If you’ve spent any time grinding missions in The First Descendant, you’ve probably run into that frustrating wall where you find a perfect new damage or utility module, but you don’t have enough space to equip it. I remember running into this exact issue when I first started playing, 10 hours in, I had a legendary 30% critical damage module I wanted to add to my Viessa build, but I had to choose between removing my shield regen buff or the extra ammo capacity I relied on for long boss fights. Most new players don’t realize just how much of a difference increasing your available slots makes to your overall power, and it’s one of the first progression steps you should prioritize once you finish the opening story missions. In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how to upgrade module capacity in The First Descendant, plus share little-known tricks to get the most out of every slot you unlock.
What Determines Your Base Module Capacity in The First Descendant?
Your starting module capacity is tied directly to your descendant’s level, but that’s only a small part of the total slots you can unlock. Every time you level up your character, you get 1 extra capacity point, but that’s rarely enough to fit all the S-tier modules you’ll pick up from boss fights and mission rewards. For context, a max level 40 character only gets 40 base capacity points from leveling, which is barely enough to fit 3 or 4 legendary modules. You also get bonus capacity based on your account-wide player rank, so even if you’re leveling a new alt character, you’ll have a higher base capacity than you did when you first started the game.
Rarity also impacts how much capacity a module uses, so legendary modules can take up 3 to 5 times more space than common variants of the same effect. A common +5% damage module might only take 2 capacity points, while a legendary +25% damage module of the same type can take up 8 or 9 points, so you’ll need far more space if you want to run a full set of high-tier buffs. It’s also worth noting that different module types have different base costs, so utility modules like shield regen or ammo capacity usually take less space than offensive damage or critical hit modules.
Step-by-Step Process to Upgrade Module Capacity in The First Descendant
Unlocking extra capacity isn’t as complicated as many new players make it out to be, and you can do it in just a few minutes once you have the required materials. I remember I spent 2 weeks ignoring the upgrade button because I thought it was tied to premium currency, but it’s completely free to use as long as you have the right farmable materials. Follow these exact steps every time you want to expand your slots:
- Head to the descendant management terminal in your home base, and select the character you want to upgrade. You can also access this menu from the pause screen when you’re not in an active mission, which saves you a trip back to base if you’re just sorting your loadout between runs.
- Navigate to the module tab, and look for the "Upgrade Capacity" button at the top right of the screen. It’s small and easy to miss, so if you don’t see it right away, make sure you’re not in the module edit mode, as the button only shows up when you’re viewing your full capacity bar.
- Confirm you have the required amount of Module Expansion Shards and credit, then click submit to unlock 5 extra capacity points instantly. The first 4 upgrades only cost 5 shards each, and the cost goes up gradually as you unlock more slots, with the final upgrade costing 30 shards.
You can repeat this process up to 12 times per character, which gives you a total of 60 extra capacity points on top of the ones you get from leveling. That means a max level character with all capacity upgrades can have over 100 total capacity points, which is more than enough to fit 8 to 10 high-tier modules plus a few utility buffs. You don’t have to unlock all upgrades at once, so even if you only have enough materials for one or two upgrades early on, it’s worth doing to fit extra buffs for harder missions. I unlocked my first 3 upgrades before I even hit level 20, and it made the mid-game story missions far less frustrating than they were for my friends who skipped this step.
Best Resources to Farm for Module Capacity Upgrades Fast
The only two materials you need for capacity upgrades are Module Expansion Shards and regular credits, and there are a few easy ways to farm both without spending hours grinding boring missions. The fastest way to get Expansion Shards is to run weekly Void Intercept boss fights, as each clear gives you between 3 and 10 shards depending on the difficulty level. The normal difficulty version is easy to clear even with a mid-level build, and you can run it 3 times a week for a guaranteed 10 to 15 shards per week, which is enough for 2 or 3 capacity upgrades.
You can also get shards as a random reward for turning in duplicate modules to the in-game recycling station, which is a great way to get rid of all the common and uncommon modules you won’t ever use. I usually recycle all my duplicate common and uncommon modules after every 3 or 4 missions, and I get an extra 2 to 5 shards a week from that alone. If you’re short on credits, run low-difficulty supply run missions on repeat, as they only take 5 to 7 minutes each and give you a huge credit payout plus extra materials you can sell for even more cash. You can also sell extra weapon parts and cosmetic items you don’t want to pick up extra credits in a pinch. Just don’t sell any rare modules you might want to use for alts later, as you’ll regret it when you start leveling a new character and don’t have any good low-level modules to equip. If you’re playing with friends, you can also run co-op bounty missions, which give 20% more credits and shards than solo runs, so you can farm materials even faster if you team up with a few people.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Expanding Your Module Slots
A lot of new players make simple mistakes when upgrading their capacity that waste resources and slow down their overall progression, so it’s worth knowing what to watch out for before you spend your hard-earned shards. First, don’t waste your first set of shards on a starter character you don’t plan to main long-term. You can’t transfer capacity upgrades between characters, so any shards you spend on a temporary character are lost forever when you switch to a better descendant. I made this mistake when I first started, I spent 20 shards upgrading my starter Lepic character, then switched to Viessa a day later and had to farm all those shards all over again. That means you should wait until you’ve settled on a main you enjoy playing before you dump all your resources into their capacity.
Another common mistake is ignoring module cost optimization even after you unlock extra slots. You can use module fusing to lower the cost of rare modules by up to 30%, which lets you fit even more buffs into the same amount of space. Fusing two identical modules together raises their level and lowers their overall capacity cost, so it’s worth doing for any high-tier modules you use regularly. You don’t need to fill every single slot right away either, it’s better to have a small set of high-level, synergistic modules than a bunch of random low-tier ones that don’t work well together. Many new players think more slots automatically mean more power, but that’s only true if you’re using the right modules for your build. For example, adding a random melee damage module to a full ranged build won’t help you at all, even if you have extra space to fill. It’s always better to leave a slot empty than fill it with a buff that doesn’t fit your playstyle.
At the end of the day, learning how to upgrade module capacity in The First Descendant is one of the most impactful progression steps you can take to make your main character stronger. You don’t need to grind for hours to unlock all the upgrades, even a few extra slots early on will make a huge difference in how easy it is to clear story missions and low-difficulty boss fights. Take time to farm the required materials when you have a spare 30 minutes, and you’ll be able to build out the exact character loadout you’ve been wanting without having to sacrifice your favorite buffs for extra space. Even if you only play a few hours a week, prioritizing these upgrades will let you keep up with your friends who play more often, and you’ll have a far easier time tackling endgame content when you get to it. Don’t make the same mistake I did and ignore this feature for weeks, you’ll be shocked at how much stronger your character feels after just one or two capacity upgrades.