If you’ve spent even a few hours running missions in The First Descendant, you’ve probably stumbled across a locked metal container tucked in a corner of a map, and wondered what is an encrypted storage box in The First Descendant, and why you should bother tracking it down. I’ve spent over 120 hours grinding every mission type in the game, and I can tell you these unassuming boxes are one of the best sources of endgame upgrade materials you can find without fighting world bosses. A lot of new players skip them entirely because they don’t know how to unlock them, or assume the loot isn’t worth the effort, but that’s a mistake that can slow your progression down by weeks.
What is an Encrypted Storage Box in The First Descendant, Exactly?
At its core, it’s a hidden, locked loot container that spawns in all mission types except linear story instances, with spawn locations randomized per run. They’re not marked on your map by default, so you have to keep an eye out for their distinct silver and blue metal casing, usually hidden behind crates, in underground tunnels, or on high ledges that require parkour to reach. Each encrypted storage box has a security level from 1 to 3, and higher level boxes require higher tier decryption keys to open, but offer far better rewards.
I once missed three level 3 boxes in a single Void Intercept mission because I was too focused on rushing the objective, and kicked myself when I realized I passed up three chances at rare weapon mod blueprints. The good news is you don’t need any special character abilities to spot them, just a little extra attention to your surroundings as you move through maps. The quality of loot you get from an encrypted storage box is directly tied to its security level, so it’s always worth checking what tier a box is before you walk away.
What Loot Can You Get From Encrypted Storage Boxes?
The rewards scale with both the box’s security level and your current player rank, so you’ll never get useless low-tier drops when you’re farming endgame content. Level 1 boxes usually drop basic upgrade materials, low-tier common mods, and small stacks of gold, which might not seem exciting at first, but they add up fast over multiple runs. Level 2 boxes step up the rewards to include rare upgrade materials, mid-tier weapon and descendant mods, and blue crafting components for 4-star weapons that can carry you through most mid-game content.
Level 3 boxes are where the real value lies. These can drop 5-star weapon mod blueprints, rare descendant awakening materials, premium currency vouchers, and even exclusive cosmetic skins you can’t get anywhere else in the game. There’s also a 10% chance any box will drop a decryption key for a higher tier box, so opening even low level ones is worth the few seconds it takes. There are no pay-to-win requirements to unlock these boxes, and you can get every type of key just by playing regular missions without spending any real money. From my own tracking across 40 opened level 3 boxes, 22 of them dropped at least one 5-star mod, which is a far higher drop rate than you get from regular boss chests.
How to Find and Unlock Encrypted Storage Boxes Faster
You don’t have to wander around maps blindly to find these boxes. There are a few simple tricks I use to cut down my search time by 70% on every run, and most players don’t know about half of them. When you’re specifically hunting for an encrypted storage box, stick to Void Intercept and Supply Run missions first, as they have twice as many box spawns as regular defense or story missions. The following tips will make your farm far more efficient:
- Turn up your in-game volume: Encrypted storage boxes emit a faint, high-pitched beeping sound when you’re within 20 meters of them, so you can hear them even if they’re hidden behind walls or piles of crates.
- Prioritize off-the-beaten-path areas: Boxes almost never spawn near main mission objectives, so check side rooms, upper catwalks, and hidden cave areas first before starting your main mission tasks.
- Farm decryption keys from regular enemy drops: Low level keys drop from standard mobs, mid-tier keys from elite enemies, and high-tier keys from minibosses, so you don’t have to spend premium currency to buy them from the in-game shop.
You don’t have to unlock a box as soon as you find it, either. If you don’t have the right key for a level 3 box you stumble across, you can mark its location on your map, finish your mission, and come back for it later in a free roam run. That’s a trick most new players don’t know, and it saves you from wasting high tier keys on low level boxes by mistake. I usually keep a running note of any high tier boxes I can’t open right away, and hit them all in one 10 minute free roam run once I have enough keys saved up.
Common Mistakes to Avoid With Encrypted Storage Boxes
A lot of players make simple errors that cost them hundreds of dollars worth of rare materials over time, so I’ve compiled the most common ones to skip. First, don’t waste high tier keys on low level boxes. I’ve seen new players use a level 3 key on a level 1 box just because they didn’t check the security level first, and that’s a huge waste, since level 3 keys are far rarer to find. Take two extra seconds to look at the number on the front of the box before you use a key, and you’ll save yourself a lot of frustration.
Second, don’t skip boxes just because you’re in a hurry to finish a mission. Even a level 1 box can drop a level 3 key, which can get you a 5-star mod worth hours of grinding later. Rushing objectives might save you a minute or two per run, but you’ll miss out on way more value in the long run. Never sell extra decryption keys for gold, even if you think you have too many. You’ll burn through them faster than you think once you start farming endgame missions, and buying them from the shop costs premium currency that’s better spent on character slots or cosmetic skins.
Third, don’t assume you can’t reach a box just because it’s on a high ledge. Most high up boxes are accessible with a little parkour, or by using a descendant with movement abilities like grappling hooks or double jumps. I once spent 5 minutes climbing a broken factory tower to get a level 3 box, and it dropped a 5-star mod that doubled my main character’s damage output, so the effort was more than worth it.
At the end of the day, taking the extra 2 minutes to search for and open hidden containers during your missions is one of the easiest ways to speed up your progression, and now that you know what is an encrypted storage box in The First Descendant, you can start taking advantage of these often-overlooked loot sources. You don’t have to go out of your way to farm them nonstop, but keeping an eye out for them during your regular mission runs will net you far more rare materials than you’d get from just rushing objectives alone. If you’ve had any lucky drops from these boxes in your runs, feel free to share them in the comments below to help other players know what to look out for.