A New Chapter for the Arknights Universe
Arknights: Endfield takes the beloved Arknights franchise in a completely new direction. Rather than the tower defense gameplay that defined the original, Endfield is an open-world action RPG with real-time combat, base building, resource management, and a sprawling world to explore. Developed by Hypergryph, the game launched in early 2026 and has already attracted a massive player base drawn in by the Arknights name and the promise of something genuinely different.
The transition from tower defense to open-world RPG is a bold one, and it comes with a learning curve even for veteran Arknights players. The game shares its universe and lore with the original, but the moment-to-moment gameplay is entirely different. If you are coming in fresh or crossing over from the original game, this guide covers the core systems you need to understand to get off to a strong start.
Understanding the Core Gameplay Loop
Endfield's gameplay loop revolves around three interconnected pillars: exploration, combat, and base building. You explore the open world to discover resources, story quests, and enemy encampments. Combat encounters reward you with materials and currency. Those materials feed into your base, which produces refined resources, unlocks new technologies, and generates passive income that accelerates your progression.
The open world is divided into distinct biomes, each with its own resource nodes, environmental hazards, and enemy factions. Early areas are relatively forgiving, populated by weaker enemies and abundant gathering points. As you push further from your base, difficulty ramps up considerably, and you will need upgraded characters, better equipment, and strategic base placement to sustain extended expeditions.
Base building is not optional side content. Your base is central to progression. It refines raw materials into crafting components, researches new equipment blueprints, and provides rest bonuses that buff your party before expeditions. Neglecting your base means slower access to better gear and higher-tier character upgrades. Spend time each session checking production queues, queuing research, and expanding your base infrastructure alongside your exploration activities.
Combat System Breakdown
Combat in Endfield is real-time and party-based. You control one character directly while two AI companions fight alongside you, and you can swap your active character at any time during combat. Each character has a basic attack combo, two active skills on cooldown timers, and an ultimate ability that charges through dealing and taking damage.
Elemental interactions play a significant role. Enemies have elemental weaknesses, and hitting those weaknesses with the corresponding element deals bonus damage and can trigger status effects like burn, freeze, or corrosion. Building a party that covers multiple elements ensures you can handle whatever the game throws at you. Running three characters of the same element might work against specific bosses, but it will leave you vulnerable in open-world encounters where enemy variety is unpredictable.
Positioning matters more than you might expect. Many enemy attacks are telegraphed with ground indicators, and dodging at the right moment grants a brief slow-motion window that lets you counter-attack. Boss fights in particular demand careful observation of attack patterns, as getting hit by a full combo can wipe a character in seconds during later content. Play defensively until you learn the patterns, then exploit openings aggressively.
Gacha and Rerolling Tips
Endfield uses a gacha system for character recruitment. The premium currency is called Originium Prime (familiar to Arknights players), and it can be earned through story quests, exploration achievements, daily tasks, and events. The pity system guarantees a six-star character within 60 pulls, with soft pity increasing rates starting at pull 50. The 50/50 system means you have a coin flip chance of getting the featured character versus a standard pool character, with a guarantee on the next six-star if you lose the initial coin flip.
For rerolling, Endfield is relatively generous with starter currency. A new account can typically accumulate enough Originium Prime for 20 to 30 pulls within the first hour of gameplay by completing the tutorial, claiming pre-registration rewards, and opening launch event gifts. If you want to reroll, aim for at least one six-star character from the launch banner. Having a strong damage dealer from the start smooths out early progression significantly.
That said, the game is balanced well enough that four-star and five-star characters can clear all story content comfortably. Six-star characters provide more power and flashier abilities, but they are not required. If you get a character you enjoy playing, invest in them regardless of rarity. Endfield rewards investment in specific characters over spreading resources thin across a wide roster.
How Endfield Compares to the Original Arknights
The two games share a universe but play completely differently. Original Arknights is a strategic tower defense game with auto-deploy mechanics and stage-based progression. Endfield is a real-time action RPG with open-world exploration, manual combat, and base management. The art style is consistent between the two, and several characters from the original appear in Endfield, but gameplay knowledge does not transfer directly.
What does transfer is the world-building. Endfield is set on a new planet within the Arknights universe, and the story explores themes of colonization, resource scarcity, and factional conflict that echo the original game's narrative tone. Lore enthusiasts will find plenty of connections and references, while newcomers can follow the story independently without prior knowledge.
Both games coexist and will continue to receive updates. Hypergryph has confirmed that Endfield is a separate live-service title, not a replacement for the original Arknights. If you enjoy both tower defense and action RPGs, there is no reason not to play both. For top-up purposes, Originium Prime in Endfield is a separate currency from the original game's Orundum, so keep that distinction in mind when purchasing.
