Arknights: Endfield’s early factory loop quickly runs into one limitation: your depot storage rules, especially stack caps, start to bottleneck crafting and trading once you’re producing at scale. Depot Node I is designed as your first step into solving that by getting you to unlock a Depot Node in Originium Science Park, after you handle a simple rescue-and-clear encounter.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Quest type | Side mission |
| Quest name | Depot Node I |
| Region | Originium Science Park |
| Objective | Rescue the operator surrounded by Lanbreakers; unlock the Depot Node |
| Why it matters | Depot Nodes help raise the max item stack in your depot, easing factory/logistics constraints |
Depot Node I appears once you reach Originium Science Park, which is also a region where you begin encountering Depot Nodes as part of broader mid-early progression. In the same ecosystem of optimizations, the game’s official notes also call out “Depot Node Optimizations,” including improved rewards for delivery jobs posted by other players (so the node system isn’t just storage—it’s also tied to deliveries).
Location
Depot Node I takes place in Originium Science Park, and you’ll typically encounter the setup right as you’re entering the park area, where a yellow-clad NPC/operator is being attacked nearby.
How to complete Depot Node I
Step 1: Reach Originium Science Park and look for the encounter
Proceed into Originium Science Park and watch for an operator/NPC in distress near the entry path, positioned close enough to the approach that you can spot combat in progress. This encounter is the trigger point that leads into the Depot Node I unlock sequence.
Step 2: Clear the Lanbreakers around the operator
Engage the Lanbreakers surrounding the operator and eliminate them to secure the area. The quest is explicitly framed as rescuing an operator who is surrounded by Lanbreakers, so the fight itself is the core gate.
Step 3: Confirm the rescue and complete the interaction
After the area is safe, finish the rescue by interacting as prompted to conclude the “rescue the operator” objective. This interaction is what finalizes the quest state and transitions you into the Depot Node unlock.
Step 4: Unlock the Depot Node
Once the rescue is complete, the Depot Node quest unlocks and you gain access to the Depot Node functionality for the region.
From here, you’re on the path to increasing your depot’s max stack capacity via Depot Nodes, reducing friction as your production volume grows.
Step 5: Put the unlock to work in your logistics planning
After unlocking Depot Nodes, start thinking of your depot as something you actively upgrade rather than a passive box—especially if you’re crafting for outpost trade loops and stockpiling intermediate materials. The point is to avoid hitting stack ceilings that block further accumulation of an item, which can stall trading and crafting chains.
Rewards and unlocks
The rewards you get are:
- Oroberyl- x25
- T-Creds – x1.55K
- Protohedron – x1
- Arms INSP Kits – x5
- Operational EXP – x100
Other than these, Depot Node I’s key “reward” is functional. It unlocks the Depot Node at Originium Science Park, which is part of increasing your depot’s maximum item stack over time. It also moves you closer to the delivery-job side of the Depot Node feature set, where delivery-job rewards have been officially adjusted upward in a January 2026 optimization note.
Depot Node I is a quick, practical quest that unlocks an important depot upgrade path in Originium Science Park by having you rescue an operator under attack. Once it’s done, you’re set up to expand storage stack limits and engage more meaningfully with the delivery-job side of the depot-node ecosystem as you scale your factory.
