- Active Matter quest guide: Accept objectives before entering each anomalous zone.
- Primary objectives: Complete mandatory extraction tasks before leaving through the portal.
- Progression loop: Earn Monolith Tokens, improve access, and unlock stronger equipment.
- Raid planning: Use the map, mission icons, extraction symbols, and audio cues.
active matter Quest Guide: Understanding Objectives
Active Matter quests are the foundation of every raid. Objectives provide Monolith Tokens, Credits, equipment, and Crystallized Active Matter while also giving structure to each run. The game features 15 locations, with each location containing basic tasks and two random additional tasks.
Video Highlights:
- Learn how to accept missions and use them to plan a safer raid route.
- Understand which objectives are required before extraction becomes available.
- Review early progression, gear preparation, healing, and enemy survival tips.
- Use map icons, extraction symbols, and mission information to reduce wasted movement.
Objectives are divided into Primary and Secondary categories. You must always have at least one active Primary objective, even when you do not intend to complete it. Primary tasks usually create more danger but offer stronger progression value. Secondary tasks are generally easier and are accepted automatically.
| Objective Type | How It Works | Typical Value |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Selectable missions that increase raid difficulty and may be required for extraction | Main Monolith Token rewards |
| Mandatory Primary | Marked with an extraction symbol and must be completed before leaving | Required for portal activation |
| Secondary | Automatically accepted side tasks with lower difficulty | Reduced rewards and daily progress |
| Special Daily | A randomly selected secondary task with an enhanced daily reward | Includes 50 Active Matter |
| Story Task | Long-term progression objective tied to account development | 20 Crystallized Active Matter plus modules or rewards |
Before deploying, open the map and inspect every available task. The left side of the interface color-codes missions to their map locations. Hover over circles, backpacks, and other icons to reveal information about the activity. This lets you identify nearby objectives and avoid crossing the entire map without a plan.
Accept every available mission when possible. Even an objective you do not finish can reveal useful information about enemy locations, item routes, and the safest path toward extraction.
The Objectives page on the Active Matter Wiki provides a useful reference for task categories, rewards, and extraction conditions.
Step-by-Step Quest Route
A successful quest run is less about completing every available task and more about choosing objectives that fit your equipment, time, and extraction route. Use the following sequence to turn mission information into a practical raid plan.
Accept and Inspect Missions
Accept available objectives before moving through the zone. Check whether a Primary task is mandatory, identify its map location, and note any nearby Secondary tasks. A mandatory task has an extraction symbol and must be completed before the portal can be used.
Choose a Low-Risk Route
Start with objectives that match your current gear and position. Locations such as houses, gas stations, hangers, and weapon cases can provide useful equipment during early runs. Avoid adding difficult objectives that force unnecessary fights.
Complete the Highest-Value Task
Prioritize the Primary objective that controls extraction or provides the best progression value. Study tasks require defeating specified monsters, while Collect and Extract tasks require finding specific item categories and leaving alive.
Track Time and Zone Pressure
Keep moving when the raid timer becomes dangerous. If time runs out, the zone contracts and a portal opens, allowing an escape even when every listed requirement has not been completed.
Extract With Your Progress
Reach the portal only after checking your inventory, healing, and nearby threats. If mobs surround the exit, throw a grenade into the portal area to clear a path before entering.
| Quest Step | Main Question | Recommended Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Mission setup | Which objectives are mandatory? | Mark extraction-required Primary tasks first |
| Route selection | Can the route be completed with current gear? | Prefer nearby tasks and known supply locations |
| Combat check | Which enemies block progress? | Carry the correct weapon, fire, melee tool, or grenade |
| Time check | Is the zone becoming unsafe? | Stop looting and move toward the portal |
| Extraction | Is the exit clear? | Heal, clear mobs, then leave with collected items |
Completing optional objectives does not bypass a mandatory Primary task. If the extraction symbol is attached to the mission, plan your route around that requirement before spending time on side activities.
This route also works for players practicing in isolated raids or PvE-oriented sessions. The objective system remains useful because it teaches map flow, rewards exploration, and supports blueprint progression without requiring every run to become a player-versus-player engagement.
Combat Tips for Quest Completion
Many objectives become difficult because enemies interrupt movement, drain healing supplies, or force players away from the intended route. Prepare for the threats most likely to appear around task areas.
Flowermen
Strong armor makes them difficult for new players. Aim for the head and bring fire-based tools, since fire is especially effective against them.
Statues
They appear after rock piles are disturbed and can only be killed with frag grenades. Back away, create distance, and detonate them safely.
Invisible Men
Listen for the audio cue when they become visible. They briefly freeze during materialization, creating an opportunity for a headshot.
| Enemy | Key Threat | Efficient Response |
|---|---|---|
| Flowermen | High durability and strong resistance to ordinary attacks | Use headshots and fire-based explosives |
| Distorted | Easy to eliminate with a headshot | Aim carefully or use a close melee attack |
| Invisible Men | Can appear behind the player | Listen for the visibility cue and strike during the pause |
| Statues | Triggered by rock piles and resistant to normal attacks | Use frag grenades, then kite them away |
| Swarms | Gather near hives and can disrupt routes | Use overhead cover or destroy the hive with fire |
| Devourers | Long attack recovery creates danger during panic movement | Run perpendicular to the sound and fire between attacks |
| Hellhounds | Dangerous if engaged without the right tool | Switch to melee when their spawn cue is heard |
| Wizard or lightning ball | Can provide useful Active Matter material | Defeat it carefully for a potential goop reward |
Healing management matters during long quest runs. Streaming injectors restore a set amount of health, while Regen injectors restore health over time. Medical vans and ambulances are reliable places to find healing supplies during a raid. Carry enough healing for the route you selected rather than filling your inventory with unnecessary gear.
Armor durability also affects survival. Armor functions as damage negation, and lower durability reduces how much damage it can absorb. Inspect armor statistics before deploying, and remember that repairing an item at base does not reduce its overall durability.
Do not fight every enemy you encounter. Eliminate threats that block the objective, bypass enemies that are not pursuing you, and preserve ammunition for mandatory combat tasks.
Gear, Inventory, and Progression
Quest success depends on bringing equipment that supports the mission rather than simply carrying the most expensive loadout. Free kits are useful for learning routes and gathering information, but they provide less consistency than replicated gear.
The main progression loop is straightforward: complete missions, earn Monolith Tokens, increase your access level, unlock better equipment and missions, then repeat the process with stronger preparation.
| Progression System | Purpose | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Monolith Tokens | Increase Monolith level and access progression | Earn through Primary and Secondary objectives |
| Crystallized Active Matter | Speed up Monolith progress and purchase special items | Save for important progression choices |
| Replicator | Creates items when you own the required blueprint | Build reliable kits for repeated raids |
| Refiner | Converts items into Active Matter and grants Chronotraces | Process excess loot and accelerate blueprint unlocks |
| Blueprints | Unlock repeatable equipment creation | Prioritize gear you regularly take into raids |
| Monster remains | Support crafting of Chronogens | Use for movement or carrying upgrades |
Use free kits on Headquarters while learning early routes. The map contains weapon cases and dependable loot locations, including houses, hangers, and gas stations. Once you obtain useful blueprints, gradually move toward replicated kits. This creates more consistent preparation and reduces the risk of entering a difficult quest with unreliable equipment.
Inventory choices also influence movement. Carrying Capacity 3 is generally more practical than Speed 3 for many players because additional carrying capacity can reduce the movement penalty associated with a heavily loaded inventory. Fine Motor Skill improves item use, reload, and magazine-packing times, making it a useful option for combat-focused questing.
Rufus can carry additional items, but he cannot swim. Keep him away from deep water and check his follow mode by looking at him before crossing difficult terrain.
Use early raids to collect blueprints and learn objectives, not just to chase maximum loot. A reliable replicated kit and a familiar route often produce steadier progress than risky high-value runs.
Quest Checklist and Rewards
Daily objectives provide a clear reason to revisit different locations. Primary tasks generally award 100 Monolith Tokens, while common Secondary tasks can award 50. Completing every available task in a day can provide up to 14,300 Monolith Tokens, or up to 11,000 when playing only in PvE, based on the available objective structure.
Raid Preparation Checklist:
- Accept at least one Primary objective before deployment
- Identify mandatory extraction tasks marked with the escape symbol
- Bring healing, ammunition, and a suitable enemy counter
- Mark nearby loot locations and a practical route on the map
- Check the portal before entering and clear surrounding threats
| Task Example | Completion Requirement | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Collect and Extract | Find specified tools, weapons, or medicine and extract alive | 100 Monolith Tokens |
| Study | Defeat the specified monsters | 100 Monolith Tokens |
| Follow the Signals | Visit an Abnormal Signal | 50 Monolith Tokens |
| Soil or Water Samples | Visit the marked area and collect samples | 50 Monolith Tokens |
| Special Daily | Complete the randomly selected enhanced Secondary task | Includes 50 Active Matter |
| Story Task | Complete one of the long-term story objectives | 20 Crystallized Active Matter and additional rewards |
When a portal is surrounded by enemies, a grenade can clear the immediate extraction area. Do not throw it too early if other players may use the same route, and make sure you have enough time to recover from the encounter.
The map is large, so route efficiency matters. Use the compass to confirm squad positions before firing, and use the ping menu by right-clicking the map to communicate locations. These small habits prevent accidental friendly fire and keep the team coordinated during multi-objective runs.
For steady progress, combine one mandatory Primary task with nearby Secondary objectives, collect useful equipment on the way, and extract before the route becomes overextended.
Q: What is the main purpose of quests in Active Matter?
Quests provide Monolith Tokens, Credits, equipment, and Crystallized Active Matter. They also increase access progression and guide your movement through each anomalous zone.
Q: Which Active Matter objectives must be completed before extraction?
Primary objectives marked with the escape or extraction symbol are mandatory. The portal cannot be used normally until those requirements are completed.
Q: Can I leave without completing every mission?
Yes. You do not need to finish every listed objective. However, mandatory Primary tasks must be completed unless the raid timer expires and the emergency portal opens.
Q: What should new players bring to quest raids?
Bring a practical weapon, enough ammunition, healing supplies, and a counter for the enemies likely to block your route. Free kits are suitable for learning, while replicated kits provide more consistency.