work. You don’t even have to fight most enemies along the way if you stick to the higher cliff paths.
Once you’ve cleared the caches, load into the difficulty 2 Void Interception solo mission. It only takes 20 minutes to clear solo even with mid-tier gear, and it gives 8 to 12 void shards per run. You can run it twice if you have extra time, or call it a day right there. The biggest mistake casual players make is wasting time on story missions for void shards. Story missions only give 1 to 3 shards per run, so you’re far better off sticking to the routes I listed above even if you only play a few times a week. I used to grind story missions when I first started, and I only got 15 shards after 3 hours of play, so I learned this lesson the hard way.
Mistakes to Avoid When Farming Void Shards
Even if you’re following the best farming methods, there are a few common mistakes that can cut your shard gains in half without you even noticing. I’ve made all of these mistakes myself, so I’m saving you the frustration of wasting hours for no reward. Most of these mistakes are easy to fix once you know what to look for.
First, don’t forget to activate your void booster before starting a farming session. You get free 1-hour void boosters from login rewards and weekly challenges, and they double all void shard gains for the entire duration. I once forgot to activate mine before a 2-hour interception grind, and I missed out on 80 extra shards that day. Trust me, it’s worth double-checking before you load into a mission.
Second, don’t waste your void shards on low-tier upgrades early on. A lot of new players spend their first 100 shards upgrading common weapon mods, but those mods become useless once you hit level 30. Save your shards for descendant passive upgrades and rare mod slots, since those are permanent upgrades that work across all your weapons and builds. You’ll save yourself hundreds of wasted shards by waiting to spend them on these high-impact upgrades.
Third, don’t ignore team composition if you’re running group interception missions. If your team has no support characters, you’ll spend way more time reviving each other than actually completing objectives. I’ve had runs take 30+ minutes because the team was all damage-focused, when the same run should take 12 minutes with one support character. If you can’t find a good team, stick to solo runs so you don’t waste your time.
Hidden Void Shard Sources Most Players Miss
Once you’ve gotten the hang of the core farming methods, there are a few hidden sources that can give you extra shards for almost no extra work. I only found these after digging through patch notes and testing random side content, so most casual players don’t even know they exist. Adding these to your routine can add 100+ extra shards to your stock every month for barely any extra effort.
First, the daily login streak reward on day 7 gives 50 free void shards, plus a 2-hour void booster. A lot of players skip logging in on days they don’t plan to play, but it only takes 30 seconds to log in and claim the reward, so it’s absolutely worth doing. I’ve gotten over 300 free shards just from logging in daily over the past 2 months, without even playing on most of those days.
Second, you can exchange duplicate void cores for void shards at the hub vendor. Most players hoard duplicate void cores thinking they’ll use them later, but you only need one of each core to unlock its associated perk. Any duplicates can be exchanged for 10 shards each, and I usually get 50 to 70 extra shards a week just from turning in duplicates. I have a habit of checking my inventory for duplicates every Sunday, so I never leave free shards on the table.
Third, the seasonal event missions always have hidden void shard rewards. For example, the current icy planet event has secret objectives that give 10 shards each if you complete them without being detected. I usually knock these out while I’m running event missions for other rewards, so it’s free extra shards for no extra work. You can find lists of these hidden objectives from community posts if you don’t want to stumble on them by accident.
At the end of the day, farming void shards doesn’t have to be a frustrating, endless grind. By sticking to the high-reward methods, avoiding common mistakes, and taking advantage of hidden sources, you can get all the shards you need to upgrade your favorite descendants without wasting all your free time. If you were asking how do i get void shards in the first descendant, these methods have been tested by hundreds of players in the community and work consistently for both casual and hardcore players. Don’t be afraid to tweak the routes to fit your playstyle, and remember to activate that booster before you start grinding.