Artifacts & Abyss Fragments

Overview

Crimson Desert uses a gear-based progression system with no XP bar or traditional levels. Character growth centers on Fragments of the Abyss (also called Abyss Fragments), special resources acquired through exploration, quests, and boss defeats. These fragments upgrade core stats (health, stamina, attack, defense) and enhance or unlock skills.

There is no traditional level grinding. Growth ties to exploration, quest completion, and challenging encounters. A player who explores thoroughly and defeats optional bosses will be significantly stronger than one who rushes the main story.

Abyss Fragments

Abyss Fragments are the primary progression resource. They are used to:

• Upgrade core stats (health, stamina, attack, defense, Abyss affinity)

• Unlock new combat skills and abilities

• Enhance existing skills to higher tiers

• Power the Axiom Bracelet's elemental abilities

• Upgrade traversal capabilities (improved stamina for sprinting, gliding, and chaining grapples)

Sealed Abyss Artifacts

A rarer variant of Abyss Fragments. These sealed artifacts are more powerful and typically found in harder-to-reach locations, from challenging bosses, or deep within Abyss Dungeons.

Instant skill reset

Crimson Desert includes an instant skill reset function that allows players to redistribute their Abyss Artifacts at any time. In gameplay footage, this is performed by holding the square button (on PlayStation). There is no cost, cooldown, or penalty for resetting. You are never locked into a build.

This flexible build crafting system encourages experimentation. Try a strength-focused melee build, reset, and try an elemental magic build. Try investing heavily in stamina for grapple chains and traversal, reset, and put everything into raw damage. The game does not punish you for changing your mind.

Gear stats and augments

Weapons and equipment have stat properties and modification slots. Confirmed gear stats include:

Gear is crafted from materials obtained through mining and hunting. This is not a Diablo-style random loot system. You find blueprints, gather specific materials, and craft gear at stations. See Crafting for the full gear acquisition breakdown.

Named artifacts and abilities

Confirmed artifact-linked abilities include:

Discovery-based skill learning

Some skills are not unlocked through artifacts. Instead, they require discovery-based learning: you must personally witness a technique being used in the world before you can learn it. This "blue mage" approach means watching an NPC perform a belly flop AoE attack, for example, teaches Kliff that same technique. The knowledge system tracks what you have observed.

Boss weapons and signature abilities

Defeating bosses yields exclusive equipment, costumes, and the ability to use that boss's signature techniques. Boss weapons come with their own unique moves that are tied to the weapon itself. Equipping a boss weapon gives you access to that boss's fighting style. This means every boss fight has a tangible, unique reward.

How to obtain artifacts

Artifacts come from seven confirmed sources:

1. Quest rewards (main story and side quests)

2. Boss defeats (major and challenge bosses)

3. Territory liberation and faction quests

4. Exploration discoveries (hidden locations, caves, ruins)

5. Traces of the Abyss encounters

6. Abyss realm exploration (floating islands and dungeons)

7. Reflecting sword light (specific puzzle interactions)