Arknights: Endfield Version 1.1 Brings New Operators, Hydro-Industrialization, and Sweeping QoL Fixes

Quick answer: Version 1.1 of Arknights: Endfield, titled "Old Deep Water Dies, by Rising Tide It is Denied," launches on March 12, 2026, at 09:00 AM (UTC+8), adding operators Tangtang and Rossi, the Qingbo Stockade map, a hydro-industrialization system for the AIC factory, and a large batch of quality-of-life changes.

Tangtang and Rossi — the two new 6-star operators

Version 1.1 introduces two playable operators, both at the 6-star rarity tier. No new 4-star or 5-star operators are included in this patch cycle, a point that has drawn mixed reactions from the community.

Tangtang is a Cryo Caster who specializes in AoE damage and support. Her ultimate, DA CHIEF SEES YOU!, immobilizes every enemy in its area of effect — including bosses — creating a window for the rest of the squad to unload damage. That crowd-control capability makes her a strong partner for Yvonne, whose own ultimate benefits enormously from stationary targets. Tangtang's signature weapon is a 6-star Headcannon called Brigand's Calling.

Rossi is a Physical Guard wielding a sword. Her defining mechanic is the ability to convert Arts Infliction stacks on enemies into Vulnerability, effectively acting as a defense-shredding force multiplier for Physical-focused teams. She can also self-apply Heat infliction through her ultimate, making her partially self-sufficient rather than entirely dependent on teammates for Arts stacks. Rossi's signature weapon is Lupine Scarlet.

Banner schedule and patch duration

Version 1.1 shifts from the three-banner structure of 1.0 to a two-banner cycle. Each phase runs roughly 17 days, putting the total patch length at approximately five weeks.

Weapon banners follow the same split. Brigand's Calling appears in the Budding Anew Issue during Phase 1, and Lupine Scarlet appears in the Scarlet Pearl Issue during Phase 2. Two additional 6-star weapons — Home Longing (Headcannon) and Glorious Moment (Sword) — will be available through the Protocol Pass.

Qingbo Stockade — new Wuling area and Chapter 3 story

The update opens up Qingbo Stockade, a new zone within the Wuling region. The main story continues as Chapter 3, where the Endministrator investigates rising tensions between the Stockade and Wuling City, driven by the arrival of antagonists Nefarith and Ardashir. The area includes new enemies and a new boss encounter.

Rossi also receives a dedicated Operator Side Mission called "The Red Knight," which unlocks on March 29 alongside her banner.

Hydro-industrialization and AIC factory expansion

The AIC factory system gets its biggest expansion since launch. The headline addition is the Hydro Mining Rig, a new facility type that mines Cuprium — a brand-new industrial resource — using water flow instead of electricity. These rigs do not connect to the power grid at all, opening up new layout possibilities.

Supporting the water-based infrastructure are new Conduits for long-distance liquid transport, Water Treatment Units for processing sewage, and underground pipes. The placement cap for Forges of the Sky has also been raised from its previous limit to four units, significantly increasing the endgame resource production ceiling.

Player rewards and progression changes

Several new reward sources are being added on top of the 135 free pulls that were distributed during the launch window.

A new beginner mission grants 10 Chartered Headhunting Permits after reaching specific Chapter 1 milestones. Players who already cleared those milestones can claim the permits directly from the event page once the update goes live.

The Protocol Pass (battle pass) now includes Basic Headhunting Permits in its free and mid-tier tracks. Exact quantities have not been confirmed, but the addition gives players a recurring source of standard banner pulls that was absent at launch.

AIC Quota acquisition has been expanded. You now receive Quotas when obtaining any 4, 5, or 6-star operator for the first time. This change is retroactive — Quotas for operators acquired before the update will be sent via in-game mail.

The Valley Multi-Line Engraving Kit, purchasable through the Stock Redistribution system, lets you craft an Essence with all three stats of your choosing, removing the randomness from that step of endgame weapon optimization.

New gear sets

Version 1.1 adds 10 new gear sets. These are not a higher power tier that replaces existing gold-quality gear. Instead, the new pieces offer stat bonuses comparable to current top-quality gear but with different attribute combinations, giving operators more flexible gearing options. If you have been investing in artificing your existing sets, that investment is not wasted.

Community-driven quality-of-life improvements

The patch includes a long list of changes that directly respond to launch feedback. Many of these were frequently requested during beta testing.

Combat: Operators now enter Protocol Spaces with full HP and full Ultimate Energy, eliminating the need to heal up between attempts. The Red Flash enemy attack telegraph has been re-tuned for better visibility during chaotic fights.

AIC construction: The power line buffer range has been extended to 20 meters per segment (100 meters total), and connections no longer break during dialogue or combat triggers. Controller players can now move placed facilities by long-pressing a dedicated button. You can also construct buildings outside of core AIC zones and manage shared facilities by deleting friends' structures that block your path.

Exploration: The minimap and full game map are now accessible while riding ziplines, which is especially useful in the vertically complex terrain of Qingbo Stockade. Material counts at rare gathering sites are now visible directly on the map without clicking into each one.

Controller support: Full button remapping is now available. The escape key behavior in top-down factory mode has been fixed so it no longer causes unintended exits.

Events running during Version 1.1

A dev log commemoration reward of 1,000 Oroberyl and assorted materials is also being sent to all players via in-game mail, claimable before March 15.

What Version 1.1 does not address

Several community concerns remain unresolved. The gacha pull economy — particularly the Arsenal Ticket system and the lack of renewable premium currency sources — received no structural changes beyond the addition of standard banner pulls to the battle pass. Banner-specific Chartered Permits that expire at the end of each banner phase are still in place. No new 4-star or 5-star operators were announced, and no new male operators are being added this cycle, extending the streak of consecutive female-only banners to five.

The developers also did not publicly address feedback about the game's narrative tone or character writing, which has been a persistent discussion point in the community since launch.

A look ahead to Version 1.2

The dev log broadcast included a brief preview of Version 1.2, which is described as "bigger in scale." The next narrative arc will center on defending the Xiranite Dam against a siege by Ardashir, with the Endministrator joining forces with Tianshi Zhuang. That update is expected to introduce two new maps, a new outpost, and a fluid-based production system for the AIC Factory. Characters Zhuang Fangyi and Mi Fu were teased for future banners, though no confirmed dates have been given.

Arknights: Endfield is available on PlayStation 5, PC (via the official launcher and Epic Games Store), iOS, and Android.