Arknights: Endfield's next Core Chapter version, [Sanctuary of Ink], launches on October 15, 2026 — the same day the game officially arrives on Steam. The official Version DEV Comm, published on October 7, 2026, frames the version around a large round of AIC factory, farming, combat and quality-of-life upgrades rather than a headline banner reveal. This guide collects everything the DEV Comm actually confirms and links each system back to our existing walkthroughs.
When does [Sanctuary of Ink] launch?
[Sanctuary of Ink] is described as a Core Chapter Version that will "officially launch on Oct. 15" (2026). The DEV Comm itself is a preview of "major optimizations and adjustments", not the full update notes, so the maintenance window, download size and any new operators, banners or story chapters are not published yet. We will fill those in once the full notes go live.
Endfield launches on Steam on October 15
The Steam version of Arknights: Endfield "will officially launch on Oct. 15" alongside the version update. The announcement confirms cross-platform account data synchronization: log in with your current account and keep the same save, so progress carries across PC, PS5 and mobile. The store page is Steam app 4732690.
If you joined the earlier Steam [Pioneer Test], the full release runs on the same live data. For the wishlist campaign that led up to launch, see the Steam Wishlist Milestone event guide.
Free rewards from the New Version Guide page
The official [New Version Guide] page went live on October 6, 2026 at 20:00 (UTC+8). Log in with a game account that has finished character creation, open the page and hit [Claim Rewards] for a one-time bundle:
| Reward | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Oroberyl | 1,000 | Premium currency used for headhunting. |
| T-Creds | 10,000 | Standard-issue currency used in many places. |
| Elementary Cognitive Carrier | 8 | Operator EXP material for Lv.61-90. |
| Arms INSP Set | 4 | Weapon EXP material. |
The claiming window runs from the page's release until just before the [Sanctuary of Ink] version update and maintenance. Once maintenance begins the [Claim Rewards] button disappears and that version's rewards can no longer be claimed. Each game account can claim a given version's bundle only once, and the rewards are mailed to the character tied to the logged-in account.
AIC factory and farming improvements
Most of the version's headline changes sit in the factory and farm layer:
- Place facilities straight from storage. You can now place a facility directly if you hold it in your Backpack or any depot, or if any depot has enough materials to construct it, instead of moving the item into the Backpack first.
- Farming gets a Top View and tighter plots. Top View mode is now available in farming areas, and planting plots can be placed tightly together without spacing restrictions.
- Fertilization Assist. New [Fertilization] options let you enable Fertilization Assist and configure it; once a fertilizer is selected, operators on your team will fertilize the plots for you.
- New facility [Auto-Farmer]. Unlocked through the side mission [A Painting Open for Business], the Auto-Farmer performs Auto-Germinate and Auto-Harvest in the Farm in [Si's Painting]. As the story progresses, it also becomes available in the farming area of [Wuling City].
- Delivery jobs no longer expire. Transferred delivery jobs that go unaccepted are picked up and completed by other helpers instead of expiring, and every region keeps plenty of jobs available, so there is no need to refresh or wait.
For the current farming loop, see our farming and cultivation guide; for how facilities connect to power, see base facilities and the power grid. The Auto-Farmer is not yet in our item data, since it ships with the version.
Combat changes
- Reticle enemy targeting. Long-press the lock-on button to bring up a reticle, rotate the camera to aim at an enemy, then release to lock onto the nearest one. The existing targeting and lock-on functions stay available.
- Combo Skill priority settings. For combo skills that activate at the same time, you can now set their trigger order in the [Team] screen.
Progression and artificing changes
- LTO Sanity Meds auto-use on expiry. When LTO Sanity Meds expire they auto-convert into Sanity. If you are at the Sanity cap, the excess becomes Sanity Essences via [Sanity Extractors], and essences do not expire. If you are capped and cannot hold more essences, or have no Sanity Extractors, the remaining meds are destroyed.
- New [Gear Plan] feature. Save and name multiple gear plans so you can swap loadouts for different lineups.
- Quick Gear Assembly for artificing. The [Select items to consume] page gains an [Assembly] tab that automatically filters gear usable as artificing material; adjust amounts manually or use Auto-Fill, without switching pages.
For background, our Sanity guide covers LTO Sanity Meds and Sanity Essences, and gear sets and artificing explains assembly and roll mechanics.
Quality-of-life and interaction updates
- Clue collecting and gifting. In [Control Nexus Task] you can now collect and fill gifted clues with one click, on top of the existing one-click local clue collection. Duplicate clues can also be gifted to friends in one click.
- Shift Rotation. Each cabin can now hold up to two operator shifts (A and B). Use [Activate Shift] to switch manually, or [Auto-Rotate] to switch automatically on the work schedule. Cabin production may halt if a shift's estimated work time cannot cover the work schedule.
- Friend visit. A [Visit Next] button and shortcut take you straight to the next friend's ship.
- Operator display. New visual effects for max-potential 6-star operators in the [Friends List] and [Profile], and they now show special effects while walking around Dijiang.
- Camera stickers. Stickers can now be rotated and scaled, placed several at once, and cleared with one click.
- Controller support. Optimized for progressions, delivery jobs, stage results and screens including [Operator - Overview], [Operator - Ability Matrix], [Operator - FILE], [Weapon - Potential] and [Regional Development - Depot Node].
Shift Rotation and clue gifting sit on top of the facility and Regional Development systems we already cover.
Graphics and environment
The DEV Comm also notes an environmental detail pass: some fallen leaves "are no longer just static decorations" and now move and drift in response to operator movement, skill use and wind, on all platforms including mobile.
What we still don't know
The DEV Comm previews optimizations, not the full patch. As of writing, these points remain unconfirmed for [Sanctuary of Ink]:
- The maintenance window and exact unlock time on October 15.
- Any new operators, headhunting banners or story chapters, since the DEV Comm names none. Check our banner schedule for confirmed banners as they are announced.
- When the [Wuling City] Auto-Farmer unlock arrives, beyond "as the story progresses".
- Full reward lists and event dates, which arrive with the version update notes.
Sources: the official [Sanctuary of Ink] Version DEV Comm (Oct. 7, 2026) and the New Version Guide page notice (Oct. 6, 2026), also archived in our news archive (see the DEV Comm copy).