TL;DR
- Sealed Abyss Artifacts appear as purple boxes on the minimap — found at altars and shrines.
- Each one has a unique challenge you must complete before you can open it.
- Check the challenge in Journal > Challenges > Mastery.
- After completing the challenge, open the artifact from your inventory to get Abyss Gear.
- To use Abyss Gear, complete the Witch of Wisdom quest in Chapter 5 at Alfonso Estate.
- At the Witch’s House, use Create Socket first, then Embed Abyss Gear to slot it into weapons or armor.
What Are Sealed Abyss Artifacts in Crimson Desert?
Sealed Abyss Artifacts are special collectibles hidden across the world of Crimson Desert. Each one contains an Abyss Gear — a powerful enhancement that can be socketed into your weapons and armor to boost their abilities.
They’re not just lying around waiting to be picked up, though. Every Sealed Abyss Artifact is locked behind a challenge you need to complete first. Only then can you crack it open and claim what’s inside.
If you’re looking to build the strongest possible loadout, Sealed Abyss Artifacts are essential. Check our Crimson Desert review for a full look at how progression works in the game.
How To Find Sealed Abyss Artifacts in Crimson Desert
Sealed Abyss Artifacts are marked on the minimap as a purple box. They’re typically placed at altars and shrines scattered throughout the game world — often slightly off the main path.
If you spot a glowing point of interest while exploring but can’t quite make it out, you can use your Lantern or Blinding Flash to spot Sealed Abyss Artifacts from a distance. Both tools will reveal the artifact before you’re right on top of it.
Make sure your map is as clear as possible before hunting for these. Our guide on all bell tower locations in Crimson Desert will help you remove the fog of war and uncover more of the map.
How To Open Sealed Abyss Artifacts in Crimson Desert
Opening a Sealed Abyss Artifact is a two-step process. You can’t just interact with it and collect the reward. You have to earn it first.
Here’s the full process:
Step 1 — Find the artifact. Look for the purple box icon on your minimap. Head to the location and interact with the Sealed Abyss Artifact to register it and learn what challenge it requires.
Step 2 — Check the challenge. Open your Journal, go to Challenges, then select Mastery. You’ll find the specific challenge tied to that artifact listed there. Each challenge is different. One might ask you to kill 3 enemies with a sword without taking any damage. Another might require something else entirely.
Step 3 — Complete the challenge. Go out and complete the required task. Challenges can be tracked from the Challenges tab in your Journal, so you always know your progress.
Step 4 — Open the artifact. Once the challenge is done, go back to your inventory and interact with the Sealed Abyss Artifact. It will open automatically. The artifact is then removed from your inventory and replaced with an Artifact item and sometimes an Abyss Gear.
There are countless Sealed Abyss Artifacts throughout the game, each with its own unique challenge. It’s worth seeking them out consistently as you progress through the story — the gear inside can make a real difference in tougher fights.
If combat is giving you trouble, here’s how to upgrade weapons and armor in Crimson Desert to strengthen your kit before taking on harder challenges.
How To Use Abyss Gears in Crimson Desert
Getting the Abyss Gear is only half the job. To actually socket it into your equipment, you need access to the Witch — and that requires completing a specific quest first.
Step 1 — Complete the Witch of Wisdom Quest
The Witch of Wisdom quest becomes available in Chapter 5. Head to the Meshley Trapsmith area of Alfonso Estate to trigger it.
Here’s what you need to do during the quest:
- Defeat the enemies in the area.
- Climb the crumbling left wall — the one not covered in vines.
- Climb through the roof of the building.
- Free the witch trapped inside.
Once freed, the Witch will set up her home at the Witch’s House on Alfonso Estate, located south of the Witchwoods. This is where you’ll go every time you want to work with Abyss Gears going forward.
The quest also eventually leads you to find the Witch of Hernand, also located in the Alfonso Estate area. Based on our playthrough, this happens in Chapter 5 — but it’s worth heading there as early as possible once you have Abyss Gear in your inventory.
Want to see where Chapter 5 fits in the full story? Check our guide on all Crimson Desert main story quests and chapters.
Step 2 — Create a Socket
Before you can embed any Abyss Gear, you need to create a slot for it. At the Witch’s House, select the Create Socket option. This costs Coin and opens up a socket on a piece of armor or a weapon of your choice.
You can’t skip this step. No socket means no Abyss Gear — the embed option won’t work on unsocketed equipment.
Step 3 — Embed the Abyss Gear
With the socket created, select Embed Abyss Gear at the Witch. Choose the Abyss Gear you want to use and apply it to the socketed equipment. The enhancement takes effect immediately.
Swapping Abyss Gears
Already have an Abyss Gear embedded but want to try a different one? Select the Extract Abyss Gear option at the Witch. This removes the current gear from the socket so you can replace it with something else.
The three options available at the Witch are:
- Embed — socket an Abyss Gear into equipment
- Extract — remove a socketed Abyss Gear
- Craft — create new Abyss Gears
Tips For Getting The Most Out of Abyss Artifacts
Don’t ignore challenges while exploring. Every time you find a new Sealed Abyss Artifact, check the challenge immediately. Some are simple and you’ll complete them naturally while playing. Others need deliberate effort — better to start early.
Match your Abyss Gear to your playstyle. Not all gear suits every build. Think about whether you’re playing aggressively or defensively before socketing. If you’re not sure what build to lean into, our guide on best PC settings for Crimson Desert optimization also covers some performance considerations worth knowing.
Keep extra Abyss Gear in your inventory. The Extract option at the Witch lets you swap freely, so there’s no need to discard gear you’re not currently using. Hoard it and experiment.
Track multiple challenges at once. The Journal lets you follow several challenges simultaneously. You’ll often complete multiple artifact challenges passively just by playing normally.
Related Guides
If you’re pushing through the mid-to-late game and building out your character, these guides will help:
- How to enter Halssius’s House of Healing in Crimson Desert — Chapter 3 quest walkthrough
- How to get a pet in Crimson Desert — auto-loot companion guide
- Crimson Desert Abyss Without Balance puzzle solution — puzzle guide for a related Abyss area
- How to steal items in Crimson Desert
- How to increase inventory space in Crimson Desert
- How to fast travel in Crimson Desert
- How to get iron ore in Crimson Desert
- How to get and use Palmar Pills in Crimson Desert
- Crimson Desert Reunion quest walkthrough
- How to win arm wrestling in Crimson Desert
Where To Get Crimson Desert
Already own it? Grab your free bonuses — here’s how to claim pre-order and Deluxe Edition items and how to get Crimson Desert Twitch Drops.
