The First Descendant Trials Unlock, Codes, Rounds, and Rewards

AT A GLANCE

How Season 4's repeatable rogue-lite mode works and where to enter it.

Enter Trials from the icon on the right side of the Map or from Laboratory Manager Siena in Albion. Unlock Hard Difficulty by completing The Stance of the Magisters; public play requires 83,980 Arche Activity.

How a run works

1. 01Clear connected zonesMove through the randomly connected route
2. 02Select a Variable CodeThe choice shapes later build options
3. 03Defeat the CommanderCompletes the current round
4. 04Continue or EscapeKeep effects for a harder round, or end the mission
5. 05Up to four roundsUp to 20 Variable Code choices across the run

Clear connected zones→Select a Variable CodeSelect a Variable Code→Defeat the CommanderDefeat the Commander→Continue or EscapeContinue or Escape→continueUp to four rounds

Read the route as text

1. Clear connected zonesMove through the randomly connected route
2. Select a Variable CodeThe choice shapes later build options
3. Defeat the CommanderCompletes the current round
4. Continue or EscapeKeep effects for a harder round, or end the mission
5. Up to four roundsUp to 20 Variable Code choices across the run

1. Start a round and clear its connected combat zones.
2. Use portals to move through a randomly connected route.
3. Select a Variable Code after zones to strengthen the run.
4. Defeat the Commander to finish the round.
5. Choose Continue for a harder round while keeping selected effects, or Escape to end the mission.

The update describes four runs/rounds with increasing difficulty and a total of up to 20 Variable Code choices. Random routing means two runs can present different combat sequences.

Variable Codes

Codes range through Common, Rare, Ultimate, and Transcendent tiers. Selection also influences what traits are more likely to appear later, so early choices shape the build rather than merely adding flat stats.

Named Transcendent examples include Snare Shot, First Shot Explosion, Powder Keg, Skill Enhancement: Auto Load, and Infinite Magazine. The exact best choice depends on the equipped build and later options.

Optional Cracked Fissure

A Cracked Fissure can appear during a mission. Activating it starts an optional Tyrant fight without advancing the current Trials objective. The published reward is 15 Merit Tokens and 60 Superconductive Cooling Units.

Rotational Build

Rotational Build supplies a developer-configured Descendant, weapons, reactor, external components, Fellow, and Arche Tuning setup. It is useful when a player's current Descendant is below the requirement or when testing the mode without a complete personal build. The update says Weapon Proficiency and EXP are not earned while using it; separate Rotational Build rewards apply.

Current fix status

• Hotfix 1.4.0b improved Trials EXP rewards.
• Hotfix 1.4.1b fixed abnormal additional-damage calculation for HP Imprint and Shield Imprint Variable Codes.
• Update 1.4.3 reduced the Escape wait after a round from 100 seconds to 20 seconds, standardized the first-zone facing direction, corrected event-challenge judgment when using Rotational Build, and fixed reroll, Gold-display, and small Variable Code text issues.

Damage tests recorded before the August 28 hotfix should be repeated before becoming build advice.

Patch 1.4.2 adds the separate Karel's Mothership Conquest cycle; it does not replace the Trials map/Siena entry path described above. If you are looking for Conquest, do not troubleshoot the Trials unlock or its Arche Activity requirement.

Sources & evidenceOpen the references used for this page

• Update 1.4.0 Trials details
• Season 4 developer stream summary
• August known issues and hotfix status
• Patch 1.4.2
• September known issues
• Update 1.4.3 Trials fixes