I’ve put over 50 hours into The First Descendant since its full launch, and after nailing down my main character build and learning how to beat every endgame boss, the first fun side goal I set for myself was figuring out how to get emotes in the first descendant. These small, expressive animations aren’t just a silly way to mess around in pre-mission lobbies either: some rare emotes are tied to hidden achievements and limited-time events, so you can easily miss out on them if you don’t know where to look. This guide breaks down every tested method to unlock both free and premium emotes, no fluff or unproven tricks, just steps I’ve used myself to build a collection of 27 emotes so far.
Core Methods to Get Emotes in The First Descendant
There are four main ways to unlock emotes in the game, and most players will end up using a mix of all four to build their collection. I’ve sorted them by accessibility, so you can prioritize the easiest, lowest-effort methods first before moving to more grind-heavy or paid options.
Roughly 70% of all emotes released for the game are available for free, so you don’t have to spend any real money if you don’t want to. You don’t need to reach high player ranks or beat endgame content to unlock most common emotes either: most new players can get at least 3 free emotes in their first 5 hours of play just by completing introductory challenges. The only time you’ll have to spend money is if you want limited-edition premium emotes that are only sold in battle passes or time-limited paid bundles.
Unlock Free Emotes Through Event Challenges and Achievements
The easiest way to get free emotes is to keep an eye on active seasonal events, which almost always have at least 2 emotes as rewards for completing low-stakes challenges. I unlocked my first two emotes during the launch “Welcome to Albion” event, which only required me to run 3 basic story missions and kill 50 common enemies. Weekly challenge tracks also usually have an emote reward at the 15-point mark, which you can hit just by completing your 3 daily missions over 3 days, no extra grind required.
Hidden achievements are another underrated source of rare, exclusive emotes that you can’t get anywhere else. Hidden achievements tied to specific boss fights or challenge runs often give emotes as a secret reward, and most players don’t even know they exist. For example, I accidentally unlocked the “Warden Taunt” emote when I beat the Void Warden boss on hard mode without taking any damage during a random co-op run with friends. I had no idea the achievement existed until the emote popped up in my inbox after the mission.
If you’re specifically farming for achievement emotes, it’s worth joining a community group to see which hidden achievements have emote rewards, so you don’t waste time grinding achievements that only give useless currency. Also, note that event-exclusive emotes are only available for 2 to 3 weeks while the event is active, so if you see one you like, prioritize those event challenges first before they expire.
Navigate the In-Game Store and Battle Pass for Emote Rewards
The in-game cosmetic store has a free daily rotation that changes every 24 hours, and every 3 days, there’s usually a free emote or spray available to claim without spending any in-game currency. I check the store every time I log in, and I’ve unlocked 7 free emotes this way over the past 2 months, no extra work required. The store also shows you the upcoming 7-day rotation, so you can plan ahead if there’s a specific emote you’re waiting for.
The seasonal battle pass is another great source of emotes, even if you don’t pay for the premium track. You don’t need to spend real money to get battle pass emotes, as the free track of every battle pass has 2 to 3 emotes unlocked at levels 15, 30, and 45. You can earn these levels just by playing regular missions, so you don’t have to grind extra to unlock them. I usually hit level 50 on the free battle pass track about a week before the season ends, just from playing 2 to 3 missions a day.
If you’re willing to spend money, the premium battle pass has 8 to 10 exclusive emotes per season, and paid cosmetic bundles usually have themed emotes tied to new character launches. But a tip I learned the hard way: wait 2 weeks after a new bundle launches, because the store usually runs a 30 to 50% off sale on older bundles after the initial launch period. I once spent 800 Void Crystals on a holiday emote bundle right when it launched, only to see it go on sale for 400 Void Crystals 10 days later, so I now always wait for the sale before buying any premium cosmetics.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Farming for Emotes
It’s easy to waste time or currency when you’re trying to unlock emotes, especially if you’re a new player who doesn’t know how the game’s reward system works. The first mistake I see a lot of new players make is spending hard-earned Void Crystals on common emotes that will show up in the free store rotation a few weeks later. Common emotes like waves, dances, and basic taunts rotate through the free section every month, so there’s no reason to spend currency on them.
You can check the upcoming 7-day store rotation in the official game community hub to avoid wasting currency on emotes that will be free soon. I check the rotation every Sunday, so I know if an emote I want is going to be free in the next few days, and I can save my Void Crystals for rare emotes that won’t be free. Another common mistake is skipping low-level side missions, as many of them have hidden emote rewards that you can’t get any other way. A lot of players rush through the main story to unlock endgame content, and they miss out on 3 to 4 free emotes from side content in the process.
Don’t forget to claim your event rewards before they expire either, because event rewards get deleted from your in-game inbox 7 days after the event ends. I set a phone reminder to claim all my rewards every Sunday night, so I never lose any limited-time emotes or cosmetics. Emotes are account-wide, so you don’t have to unlock them separately for each character you play, which is a common misconception a lot of new players have. That means once you unlock an emote, you can use it on every Descendant on your account, no extra work required.
One last mistake to avoid: don’t grind for hours for an emote you don’t actually like. I once spent 6 hours grinding a co-op challenge for a dance emote, only to realize I never actually used it after I unlocked it. If an emote isn’t something you’re going to use regularly, it’s not worth wasting your time grinding for it, especially when there are easier emotes you can unlock for free that you’ll actually enjoy.
At the end of the day, learning how to get emotes in the first descendant is a low-stakes, fun way to customize your gameplay experience and connect with other players in co-op lobbies. You don’t have to spend any money or grind for hours to build a great collection of emotes, just keep an eye on event challenges, check the store’s free rotation every day, and avoid wasting currency on common emotes you can get for free. My current favorite emote is the Warden Taunt I unlocked from that random Void Warden run, and I use it every time my squad beats a tough endgame boss, it always gets a laugh out of everyone I play with. Take your time, have fun with it, and you’ll have a full library of emotes before you know it.