How Dispatch Missions Work in Crimson Desert

Dispatch Missions are a passive resource-generation system in Crimson Desert where you assign comrades to automated tasks while you explore. A critical bug in Patch 1.05.00 interrupted this system but was fixed in 1.05.01. Here's the complete mechanics guide.

Quick answer

Dispatch missions work like this:

• Send comrades to dispatch missions from your camp or base
• Assign resources (Meat, Fish, materials) to increase mission rewards
• Pay Contribution (time-gated currency) to activate the dispatch
• Wait 2–4 hours (real time) for the mission to complete
• Claim rewards when the mission finishes (gather resources, sometimes rare drops)
• Contribution refund note: If your mission was canceled due to the 1.05.00 bug, refund coming in next patch
• Mission types: Different comrades and resource combinations unlock different mission tiers

What Are Dispatch Missions?

Dispatch Missions are passive income mechanics where you assign comrades to gather resources, scout locations, or complete tasks without your direct involvement. Unlike Rematch or traditional quests, dispatch missions happen in the background while you're playing the main game.

Pearl Abyss introduced expanded dispatch options in Patch 1.05.00, making the system central to passive progression.

How to Start a Dispatch Mission

Step 1: Access your camp or base Navigate to your player camp, housing location, or faction base. Dispatch mission interfaces are typically available in these hubs.

Step 2: Select a comrade Choose which NPC comrade you want to send. Available comrades vary based on:

• Your progression in their personal quests
• Current faction alignment (some NPCs unavailable to rival factions)
• Comrade loyalty level
• Whether the comrade is already on another mission

Step 3: Assign resources Select resources to assign to the mission:

• Meat — enhances hunting/tracking missions
• Fish — enhances aquatic/riverside missions
• Cloth — enhances settlement or diplomatic missions
• Ore — enhances mining/cave exploration missions
• Other craft materials depending on mission type

More resources assigned = higher mission rewards (but also higher cost).

Step 4: Pay Contribution Dispatch missions require Contribution (a time-gated currency earned through quests, daily activities, and rewards). Costs range from 500–5000 Contribution depending on mission tier and resource assignments.

Step 5: Confirm and wait Once confirmed, the mission enters a queue. Most dispatch missions take 2–4 hours of real time to complete.

Resource Assignment Strategy

Not all resources should be assigned to every mission. Match resources to mission type:

Mission Type	Best Resources	Outcome
Hunting/Tracking	Meat	Increases chance of rare drops
Fishing/Rivers	Fish	Increases aquatic resource yields
Settlement	Cloth	Increases NPC/alliance rewards
Mining/Caves	Ore	Increases ore and mineral yields
Mixed/Unknown	Any (balanced)	Baseline rewards, no specialization bonus

Strategy: If you have excess Meat, assign it to hunting missions. Save rare resources for high-tier missions.

Mission Duration and Completion

Duration: Most dispatch missions take 2–4 hours. Some special missions (marked as "Expedition" or "Scouting") may take longer (6–12 hours).

What happens while you wait: Your character can explore, fight, complete quests, and play normally. The mission runs in the background.

How to track progress: A UI indicator (usually a timer icon or notification) shows how much time remains on the dispatch. Some missions update with progress milestones.

Rewards screen: When the mission completes, you receive a notification. Navigate back to the dispatch interface and claim your rewards.

Rewards and Loot

Dispatch mission rewards fall into categories:

Guaranteed rewards:

• Resources (determined by assignment) — Meat, Fish, Ore, Cloth, etc.
• Contribution — A refund of the cost you paid (usually 50–75% back)
• Silver — In-game currency for upgrades and trading

Rare rewards (bonus loot):

• Craft materials (rare drops like Legendary Essence)
• Collectibles (mounts, pets, or recipe ingredients)
• Quest items (story progression items)
• Equipment (rare chance for gear beyond guaranteed tier)

How to improve rare drop rates:

• Use Resonate or high-tier comrades (higher loyalty = better drops)
• Assign more resources (higher resource = higher reward variance)
• Dispatch specialized pairs (e.g., two comrades on the same mission type together)

The Dispatch Mission Bug (Fixed in 1.05.01)

What happened in 1.05.00: Between May 2–3, 2026, dispatch missions would randomly cancel without restoring the Contribution and assigned resources. This was catastrophic for players relying on dispatch for passive income.

Official statement (1.05.01):

"Fixed an issue where, under certain circumstances, ongoing dispatch missions would be canceled and the resources and contribution spent upon dispatch would not be restored."

Pearl Abyss also noted: "The lost contribution will be returned in the next patch."

Are missions safe now (as of 1.05.01)? Yes. The cancellation bug is fixed. Dispatch missions should complete normally.

If you're still experiencing cancellations: This is now a rare edge case. File a support report with:

• Comrade name and mission type
• Resources assigned
• Time mission canceled
• Your character name and server

Dispatch Mission Tier Levels

Dispatch missions have implicit tiers based on difficulty and rewards:

Tier	Duration	Resource Cost	Reward Tier	Comrade Level
Beginner	2 hours	Low (300–500 Contrib)	Common	Any
Intermediate	3 hours	Medium (1000–1500 Contrib)	Uncommon	Trusted
Advanced	4 hours	High (2500–4000 Contrib)	Rare	Bonded
Expert	6+ hours	Very high (5000+ Contrib)	Legendary	Max Loyalty

Recommendation: Don't rush to Expert tier. Beginner and Intermediate missions provide sufficient passive income early. Max loyalty comrades unlock better expert missions.

FAQ

How many dispatch missions can I send at once?

The exact cap is not published. Most players report being able to send 3–5 missions simultaneously. Attempting to exceed the cap will be blocked by the UI.

Can I cancel a dispatch mission in progress?

Not officially. However, some players report that logging out and back in resets stuck missions. Do not rely on this — it's not guaranteed.

What if my comrade dies or is busy?

Comrades dispatched are removed from your party and unavailable until the mission completes. They cannot die on dispatch (no combat risk). Ensure you have spare comrades for active exploration.

Do I need to be online for dispatch to complete?

No. Dispatch missions progress offline. Log off, return hours later, and claim your rewards.

Is there a daily limit on dispatch missions?

Not confirmed. Players can send multiple missions back-to-back without cooldown, but there may be a soft cap on simultaneous missions.

What comrades should I prioritize dispatching?

• Early game: Any comrade — dispatch everyone
• Mid-game: Comrades with high loyalty (better rewards)
• Late game: Specialist comrades tied to resource types (Meat specialists, Fish specialists, etc.)

Conclusion

Dispatch Missions are a core passive resource system that lets you generate materials, silver, and rare loot without active involvement. Assign resources strategically, pay Contribution wisely, and claim rewards when missions complete. The 1.05.00 cancellation bug is fixed in 1.05.01 — missions are now safe. Use dispatch missions to supplement your main gameplay and accelerate resource gathering.

What to read next

• Crimson Desert Dispatch Mission Bug: Will You Get Your Contribution Back?
• Crimson Desert NPC Trust Level System Explained
• Crimson Desert Patch 1.05.01 Hotfix Explained

Research Notes / Sources

• Pearl Abyss, Patch Notes Version 1.05.00, published May 2, 2026: https://crimsondesert.pearlabyss.com/en-US/News/Notice/Detail?_boardNo=88
• Pearl Abyss, Patch Notes Version 1.05.01 (All Platforms Hotfix), published May 3, 2026: https://crimsondesert.pearlabyss.com/en-US/News/Notice/Detail?_boardNo=89
• Last checked: May 6, 2026.