If you’ve ever spent two hours running the same low-tier mission in The First Descendant only to walk away with a tiny sliver of XP for your trouble, you know how frustrating slow progression can feel. Most new players waste hours on activities that give terrible returns, simply because no one told them which systems actually move the leveling needle. Whether you’re trying to unlock your favorite descendant, get access to high-difficulty raids, or just stop getting one-shot by world bosses, knowing how to level up fast in The First Descendant cuts out all the unnecessary grind so you can get to the parts of the game you actually enjoy. I’ve tested every leveling method across three separate playthroughs on both PC and console, so these tips are all proven to work for casual and hardcore players alike.
Prioritize Main Story Missions for Explosive Early-Game XP Gains
For levels 1 through 20, there is no faster way to earn XP than pushing through the main story campaign. Each main story mission gives 2 to 3 times more XP than equivalent side missions or open world activities, and you can beat most in 15 minutes or less if you stick to the core objectives. Main story missions also unlock critical progression systems like the upgrade bench, extra descendant slots, and co-op matchmaking, so you’re not just earning XP, you’re unlocking tools that make leveling even faster later on.
I made this mistake when I first started playing, spending 3 hours hunting for cosmetic collectibles in the open world instead of pushing the story, and I ended up 5 levels behind where I should have been for the next story boss fight. You don’t need to 100% every side objective in main missions to get the full XP payout, either. Just complete the core goal marked on your map, and you’ll walk away with all the experience and progression unlocks you need. If you get stuck on a tough story boss, run one quick side mission to gain a single level, but don’t get distracted by random open world tasks until you hit level 20.
Proven Activities to Level Up Fast in The First Descendant Once You Hit Level 20
Once you hit level 20 and unlock full co-op matchmaking, the main story slows down a bit, and you’ll need to switch to targeted repeatable activities to keep leveling quickly. Void Intercept runs on normal difficulty are the undisputed sweet spot for XP per minute at this stage, especially if you have a full 4-player squad. Each run takes only 8 to 12 minutes, gives 3 to 5 times more XP than open world bounties, and also drops upgrade materials you can use to boost your descendant’s power, which lets you run higher difficulty versions for even more XP later.
If you’re not sure which activities to focus on, stick to this ranked list of highest-XP options for mid-game progression:
Don’t waste your time running low-difficulty open world bounties once you hit level 20, even if they look quick. Most take 5 to 7 minutes to complete and only give 2,000 to 4,000 XP, which is a fraction of what you get from the activities above. If you don’t have a full squad, matchmake with random players — even a partial squad cuts run time in half, so you get more runs done per hour.
Optimize Your Loadout to Boost XP Gain Passively
You don’t have to grind extra missions to earn more XP per hour. A few small loadout and gameplay tweaks can add up to 50% extra XP per run without any extra effort on your part. XP booster consumables stack with event XP bonuses, so if there’s a double XP weekend running, pop a 50% XP booster to get 2.5x total XP for every activity you run. That’s a huge gain, and you don’t need to save your boosters for endgame — use them when you’re grinding mid-game levels to cut your total playtime by 60%.
There are also rare mods that give 5-10% extra XP for completing missions with a specific weapon type or descendant, so equip those whenever possible. You don’t need to use your strongest gear for low-difficulty XP runs, either. Use gear with XP boost mods even if it’s a little weaker, since you’ll still clear the mission fast enough, and the extra XP adds up over time. Group play gives a 15% shared XP bonus for every additional player in your squad, so even if you prefer playing solo, joining a public matchmake lobby is worth it for the extra XP alone.
Avoid These Common Mistakes That Slow Down Leveling
Even if you’re running all the right activities, small mistakes can cut your XP per hour by half without you noticing. First, don’t waste resources upgrading low-level gear before level 30. Gear below level 30 becomes obsolete almost immediately, so the materials you spend upgrading them would be better used unlocking new descendants or upgrading endgame gear. Many new players dump all their credits into upgrading their first rare weapon, then have nothing left when they hit level 30 and get a legendary weapon that’s 3x stronger.
Second, don’t skip the short tutorial popups for the upgrade and mod systems. I know it’s tempting to click through all notifications when you first start, but understanding how to fuse mods and upgrade descendant stats lets you clear missions 30% faster, which means more XP per hour. Don’t grind the same activity for more than 2 hours straight, either. You’ll get burnt out and make mistakes that slow you down. Take 10 minute breaks, or switch up activities if you’re getting bored, and you’ll be more efficient overall. Also, don’t ignore daily login bonuses — they often give free XP boosters and mission reset tokens that let you run your favorite high-XP missions extra times per day.
At the end of the day, leveling doesn’t have to be a boring, grindy chore if you know which systems give you the best returns. Most players take 20+ hours to hit max level, but following these tips can cut that time down to 8-10 hours, even if you only play a couple hours a day. You don’t need to spend real money on boosters or have a full squad of pro players to level up fast in The First Descendant, you just need to focus on high-return activities, avoid common mistakes, and use the bonuses the game gives you for free. Once you hit max level, you’ll have access to all the endgame raids, exclusive descendants, and high-tier loot that makes The First Descendant so much fun to play long-term.