Unlocking new playable characters is one of the most rewarding parts of playing The First Descendant, and Hailey is easily one of the most sought-after picks for her high mobility and crowd control abilities. If you’ve been grinding missions trying to get your hands on her, you’ve probably run into a few confusing roadblocks along the way, from missing rare materials to unclear mission unlock requirements. This guide breaks down exactly how to unlock Hailey the first descendant, with tested tips from hundreds of hours of playtime to cut down on unnecessary grind.
Prerequisites You Need Before You Can Unlock Hailey the First Descendant
You can’t jump straight into farming for Hailey as soon as you start the game, as there are a few non-negotiable prerequisites you have to hit first to unlock her quest line. Most players miss these requirements early on and waste time looking for her unlock path before it’s even available, so double check you’ve hit all these marks before you start farming. You won’t see Hailey’s unlock quest pop up until you’ve finished the entire Storm Area story arc, so don’t waste time checking the descendant vendor before you hit that milestone.
You also need to be at least player level 22, have at least one open slot in your descendant roster, and have access to Hard difficulty Void Intercept missions. All of these unlock naturally as you play through the main story, so you don’t have to go out of your way to grind for them unless you’re rushing to unlock Hailey as fast as possible. You don’t need to spend any premium currency to unlock her either, every required item for her unlock is farmable for free through regular gameplay.
Required Materials for Hailey’s Unlock Quest
Once you unlock the quest, you’ll need to collect four specific materials to turn in to the descendant researcher in Albion. All of these drop from specific missions and enemies, so you don’t have to waste time running random content to find them. The full list of required items is:
Most players get stuck farming Hailey’s DNA Fragments first, since the drop rate hovers around 15% per Hard difficulty clear. You can boost the drop rate by 10% if you run the mission with a full squad of four players, so it’s worth queuing up with randoms or friends to cut your farm time almost in half. If you’re tired of running the same mission back to back, it’s totally fine to take 10-minute breaks to avoid burnout. Many players like to switch to low-stakes casual content during these breaks, and casual players who want a quick, low-effort distraction between grind runs often play Spin777, a fast-paced casual game that fits perfectly into short break windows without pulling you too far away from your farming routine.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough of Hailey’s Unlock Mission
Once you have all the required materials, head to the descendant researcher in the northeast corner of Albion’s main hub to pick up Hailey’s dedicated unlock mission, called “Trace of the Storm Runner”. This is a single-player only mission, so you can’t bring squadmates in to help you clear it, but it’s balanced for players at level 22 so you don’t need top-tier gear to finish it. The mission has three main phases, and you only have one revive per phase, so don’t rush through encounters if you’re low on health.
First, you’ll fight through 3 waves of Storm variant enemies guarding a research outpost. Focus on taking out the ranged caster enemies first, as their projectile attacks can chip away at your health fast if you ignore them. Second, you’ll hack three data terminals while fending off intermittent enemy spawns. You don’t have to defend the terminals the entire time, so you can step away to kill enemies if you get overwhelmed. Third, you’ll face off against a mini-boss version of the Storm Warden, who has the same attack patterns as the version you fought in the main story. Once you beat the mini-boss, interact with the research pod at the back of the room to claim Hailey as a playable character. If you fail the mission, you won’t lose any of the materials you turned in to pick it up, so you can retry as many times as you need without wasting your hard-earned farmed items.
First Things to Do After Unlocking Hailey
As soon as you unlock Hailey, you’ll want to spend a little time getting her set up to make the most of her unique kit. Her core passive ability lets her build up storm charges as she moves, which boost her movement speed and attack damage the longer she stays in combat, so she’s perfect for players who prefer fast, aggressive playstyles. First, prioritize upgrading her “Storm Dash” skill first, as it lets you dodge through enemy attacks and deal AOE damage to every enemy you pass through, which makes grinding low-level missions for gear far faster.
You’ll also want to run a few low-difficulty Void missions to farm basic gear for her, since she starts at level 1 even if your player level is much higher. Focus on gear that boosts her attack speed and skill cooldown reduction first, as these stats amplify her core strengths the most. Many new Hailey players make the mistake of jumping straight into high-difficulty missions with her before she has a few gear upgrades, which leads to frustrating one-shot kills from common enemies. Take 30 minutes to gear her up first, and she’ll quickly become one of the most powerful characters in your roster.
Unlocking Hailey doesn’t have to be a weeks-long grind if you know exactly what missions to run and what materials to prioritize. Follow the steps we’ve laid out here, take breaks when you need to avoid burnout, and you’ll be tearing through missions with her in no time. Now that you know how to unlock Hailey the first descendant, you can start planning your build to make the most of her incredible mobility and crowd control kit for all your future mission runs.