CONTROL NEXUS & DIJIANG SHIP GUIDE

Ship Upgrades, Growth Chamber, MFG Cabin, Operator Assignments & Recycling Stations

Last updated: 2026-02-07

* TL;DR - Key Points

  • * The Control Nexus is the command center of the OMV Dijiang ship, unlocked at Authority Level 15
  • * Upgrading Levels 1–5 gates all other ship facilities -- Growth Chamber, MFG Cabin slots, and Reception Room capacity
  • * Growth Chamber cultivates rare minerals, fungi, and operator promotion materials from extracted seeds
  • * MFG Cabin produces Arms INSP Kits (weapon EXP) and Combat Records (operator EXP) at zero Sanity cost
  • * Assign operators with facility-specific skills for production bonuses -- watch mood to avoid efficiency drops
  • * Recycling Stations across Valley IV and Wuling are the sole source of Aerospace Materials for upgrades
  • * Visit friend ships daily for production assists, clue exchanges, and free credit rewards

Contents

What is the Control Nexus

The Control Nexus is the central management terminal aboard the OMV Dijiang -- an Originium-powered vessel in geostationary orbit above Talos-II. As the Endministrator, you use it to oversee all ship facilities, assign operators to production roles, and drive the Dijiang's upgrade progression.

The OMV Dijiang

The Dijiang is the headquarters of Endfield Industries and the only orbital vehicle on Talos-II. It was built after the Aethergate collapsed, using rare and non-renewable resources -- a feat of engineering that can never be replicated. Most operators and staff live aboard the vessel.

Central Ring -- Living quarters where operators rest and recover mood

Bridge -- Location of the Control Nexus terminal itself

Working Sector -- Houses MFG Cabins, Growth Chamber, and Reception Room

MFG Cabin

Passive production of weapon and operator EXP items. Zero Sanity cost -- always keep these running.

Growth Chamber

Cultivates rare minerals and fungi from extracted seeds. Primary source of operator promotion materials.

Reception Room

Social hub for friend visits, clue exchange, and credit rewards. Scales with Control Nexus level.

The Master Gate

The Control Nexus level caps every other facility's maximum level. You cannot raise any cabin beyond what the Control Nexus allows. This makes Control Nexus upgrades your single highest priority on the Dijiang.

Unlocking the Control Nexus

The Dijiang becomes accessible partway through the main story. Once you meet the requirements, Xaihi gives you a guided tour of the ship and walks you through the Control Nexus interface.

Prerequisites

  1. 1. Authority Level 15 -- Reach this through main story progression, node tasks, and Protocol Spaces
  2. 2. Complete "Maintenance Progress" -- Main mission in Chapter 1 - Progress 2
  3. 3. Board the OMV Dijiang -- Follow the prompted story sequence to the ship

Pro Tip: Rush the Unlock

Push toward Authority Level 15 and the Maintenance Progress mission as early as possible. Every day without MFG Cabin production running is free EXP you can never get back. The passive gains from MFG Cabins compound significantly over time.

Upgrade Levels & Costs

Each Control Nexus upgrade requires Aerospace Materials from Recycling Stations, an Algorithm Expansion Chip from the "Dijiang Upgrade and Maintenance" quest chain, and T-Creds. Algorithm Chips are the primary bottleneck -- you must complete specific main missions to earn each one.

Material Requirements

Level Aerospace I Aerospace II Algorithm Chip T-Creds
1 → 2 8 0 1 1,000
2 → 3 16 0 1 3,000
3 → 4 24 12 1 10,000
4 → 5 32 64 1 20,000

Material Sources

Aerospace Material I / II -- Recycling Stations only. Reset daily at 5:00 AM. Upgrade stations with Stock Bills for higher yields.

Algorithm Expansion Chips -- "Dijiang Upgrade and Maintenance" quest chain rewards. One chip per quest. This is your primary bottleneck.

T-Creds -- Standard currency from missions, exploration, and combat. Not a bottleneck for most players.

What Each Level Unlocks

Level Unlocks
Level 2 Growth Chamber; Assignment Limit 2 → 3; MFG Cabin level cap → 2
Level 3 Multi-Purpose Section (2nd MFG Cabin); Assignment Limit 3 → 4; Growth Chamber level cap → 2
Level 4 MFG Cabin level cap → 3; Reception Room level cap → 2
Level 5 Growth Chamber level cap → 3; Reception Room level cap → 3

Priority: Rush Level 2

Level 2 is the most impactful single upgrade. It unlocks the Growth Chamber (your primary source of rare promotion materials), adds a third operator assignment slot, and raises MFG Cabin capacity. Farm Recycling Stations the moment you board the Dijiang and upgrade as soon as you have materials.

Facility Breakdown

The Dijiang has three upgradeable facility types, all located in the Working Sector. Each facility's maximum level is capped by your Control Nexus level.

MFG Cabin (Manufacturing Cabin)

Your primary source of passive EXP items. Available immediately after boarding the Dijiang. A second cabin unlocks at Control Nexus Level 3 (Multi-Purpose Section). Production costs zero Sanity -- there is never a reason to leave these idle.

Product Type Use
Combat Records Operator EXP Level up operators
Arms INSP Kits Weapon EXP Level up weapons
Cognitive Carriers Misc Various operator upgrades

MFG Load determines your production queue size. Higher cabin levels raise the MFG Load cap. Focus production on whichever EXP type your roster needs most -- weapon EXP tends to be the bigger bottleneck in mid-game.

Growth Chamber

Unlocked at Control Nexus Level 2, after completing "Dijiang Upgrade and Maintenance II" and reaching Exploration Level 3. The Growth Chamber cultivates rare materials that are otherwise difficult to farm in the open world.

Category Materials Use
Fungal Growths Various fungi Operator promotion
Crystalline Growths Crystals Skill enhancement
Rare Minerals Ores Weapon advancement
  1. 1. Collect -- Gather rare growths and minerals from the open world
  2. 2. Extract -- Pull seeds or cores from collected specimens (consumes the original)
  3. 3. Plant -- Place seeds into available Growth Slots
  4. 4. Wait -- Cultivation runs on a real-time timer
  5. 5. Harvest -- Collect upgraded materials when the timer completes

Extracting seeds destroys the original material. Always save some specimens for immediate promotion or advancement needs before extracting.

Reception Room

The social hub of the Dijiang. The Reception Room lets you interact with visiting players, exchange clues for credit rewards, and showcase your operators. Its level cap is tied to Control Nexus Level 4 (cap 2) and Level 5 (cap 3).

Clue Exchange -- Collect and trade clues with friends for credit rewards. Complete sets for bonus payouts.

Friend Visits -- Travel to other players' ships via the TP Point. Both host and visitor benefit.

Operator Display -- Showcase your operators and achievements to visitors.

Pro Tip: Keep Cultivation Running 24/7

The Growth Chamber runs on real-time timers. Always have something growing -- even low-tier materials are better than empty slots. Check and claim daily as part of your routine.

Operator Assignments & Mood

Every Dijiang facility benefits from assigned operators. Operators with Manufacturing Base Skills provide production bonuses when placed in matching facilities. These skills unlock through operator promotion at Levels 40, 60, and 80.

Best Operators by Facility

Operators unlock Manufacturing Base Skills at promotion levels 40, 60, and 80. Higher promotion levels provide stronger bonuses. The table below shows the maximum bonus at P80 for each operator.

Facility Operator Skill Name Max Bonus Unlock
Control Nexus Fluorite Mood Recovery β +16% Mood Regen P40
Snowshine Mood Recovery α +12% Mood Regen P40
Lifeng, Avywenna, Alesh, Catcher Mood Recovery α/β +8–12% Mood Regen P40
Growth Chamber Chen Qianyu Mineral Processing β +30% Mineral Yield P60
Wulfgard Mineral Processing α +25% Mineral Yield P60
Yvonne Fungal Cultivation β +30% Fungal Yield P60
Da Pan Fungal Cultivation α +25% Fungal Yield P60
MFG Cabin
(Weapon EXP)		 Perlica Arms Manufacturing β +30% Weapon EXP P60
Pogranichnik Arms Manufacturing β +30% Weapon EXP P60
Gilberta Arms Manufacturing β +30% Weapon EXP P80
Antal Arms Manufacturing α +20% Weapon EXP P40
Arclight Arms Manufacturing α +20% Weapon EXP P60
Akekuri Mood Conservation β –14% Mood Drain P40
MFG Cabin
(Operator EXP)		 Ember Combat Records β +30% Operator EXP P60
Laevatain Combat Records β +30% Operator EXP P80
Xaihi Combat Records α +20% Operator EXP P60
Laevatain Mood Conservation β –18% Mood Drain P40
Reception Room Estella Clue Analysis β +30% Clue Collection P60
Ardelia Clue Analysis α +20% Clue Collection P40
Alesh, Avywenna, Lifeng Clue Rate-UP (1-3) Increased drop rate P40
Xaihi, Arclight, Last Rite Clue Rate-UP (5-7) Increased drop rate P60
Ardelia Mood Conservation α –10% Mood Drain P40
No Skills Endministrator, Yvonne, Last Rite — — —

Base Skill Progression

Operators unlock Manufacturing Base Skills through promotion. Each skill has three tiers that improve at specific promotion levels. Skills marked with α (alpha) are the weaker variant, while β (beta) skills provide stronger bonuses.

Promotion What Unlocks Typical Bonus Range
Level 40 (P40) First Base Skill (α tier) +8-15% production or mood bonuses
Level 60 (P60) Enhanced Skill or Second Skill (β tier) +20-25% production bonuses
Level 80 (P80) Maximum Skill Power (β+ tier) +25-30% production bonuses

Skill Tiers Explained: Most base skill types come in two variants. The α (alpha) variant provides smaller bonuses (10-20%), while the β (beta) variant provides larger bonuses (25-30%). Some operators have both variants for different facilities.

Priority Promotion Targets

Not all operators need immediate promotion for base skills. Focus on these high-impact targets first:

Tier 1 - Immediate Impact (Promote to P60)

Perlica, Pogranichnik, Chen Qianyu, Ember — These operators provide +30% bonuses at P60 and are used in high-demand facilities. Prioritize them first.

Tier 2 - Secondary Priority (Promote to P60)

Yvonne, Gilberta, Estella — Strong β-tier skills but unlock at P60 or P80. Good follow-up after Tier 1.

Tier 3 - Mood Management (Promote to P40)

Laevatain, Akekuri, Ardelia — These operators provide mood conservation skills at P40, letting your main producers work longer before needing rest.

Tier 4 - Filler/Backup

Antal, Arclight, Xaihi, Da Pan, Wulfgard — α-tier skills provide solid +20% bonuses. Good backups when your main operators are resting.

Mood Management

Operators gradually deplete their Mood stat while assigned to facilities. When mood reaches zero, the operator automatically leaves to rest in the Central Ring. Below a certain threshold, production efficiency drops even before they leave.

Mood starts at 24 -- depletes gradually during each shift cycle

Low mood = reduced efficiency -- production bonuses weaken before the operator fully burns out

Auto-rest at zero -- operators go to the Central Ring and slowly recover mood over time

Pro Tip: Rotation Strategy

Keep a roster of backup operators for each facility. Swap your primary operators out before mood drops to critical levels rather than after. Early game, assign anyone to keep production going -- facility-specific skills matter more from mid-game onward once you have promoted operators.

Recycling Stations (Aerospace Material Farming)

Recycling Stations are the only source of Aerospace Materials in the entire game. They cannot be crafted, dropped from enemies, or obtained through any other method. Every Control Nexus and facility upgrade depends on consistent daily collection.

Station Details

Identification -- Look for an owl-like creature wearing a yellow box perched on top

Daily Reset -- All stations refresh at 5:00 AM server time

Upgradeable -- Spend Stock Bills to increase yields and unlock Aerospace Material II drops

Regional Development -- Upgrading stations also increases your Regional Development Level

Station Locations by Region

Region Area Stations
Valley IV The Hub 3
Valley Pass 1
Aburrey Quarry 1
Originium Science Park 2
Origin Lodespring 2
Power Plateau 2
Wuling Jingyu Valley 3
Wuling City 1

Pro Tip: Upgrade Priority

Upgrade Valley IV Hub stations first -- they sit closest to fast-travel points and give the best time-to-material ratio. Wuling stations become essential once you need Aerospace Material II for Level 3+ Control Nexus upgrades. See the Outpost Guide for Stock Bill farming strategies.

Social Features

The Dijiang has several social features that provide daily rewards for minimal effort. Making these part of your routine pays off significantly over time.

Friend Ship Visits

Travel to friends' Dijiang ships via the Reception Room TP Point. While visiting, you can provide Production Assists to their facility cabins, granting temporary manufacturing speed boosts. Both the host and visitor earn credits from each interaction.

Clue Exchange

Collect clues from Reception Room activities and exchange them with friends. Completing full clue sets awards bonus credit payouts. Assign Estella to the Reception Room for a +20% Clue collection bonus.

Credit Rewards

Credits earned from assists and clue exchanges can be spent at the Credit Store. The daily effort is minimal -- a quick visit to a friend's ship and a clue trade takes under a minute -- but the compound value over weeks of play adds up to thousands of free credits. Visit the Stock Redistribution Guide for more passive income strategies.

Other Dijiang Features

Beyond the main facilities, the Dijiang also houses the Operator Contact Terminal (increase operator affinity through gifts and conversation), Tactical Training (combat practice via Lil' Dodge for rewards), and the Protocol Exchange (trade Protocol Exchange Certificates from Outpost Orders).

Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

1. Not Upgrading the Control Nexus Early

The Control Nexus gates every other facility upgrade. Delaying it means no Growth Chamber access and limited MFG Cabin capacity. Prioritize the "Dijiang Upgrade and Maintenance" quests the moment they appear in your mission tab.

2. Letting Operator Mood Hit Zero

At zero mood, operators stop working entirely and produce nothing until they recover. Rotate operators before they burn out -- preventive swaps maintain continuous production far better than waiting for recovery.

3. Ignoring Recycling Stations

Skipping even a few days creates a noticeable Aerospace Material deficit. These materials gate all Dijiang progression and cannot be obtained any other way. Add station runs to your daily routine alongside Sanity spending.

4. Leaving MFG Cabins Idle

MFG Cabin production is free EXP that costs zero Sanity. Never let production slots sit empty -- even suboptimal production beats an idle cabin. Check cabins whenever you log in.

5. Extracting Seeds Without Saving Materials

Extracting seeds in the Growth Chamber consumes the source material permanently. Always check if you need those materials for an upcoming promotion or advancement before extracting. Losing a rare mineral to careless extraction hurts.

6. Skipping Friend Visits

Production assists and clue exchanges are free daily credits that cost almost no time. The compound value adds up significantly over weeks. Even one visit per day yields thousands of credits across a month.

7. Upgrading Facilities Evenly Instead of Prioritizing

Spreading upgrade materials across all facilities simultaneously slows your overall progression. Focus: Control Nexus first (it gates everything), then Growth Chamber (promotion materials are the biggest bottleneck), then MFG Cabins, then Reception Room.

Quick Reference Checklist

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you unlock the Control Nexus in Arknights: Endfield?

Reach Authority Level 15 and complete the Maintenance Progress main mission in Chapter 1 - Progress 2. Xaihi will give you a tour of the OMV Dijiang ship, after which you can interact with the Control Nexus on the Bridge to access the Central Dashboard and begin managing ship facilities.

What does upgrading the Control Nexus unlock in Arknights: Endfield?

Level 2 unlocks the Growth Chamber and raises your operator assignment limit to 3. Level 3 opens the Multi-Purpose Section with a second MFG Cabin and increases assignments to 4. Level 4 raises the MFG Cabin cap to 3 and Reception Room cap to 2. Level 5 maxes out Growth Chamber and Reception Room caps at 3.

How do you get Aerospace Materials in Arknights: Endfield?

Aerospace Materials come exclusively from Recycling Stations scattered across Valley IV and Wuling. There are 15+ stations total that reset daily at 5:00 AM. You can upgrade stations with Stock Bills to increase yields and unlock Aerospace Material II drops. These materials cannot be crafted or obtained any other way.

What is the Growth Chamber in Arknights: Endfield?

The Growth Chamber is a Dijiang ship facility unlocked at Control Nexus Level 2. It cultivates rare materials by extracting seeds or cores from collected growths and minerals, then planting them in Growth Slots. Products include fungal growths for operator promotion, crystalline growths for skill enhancement, and rare minerals for weapon advancement.

How does operator mood work on the Dijiang in Arknights: Endfield?

Operators assigned to Dijiang facilities gradually deplete their mood stat. When mood reaches zero, operators automatically leave to rest in the Central Ring, halting their production bonuses. Mood slowly replenishes during rest. The best strategy is to rotate operators before mood drops too low, keeping backup operators ready to maintain continuous production.

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