If you have ever opened the Endfield mission log and wondered what half the tabs mean, you are not alone. The game splits its content across six mission buckets — Main Missions, Side Missions, Exploration Missions, Operator Side Missions, Commissions, and Daily Tasks — and the story of how many chapters there really are depends on which bucket you are looking at. This story order guide walks through every mission type, the recommended order to clear them, and where puzzles, boss fights, and farming loops fit into the picture.
How Many Chapters Are in the Main Story?
The short answer is that the Main Missions of Arknights: Endfield are delivered as a continuous chapter sequence rather than discrete numbered acts. The narrative opens on Talos-II, a Terra-colonised moon whose Cosmic Gate collapsed during the Aggeloi War roughly 152 years before the player arrives, and the chapter beats roll out in the order of the Endministrator's investigation, the Protocol Recycling Department rollout, and the introduction of each new region.
Chapter Structure at a Glance
The table below summarises the main story milestones as the official game scripts them. Because the chapter labels are tied to the in-game log rather than a flat number, the practical answer to "how many chapters" is "as many as the next system gate allows."
| Story Beat | Approx. Trigger | What Unlocks After |
|---|---|---|
| Endministrator onboarding | Tutorial complete | First base of operations + crafting bench |
| Talos-II surface survey | Reach the first industrial zone | Exploration Missions for that region |
| Perlica debrief arc | Clear first boss-tier enemy | Operator Side Missions for recruited units |
| Aggeloi War flashback | Mid-game gate | Crafting tiers 2 and 3 |
| Endfield Engineering Center arc | Late-game gate | Tier 4 crafting + endgame commissions |
| Originium crisis finale | Current patch cap | Continues with future updates |
Community data from launch and early patches suggests the main story sits at around eight to ten chapter beats through the current patch cap, with each beat gating the next region or crafting tier. Because Hypergryph rolls out chapters on a patch schedule rather than dropping them all at once, the chapter count grows over time.
Why the Chapter Count Changes
Each major patch adds at least one new chapter beat tied to either a new region or a new crafting tier. Players who only count the beats visible in their own log will always see a smaller number than wiki-style "total chapter" lists, because the wiki totals include every beat that has shipped on any server to date. The Game8's Endfield page on Interactive Map tracks the live count and is a good reference when a new patch drops.
Mission Types Beyond the Main Story
The main story is only one of the six buckets the game uses to organise content. Players who want to know the full shape of the game — and avoid running out of stamina with nothing to do — should learn the difference between each mission type. This section pairs with the broader progression and combat guide because the mission types are how progression actually flows.
The Six Mission Buckets
| Mission Type | Purpose | Reset / Repeat | Typical Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Missions | Drive the story and unlock new systems | One-time | Crafting tiers, region access, story XP |
| Side Missions | Worldbuilding side stories in each region | One-time | Operator bond XP, region currency, small mats |
| Exploration Missions | Open the map in a new region | One-time | Map reveals, fast-travel points, chest rewards |
| Operator Side Missions | Personal stories for each recruited operator | One-time per operator | Bond levels, exclusive weapon materials, lore |
| Commissions | Repeatable contracts posted on the bulletin board | Daily / weekly | Credits, Oroberyl, Arsenal Tickets, crafting mats |
| Daily Tasks | Rotating checklist of lightweight objectives | Daily | Stamina refills, Oroberyl pouches, recruit tokens |
Why the Game Uses Six Buckets
Separating the buckets keeps the mission log readable and lets the studio tune each loop independently. Main missions gate systems, side and operator missions feed character progression, exploration missions unlock the world, and the commission plus daily task loops supply the repeatable income that funds everything else. According to community testing reported by players, mixing all six buckets is what keeps the stamina bar moving in the right direction.
Story Order Guide: The Recommended Clear Path
There is a soft order the game expects you to follow, and the order matters because some mission types only become available after specific main story gates. The recommended path is a story order guide that prevents wasted stamina and keeps the reward flow steady.
Phase 1 — Unlock Systems (Main Missions Only)
Spend the first stretch pushing Main Missions until a system gate appears. Common gates include unlocking the crafting bench, opening the Endfield Engineering Center, and triggering the first boss-tier enemy. Resist the urge to wander into side missions during this phase, because they are quicker to clear later when your operator levels are higher and the bond XP is more valuable.
Phase 2 — Mixed Buckets (Main + Side + Operator)
After the first system gate, drop into the side and operator missions available in your current region. This phase is the heart of the quest guide, because each side mission feeds operator bond XP and each operator side mission unlocks a small chunk of exclusive weapon material. Clear these in region order so you do not have to backtrack.
Phase 3 — Open the Map (Exploration Missions)
Once a new region becomes available, switch into Exploration Missions to reveal fast-travel points, gather chests, and finish the puzzle chains tied to that area. Exploration missions are where most of the puzzle guide content lives, because the puzzles are baked into the map reveals rather than the mission log.
Phase 4 — Repeatable Loops (Commissions + Daily Tasks)
When the story gate pauses for level or gear reasons, the loop switches to Commissions and Daily Tasks. This is the part of the game that funds upgrades, and the daily checklist and stamina priority guide explains how to route commissions for the best Oroberyl-to-stamina ratio.
| Phase | Mission Type Priority | Skip If… |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Main Missions | You have hit a level gate and cannot progress |
| 2 | Side + Operator Side Missions | You are still under the recommended level for the next main mission |
| 3 | Exploration Missions | The region is already 100% revealed |
| 4 | Commissions + Daily Tasks | Stamina is full and main story is paused |
Operator Side Missions and Character Progression
Every recruited operator ships with a personal mission chain. These chains are the primary way the game teaches each character's kit, because the dialogue is written around a specific tactical skill or ultimate you have already unlocked. Operator missions also gate the highest bond levels, which feed back into the base stats of the operator.
How Operator Side Missions Unlock
Operator side missions become available the first time that operator is added to your roster. The mission tracker lists each operator with a small icon showing whether the chain is locked, available, or completed. According to player reports, the first operator you recruit from the gacha has a shorter introductory chain, while the longer chains are reserved for the rarer units.
| Operator Tier | Typical Chain Length | Exclusive Reward |
|---|---|---|
| 6-star flagship operator | 5 to 6 steps | Signature weapon material + bond 5 unlock |
| 5-star | 3 to 4 steps | Bond 3 unlock + small weapon mat |
| 4-star and lower | 2 to 3 steps | Bond 2 unlock + minor crafting mat |
Why Operator Missions Matter for the Puzzle Guide
Some operator side missions are gated behind exploration milestones, which means the puzzle guide content of the region feeds operator progression. Clear the map, clear the operator chain, and the region feels finished. Skipping either side leaves rewards on the table, especially the bond levels that improve your team at the hardest difficulty tiers.
Puzzles, Boss Fights, and Exploration
Exploration missions are where the game's puzzle content lives. The mechanics vary by region, but most puzzle chains in Endfield follow a small set of repeatable patterns: activate a terminal, route power through a conduit, restore a broken originium node, or solve a timing-based switch sequence. Because each puzzle is tied to a map reveal, the natural way to clear them is to walk the region rather than chase the mission log.
Common Puzzle Categories
| Puzzle Type | What You Do | Common Trap |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal sync | Activate terminals in the right order | Missing the optional terminal in a side room |
| Power conduit | Route originium power from a node to a switch | Power routing resets when you reload the area |
| Originium node | Repair a broken node by defeating nearby enemies | Enemies respawn in waves after the first clear |
| Timing switch | Stand on pressure plates in sequence | Timer too short for solo players on small teams |
| Locked chest | Combine a key fragment with a hidden switch | Key fragment is in an adjacent region, not the same area |
Boss Fights Inside Exploration
Some exploration missions end in a boss-tier enemy. The recommended approach is to use the shared three-segment skill gauge to land a tactical skill for stagger, refill the gauge with heavy attacks, then chain combos and the ultimate inside the imbalance window, which is the same pattern described in the combat system and combo chaining guide. Bosses are also where the puzzle guide overlaps with the combat guide, because many of them have a phase transition that requires solving a small environmental puzzle before damage can resume.
Commission Loops, Daily Tasks, and the Endgame Routine
Once the main story hits its current patch cap, the game leans on commissions and daily tasks to keep the economy moving. This is also where the account and reroll choices you made at the start begin to pay off, because the stamina efficiency of your loop depends on the operators you recruited early.
Commission Categories
| Commission Tier | Recommended Level | Primary Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Any | Credits, minor crafting mats |
| Tier 2 | Mid-game | Oroberyl, mid-tier crafting mats |
| Tier 3 | Late-game | Arsenal Tickets, Oroberyl pouches, weapon XP |
| Tier 4 | Endgame | High-tier weapon mats, exclusive upgrade tokens |
Daily Task Checklist
Daily tasks are short, lightweight objectives that refresh on a 24-hour cycle. Most players knock them out at the start of a session to keep the stamina refill timer on schedule. The full checklist, including which tasks give the most Oroberyl per minute, is covered in the daily checklist and credits farming guide.
The Endgame Loop
The endgame loop is essentially a story order guide in miniature. Clear the highest-tier commissions your level allows, finish the daily tasks before they reset, then pour the rewards into whichever operator or weapon you are upgrading that week. On patch days, the loop briefly shifts to push the new main mission as far as possible before the next system gate, and the cycle repeats. Players who follow this loop report a steady progression curve that does not stall, which is exactly what the developers intended when they split the game into the six mission buckets described in the official progression order guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many chapters does the main story of Arknights: Endfield have right now?
The main story currently ships around eight to ten chapter beats through the latest patch cap, but because the chapter count grows with each update the live number depends on the patch your server is running. The mission log in-game shows the beats you have unlocked, and the chapter count climbs as Hypergryph adds new regions and crafting tiers.
What is the recommended order to clear missions in Arknights: Endfield?
Push Main Missions until a system gate appears, then sweep Side Missions and Operator Side Missions in the same region before moving on. When the next region opens, switch into Exploration Missions to reveal the map and clear the puzzles, and spend the rest of your stamina on Commissions and Daily Tasks. This order matches the soft progression path the studio tuned the mission log around.
Are puzzles part of the side quest guide or the main story?
Puzzles are baked into Exploration Missions rather than the side or main mission logs, which is why they are usually cleared by walking the region. The relevant side quest guide entries for a region appear once the map is revealed, so the most efficient route is exploration first, side missions second, operator missions last.
Do operator side missions give the best rewards in the game?
Operator side missions give some of the best bond XP and exclusive weapon materials in the game, especially for the 6-star flagship operators. They are not the most Oroberyl-efficient missions — that title goes to tier 3 and tier 4 commissions — but the exclusive weapon materials are unique to each chain and cannot be farmed elsewhere.
Should I clear every side quest before pushing the main story?
Not necessarily. Clearing side quests after the first system gate is the most efficient path, because the bond XP and crafting material rewards scale with your operator levels. Holding every side quest until post-game is a valid but slower playstyle, and most community guides recommend a mixed approach instead.