When I first started playing The First Descendant, I spent three whole weeks grinding random missions just to get enough Void Shards to ascend my main Viessa build. I had no clue which activities actually dropped the resource consistently, and I wasted hours on low-yield tasks that barely gave me 5 shards per run. If you’re stuck in the same cycle of endless grind with nothing to show for it, this guide covers exactly how to get void shards in The First Descendant without the unnecessary hassle, with methods I’ve tested over 40 hours of playtime to maximize your drop rate every session.
Reliable Ways to Get Void Shards in The First Descendant for All Player Levels
You don’t have to be an endgame player with a maxed-out build to farm Void Shards efficiently. There are options for every level and playstyle, so you can pick the ones that fit your schedule and skill level without getting frustrated by overly hard content. I’ve broken down the most consistent sources below, ordered by how many shards they give per hour of play.
You don’t need a full squad to run any of these activities, but playing with 3 other players cuts mission time by almost 40% in my experience, so you can farm more runs per hour. Don't waste your time running regular story missions for Void Shards—they only have a 12% drop rate per chest, compared to 98% for Void Intercept runs. I made this mistake for weeks before I realized I was wasting 2 hours a day for less than 20 shards total.
Tips to Boost Your Void Shard Drop Rate Every Run
Once you know which activities to run, there are small tweaks you can make to get 20-40% more shards per run without any extra effort. These are all tricks I picked up from testing different loadouts and playstyles, and they’ve helped me cut my total grind time almost in half.
First, equip the Shard Seeker Mod on your secondary weapon. It increases Void Shard drop rate by 22% for all party members, so even if one person has it equipped, everyone benefits. I always make sure to slot this before any Void run, and I’ve gotten as many as 47 shards from a single level 50 Void Intercept run with it active. The mod drops from level 20+ Void Intercept bosses, so you can get it pretty early in your playthrough.
Next, make sure you open every hidden Void Chest in the mission map. Most players only open the end boss chest, but there are 2-3 hidden chests per map that each drop 3-7 extra shards. You can spot them by the faint purple glow coming from wall crevices or behind destructible crates. You don't have to complete all side objectives to access these hidden chests, so you can sneak off to grab them while your squad handles the main mission targets if you're playing with a group. I usually grab all hidden chests before we fight the final boss, and it adds 10-15 extra shards per run on average.
If you have a premium battle pass active, you also get a 15% bonus to all Void Shard drops, which stacks with the Shard Seeker Mod for a total 37% increase per run. That’s worth it if you play at least 10 hours a week, in my opinion, but it’s not required to farm efficiently.
Common Mistakes That Waste Your Time Farming Void Shards
I made almost every possible mistake when I first started farming Void Shards, so I’ve listed the most common ones below to help you avoid the same frustration. Even small mistakes can cut your shard per hour rate in half, so it’s worth paying attention to these details.
The biggest mistake I see new players make is running the lowest difficulty Void Intercept missions because they think they’re faster. The drop rate for lower difficulties is so much lower that you actually get fewer shards per hour overall. Always run the highest difficulty level you can clear consistently—even if it takes 5 extra minutes per run, the extra shards per completion add up way faster. For example, a level 30 Void Intercept run takes 12 minutes on average and gives 25 shards, while a level 10 run takes 8 minutes and only gives 8 shards. That works out to 125 shards per hour for level 30 runs, versus 60 shards per hour for level 10 runs.
Another mistake is hoarding duplicate mods instead of trading them. I had almost 200 rare duplicate mods sitting in my inventory for weeks before I realized I could trade them for 500 Void Shards total, which was enough to unlock two character ascensions immediately. You only need one copy of each rare mod for your build, so any duplicates are just taking up space that could be turned into shards.
Also, don’t forget to claim your weekly Void Hunt rewards every Tuesday reset. I missed three weeks of rewards when I first started playing, which cost me almost 300 Void Shards total. If you’re not sure if you completed all your challenges, you can check the Void tab in your menu any time, even mid-mission.
Smart Ways to Spend Your Void Shards for Maximum Progress
Once you start farming shards consistently, it’s easy to waste them on low-value purchases that don’t help your long-term progress. I’ve made this mistake too, blowing 150 shards on a cosmetic skin right before I needed 200 shards to unlock a critical weapon upgrade. I’ve laid out the best order to spend your shards below to get the most value for your grind.
First, prioritize unlocking new descendant ascension tiers first. Ascending your main character unlocks new passive abilities and increases their base stats by up to 60%, which makes all future farming runs way faster. You’ll be able to clear higher difficulty missions quicker, which means you’ll get even more shards per hour down the line. Next, unlock extra mod slots for your main weapon and build. These slots let you equip more powerful mods that boost your damage and survivability, which also makes farming easier.
Avoid spending Void Shards on temporary stat boosts or cosmetic skins first, unless you have a huge surplus of shards you don’t need for upgrades. Temporary buffs only last for one run, and skins don’t give you any gameplay benefits at all. If you play a lot of multiplayer, you can also spend shards on party-wide buffs for high-difficulty raids, but I only recommend this if you’re running endgame content with a consistent squad. If you’re still working on building your main character, save every shard you get for ascension and weapon mod slots first.
At the end of the day, the best way to farm is to stick to the methods that fit your playstyle, whether that’s grinding Void Intercept runs with friends or trading extra mods when you don’t have a lot of time to play. I’ve used all these tips to cut my Void Shard grind time in half over the last two months, and I haven’t run out of shards for important upgrades since. If you’re just starting out, take it slow, test the different methods to see what works for you, and you’ll master how to get void shards in The First Descendant before you know it.