If you’ve spent even a few hours running missions in The First Descendant, you’ve probably hit that frustrating wall where leveling slows to a crawl, even when you’re grinding nonstop. Many new players waste hours on low-reward tasks that don’t move their level bar nearly as much as they expect, and it’s easy to get discouraged when stronger enemies keep one-shotting you before you can unlock better skills. Figuring out how to level up in the first descendant doesn’t have to involve endless, mindless grinding, though — with the right approach, you can cut your grind time in half while unlocking more powerful gear and characters along the way.
How to Level Up in The First Descendant: Prioritize High-XP Mission Types First
The first rule of how to level up in The First Descendant efficiently is to stop running random side missions just because they pop up on your map. Story missions are great for your first few hours of play, since they give huge XP payouts and unlock core game mechanics, but once you finish the main story arc, you’ll get way more XP per minute from void intercepts and boss raids. These missions are designed for group play, and they reward you with far more experience, rare gear, and resources than standard side or open-world patrol missions.
Always check the XP multiplier listed on the mission card before queuing, because event missions often have 2x or 3x XP boosts that you don’t want to miss. Group missions also give a 15% XP bonus per extra player, so queuing with a squad is almost always better than solo, even if you can clear missions alone. If you do prefer playing solo, stick to extermination missions instead of defense missions, since they finish 30% faster on average for a nearly identical XP payout.
Optimize Your Resource Farming to Unlock Level Up Bonuses Faster
Many players overlook resource farming when they’re figuring out how to level up in The First Descendant, but it’s a critical part of fast progression. Leveling up isn’t just about earning XP, after all — you need resources to upgrade your characters and weapons, which let you take on higher difficulty missions that give even more XP. You don’t have to set aside entire sessions just to farm, either; just make a point to pick up every resource node you pass during regular missions, even if you don’t think you need the material right now.
Focus on farming enhancement ores and reactor parts first, since these are the most commonly needed materials for both character and weapon upgrades. If you need a short break between long farming runs to reset your focus, there are plenty of low-stakes casual games you can play for 5 to 10 minutes without pulling you away from your grind for too long. Many players I know opt for quick, casual spin games when they’re waiting for their squad to queue up for a raid, and Yono Slots is a popular pick that fits perfectly into those short gaps between missions. Just make sure you don’t get too distracted and forget to join your squad when the queue pops, or you’ll end up wasting more time than you planned.
The most valuable resources to prioritize for fast leveling are:
All of these resources drop naturally from the high-XP missions you’re already running, as long as you take 10 extra seconds to loot chests and resource nodes along the way. You can also get bonus stacks of all these materials from daily and weekly challenge rewards, so don’t skip those.
Max Out Your Character and Weapon XP Gains With Simple Buffs
There are tons of small, easy-to-miss buffs that can boost your XP gains by 100% or more when stacked together, and most of them are available for free if you know where to look. The in-game cash shop sells XP boost potions that give 50% extra XP for 30 minutes, and you can often get these for free from event rewards and daily login bonuses, so don’t waste them on low-difficulty missions. Always pop an XP boost right before you start a long session of high-XP raids or event missions to get the most value out of it.
You can also equip XP boost modules on your active character for an extra 10% to 20% XP gain, and that stacks with potion buffs and group buffs for massive total bonuses. Make sure you’re equipping your highest rarity gear on your main character at all times, even if you prefer the playstyle of a lower rarity weapon, because the extra damage will let you clear missions much faster. If you want to level up secondary characters, you can bring them as support in squad missions, since they still get 70% of the total XP even if you’re not actively playing them, so you don’t have to split your grind time between multiple characters.
Avoid These Common Leveling Mistakes That Slow Your Progress
Even if you follow all the right strategies, small mistakes can cut your leveling speed in half without you even noticing. The most common mistake new players make is wasting time upgrading low-rarity gear, because you’ll replace it within a few levels anyway, and the resources you spend on it are better used on higher rarity gear that you can keep for dozens of levels. Never run missions that are more than 2 levels below your current level, because the XP payout is reduced by 70% or more, so you’re basically wasting your time.
Another big mistake is ignoring daily and weekly challenges, which give massive XP rewards that are often equal to running 3 or 4 regular missions. Even if you only have 15 minutes to play each day, knocking out your 2 daily challenges will give you way more progress than running random side missions. You also don’t want to skip the tutorial for new game modes, because they often give a one-time XP reward that’s worth thousands of points, and you’ll learn how to play the mode better so you can clear it faster for more XP later.
At the end of the day, the fastest way to progress is to focus on high-reward activities, use your buffs strategically, and avoid wasting time on low-value tasks that don’t move the needle. You don’t have to grind 12 hours a day to get to max level, either — even 1 or 2 hours of focused play each day using the tips we’ve covered will get you there much faster than mindless grinding for half the day. Once you get the hang of how to level up in the first descendant, you’ll be able to unlock every character, beat every raid, and dominate every match without the frustration of slow progress holding you back.