How to Get Unlimited Abyss Artifacts in Crimson Desert Patch 2.02.00

TL;DR

Abyss Artifacts are your skill points in Crimson Desert — you need a lot of them.
The best unlimited method is pickpocketing scholars at the Scholastone Institute (Chapter 4+).
The Abyss XP bar also gives infinite Artifacts — just keep killing enemies.
Blockaded areas and enemy faction camps are the best places to grind kills.
Sealed Abyss Artifacts (141 total) and Abyss Island puzzles give one-time Artifacts.
Quests, bosses, Greymane Rumor missions, and Witch shops are all solid extra sources.
New in Patch 2.00.00: Every Artifact you spend on Kliff’s skills now automatically grants Abyss Links to Damiane and Oongka — so you no longer need to farm a separate pool for each character. Farm freely for Kliff and companions are covered.
New in Patch 2.00.00 (NG+): After completing all main story quests, Abyss Links and other currencies carry over into a new game — giving you a major head start on a second playthrough.

Last updated for Patch 2.02.00 (September 11, 2026).

If you want to be strong in Crimson Desert, you need Abyss Artifacts — and lots of them. They work as your skill points. You spend them to unlock abilities, boost your health and stamina, and upgrade your gear at higher refinement levels. The problem is they can feel scarce, especially early on. This guide covers every method to get them, including the best unlimited farming loop in the game.

get unlimited abyss artifacts in crimson desert 3

Table of Contents

What Are Abyss Artifacts in Crimson Desert? (Updated for Patch 2.00.00)

Abyss Artifacts are the main progression currency in Crimson Desert. Instead of a traditional XP system, the game ties everything to how many of these you collect and spend. You use them to unlock skills in the skill tree, increase your base stats like health and stamina, and refine your equipment past the +5 threshold.

Important change in Patch 2.00.00 — Abyss Links: Companions no longer draw from the same Artifact pool as Kliff. When Kliff spends Abyss Artifacts to learn a skill, the game now automatically grants an equal number of Abyss Links to Damiane and Oongka. Each companion spends their own Abyss Links to learn skills independently. This means every Artifact you farm and spend on Kliff covers the full roster — you no longer need to hold back resources for the other characters. The farming methods in this guide remain the same, but your Artifacts now go roughly three times as far as they did before this patch.

get unlimited abyss artifacts in crimson desert

Method 1: Scholastone Institute Pickpocket Loop (Best Unlimited Method)

This is hands-down the fastest repeatable farm in the game. You can get 3 to 4 Abyss Artifacts per run, and there is no cooldown or daily limit.

This method unlocks in Chapter 4 after you gain access to the Scholastone Research Institute in southwest Hernand.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1 — Equip your Lantern. Open your Weapon Wheel by holding Left on the D-Pad. Equip the Lantern. Use it by pressing L1/LB. When you walk near an NPC and activate the Lantern, you can see what they are carrying. A small golden cube means they have an Abyss Artifact on them.

Step 2 — Put on a Mask. You need a Mask equipped before you pickpocket. Without it, you will be immediately identified. Check our pickpocket guide for more details on how this works.

Step 3 — Head to the cafeteria inside the north building. The eating area is the best spot. Scholars sit at tables having meals, and many of them carry Abyss Artifacts. Scan everyone as you walk through.

Step 4 — Pickpocket. When you see the cube, bump into the NPC to knock them off balance, then hold X (PlayStation) or A (Xbox) to steal. If an NPC is seated, kick them first to make them stand up, then steal.

Step 5 — Get out of the red circle fast. Pickpocketing is flagged as a crime. Guards will spot you if you linger. Run out of the detection area quickly. If you get caught, you lose your Mask and some Silver, but you keep the Abyss Artifact.

Step 6 — Fast travel to the nearby Abyss Nexus to reset. All NPCs respawn with fresh, randomized inventories. Start the loop again immediately.

A single run through the cafeteria takes about 10 to 15 minutes. You can repeat this indefinitely with no cap.

Pro tip: If you can get the Pickpocket Abyss Gear slotted into your equipment, it gives you extra steal attempts per NPC. This can double or triple your Artifact yield per run. More on how to get Abyss Gears here.

Method 2: The Abyss XP Bar (Truly Unlimited, No Cap)

This one is always working in the background whether you realize it or not. Look at the lower-left corner of your screen, next to the minimap. There are two vertical bars. The one on the left is a hidden XP bar. Every enemy you kill fills it a little. When it fills up completely, you get one Abyss Artifact.

There is no cap on this. You can fill and empty it as many times as you want. It never stops rewarding you.

To make this fast, target Blockaded areas — these are locations marked with red enemy icons on the world map. They are packed with enemies that respawn between zones. Fight through one section, move to the next, loop back, and repeat.

Enemy Faction camps that haven’t been liberated are also excellent. Some of these, like the area around Fort Perwynn, spawn enemies endlessly until you destroy specific structures inside. Don’t destroy those structures if you want to keep farming. See our guide on how to beat the Crimson Nightmare for context on one of these camps.

Method 3: Chapter 3 Totem Farm (One-Time but Powerful)

During the Seed of Unease quest in Chapter 3, there’s a mountain area before the Reed Devil boss fight where Totems spawn unlimited enemies. This is one of the best early-game grind spots in Crimson Desert. The enemies keep coming, so your Abyss XP bar fills up fast. Note that this only works before you defeat the Reed Devil. Once he’s gone, the Totems are destroyed and enemies stop respawning. If you’re still in Chapter 3, use this window.

Method 4: Sealed Abyss Artifacts (141 Total, One-Time Each)

Scattered across every region of Pywel are 141 Sealed Abyss Artifacts. These look like polygonal objects sitting near roadsides, ruins, and key locations. Each one has a challenge tied to it — things like defeating enemies with a specific weapon, performing a specific move, or completing a task within a time limit. Complete the challenge, then open the sealed item in your inventory to receive your reward.

To find them more easily, use your Blinding Flash ability — press the lantern button and light attack button at the same time. Glints of light in the distance can be Sealed Artifacts, Abyss Nexus points, or Abyss Cressets.

Some challenge examples:

Defeat three enemies within 30 seconds using a sword
Flip enemies with your shield
Assassinate three enemies within one minute
Heal three allies with Force Palm Healing
Sell goats to Bram at the ranch

Often the weapon you need for the challenge is placed right next to the Artifact. Look around before fast-traveling to find one.

Method 5: Abyss Island Puzzles

The Abyss is a separate realm of floating islands you can access through the game. Each island is a puzzle area. Solve the puzzle and the spire activates, rewarding you with an Abyss Artifact. There are dozens of these puzzles across all the islands. Some are straightforward, others are much more involved.

Check out some specific puzzle walkthroughs:

Method 6: Abyss Cressets (Mysterious Energy Circles)

Abyss Cressets are pillar-like structures across the world that double as fast travel points. Unlike Abyss Nexus plates which you just step on, Cressets sometimes require solving a puzzle or riddle before they activate. When you do solve them, they reward you with an Abyss Artifact and unlock as a travel point. Double value every time.

Find them through the Mysterious Energy circles shown on your world map. Visit these whenever you pass through an area — they’re worth the detour. Check out some specific zones:

Method 7: Main Story Quests and Side Quests

Several main story chapters give you Abyss Artifacts as rewards. Examples include Chapter 2: Flames of Greed and Chapter 4: Gate to the Otherworld. Keep progressing the story and they’ll show up regularly.

Side quests are also worth doing. The Greymane Rumor quests under the Faction Quests tab in your Journal are particularly good — each one has you find a Greymane survivor, escort them back to camp, and collect an Abyss Artifact. New ones unlock as the story moves forward. Check the tab regularly because they can stack up.

Method 8: Boss Fights

Almost every major boss drops an Abyss Artifact on defeat. This is less of a farm and more of a guaranteed payout for story progress. If you’re going after optional or world bosses, they also tend to drop them. Some highlights:

Note for returning players: Patch 2.00.00 added boss conversations and new Knowledge items to several story encounters. If replaying the game on a second file, boss drops and associated quest rewards may differ slightly from your first run.

Method 9: Buy From Vendors

Once you reach Chapter 3, Witch vendors start selling Abyss Artifacts at their shops across Pywel. Each one costs 28.5 Silver. This isn’t the cheapest spend, but it’s useful when you’re short. Stock is limited per vendor though — they don’t have infinite supply.

The wandering merchant Patrigio also sells them. He shows up on the road in various locations — one known spot is near Springtide Mill around Chapter 3. His stock is small too, but the price is the same. Check out the Patrigio Secret Shop location guide for where to find him.

Method 10: Beggar Camps (Early Game Alternative)

If you can’t access Scholastone yet, head to the two beggar camps outside Hernand City. Scrapfold is south of Hernand, and Beggar’s End is west of it. Scan beggars with your Lantern and pickpocket anyone carrying an Artifact. The density is lower than Scholastone, but it works in the early game before better spots open up.

Method 11: New Game Carry-Over (Second Playthrough)

Added in Patch 2.00.00, once you complete all main story quests you can start a new game and carry over your Abyss Links and other eligible currencies from your existing save. On a second playthrough you begin with a meaningful stockpile already in hand, skipping a large portion of early farming. This isn’t relevant for first-time players, but worth planning around if you intend to play again after finishing the story.

Tips for Managing Your Abyss Artifacts

Spend on Kliff freely — companions are now covered. Since Patch 2.00.00, every Artifact you spend on Kliff’s skills generates an equal Abyss Link for Damiane and Oongka automatically. There is no longer any reason to hold Artifacts back for the other characters. Build Kliff first, and the companions benefit in parallel.

Don’t blow everything on skills right away. You also need Abyss Artifacts to refine equipment past +5. Balance your spending between unlocking combat abilities and improving your gear. Check the best early build guide for what to prioritize.

Prioritize health and stamina first. The best early investment is stat boosts. More health means more room to learn the combat system without dying. More on how to get max health and max stamina.

Remember Faded Abyss Artifacts exist — and respec is now per character. If you spend points wrong, Faded Artifacts let you respec. After completing Chapter 4, you can unlock a recipe through Scholastone Research to have a Witch craft them for 1 Abyss Cell and 2 Mercury. As of Patch 2.00.00, resetting one character’s skills no longer wipes the others — you can respec Kliff without touching Damiane or Oongka. Learn how to get Abyss Cells here and see the full respec guide for details.

Keep the Pickpocket Abyss Gear. If you find this through Special Synthesis at a Witch, equip it before running your Scholastone loop. It adds extra steal attempts per NPC and can significantly increase how many Artifacts you walk away with each run.

Summary: Best Methods Ranked

Method	Unlimited?	When Available
Scholastone Pickpocket Loop	Yes	Chapter 4
Abyss XP Bar (Kill Grinding)	Yes	From the start
Chapter 3 Totem Farm	Limited window	Chapter 3 only
Sealed Abyss Artifacts	141 total	Throughout game
Abyss Island Puzzles	Many available	Mid to late game
Quests and Bosses	Finite but plentiful	Throughout game
Vendors	Limited stock	Chapter 3+
NG+ Carry-Over	One-time per playthrough	After completing main story

Abyss Artifacts are the engine of your whole character build in Crimson Desert. The Scholastone pickpocket loop and the Abyss XP kill grind are your two infinite sources — use both together and you’ll have more than enough to fully build Kliff, Oongka, and Damiane. Since Patch 2.00.00, every Artifact you spend on Kliff automatically generates Abyss Links for the others, so your farm goes further than ever. For everything else in the game, visit our full Crimson Desert guide hub.

Crimson Desert is available on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, and Xbox. Learn more at the official Crimson Desert website.