Arknights November 1 Maintenance: 06:00 to 12:00, and Those 5 Originite Prime
The maintenance window is 06:00–12:00 on November 1, 2026 — six hours — and it is a forced update: mobile players must re-download the client afterwards, while PC players go through the Hypergryph launcher. In plain language: don’t count on logging in that morning. Clear whatever needs clearing, then shut the game down.
How to Claim the Compensation, and Where Pre-Download Is
The compensation is 5 Originite Prime, for players who registered and created a character before 06:00 on November 1, claimable within 7 days after maintenance ends. Five Originite Prime is roughly one and a half pulls. Is that a lot? Honestly, no. But it doesn’t come back once it expires — and free things are exactly the ones people forget.
Pre-download is already open on PC: a [Pre-download] icon appears to the left of [Start Game] in the Hypergryph launcher, and you can keep playing while it downloads. Mobile has no such channel. The announcement also states that the server opening may come early or late — major versions have opened ten-odd minutes early and been delayed by an hour — so if your alarm is set for exactly 12:00, you will most likely just be sitting there waiting.
Before Maintenance: Sanity, Annihilation and the Certificate Shops
Maintenance starts at 06:00, right around the daily reset. During those six hours Sanity does not keep accumulating past the cap, but time-limited Sanity potions keep counting down — in other words, the bottles you stockpiled before bed may already be missing a chunk when you wake up. So before maintenance, clear the day’s Annihilation and resource stages, and use any potion expiring today on the same day. Don’t sit on it.
While we’re at it, mark November 5 down: at 04:00 the permanent [Standard Headhunting] banner refreshes its resource preload, and at the same moment [Store – Distinctions] updates as well, with Viviana and Shenlü available for exchange. The lineup rotates monthly, so if you’re missing those two, hold on to your Distinctions instead of buying whatever catches your eye.
PC Screenshots and Two System Changes
PC gets a new screenshot feature, so high-difficulty footage no longer needs third-party tools — a real convenience for anyone writing guides or editing videos. In the same period the “Get to Know Rhodes Island” system is upgraded and the Commendations shop is updated; the official post covers those separately. The combat fixes concern Stainless’s summon [Ironclad Unit · Prototype], summon redeployment time under the Arc module, and Closure’s reinforcement [Command Center] disappearing abnormally. If you lean on any of these, test them thoroughly after the update — don’t discover the changed feel only when you’re copying someone else’s clear.
That covers maintenance. What really decides whether this version is worth saving resources for, though, is the seven modules below.
Arknights November 1 Modules: 7 Exclusive Plus 1 Special — Which to Unlock First
This update adds seven exclusive modules — Muelsyse (third), Suguang Xingyuan (second), Frostward SilverAsh, Songtong, Mirrorsmith, Dominion and Olga — plus one Special Module for Horn.
Seven released at once means you definitely won’t have the materials to unlock them all; that is the same script every major version. It is also why this guide puts modules ahead of the banner: a module’s cost ceiling is fixed. There is only so much material, and if you save up you will eventually unlock everything. Headhunting has no ceiling — with bad luck, no amount of Orundum fills the hole.
Muelsyse’s Third and Suguang Xingyuan’s Second
A third and a second module mean the operator sees steady play and the developers are filling in the last piece. The marginal gain on Muelsyse’s third really is lower than on her first, but for anyone who has used her as a long-term mainstay it remains a must-unlock, and the cost is a fixed set of materials plus LMD — easy to calculate. Suguang Xingyuan also receives [Paradox Simulation] in the same period, so do the two together and save yourself the trouble.
Frostward SilverAsh, Songtong, Mirrorsmith, Dominion and Olga
Of the five, Frostward SilverAsh deserves the most attention: she is a limited operator, and she is being rerun in the banner at 5× weight in the very same window as her module. The intention to push this one is basically written on the developers’ faces. Dominion is an event operator — given away with a module attached at the same time, so a new account can unlock it the same day. That is friendly to returning players; no waiting for a rerun.
Horn’s Special Module and the Ten-Operator Voice Pack
Only Horn receives a Special Module, and it changes her role rather than her numbers; the official post lists no values, so wait for release. What this kind of change punishes most is haste — unlocking on a hunch, then finding the direction was wrong, with no materials refunded.
On the voice side, ten operators gain English and Korean voice lines — Bellone, Surging Zima, Kal’tsit Sihanto, Veyi, Closure, Refrain, Wujiu, Bertani, Shatterecho and GALLUS² — while Russian personalised voice lines go to six: Talulah, Frozen River, Dominion, Veyi, Olga and Shatterecho. If you don’t care about voice lines, this is zero gain; if you do — especially after pulling Talulah — those few lines carry no less weight than a module.
Modules are a long game; not finishing them today costs you nothing. What actually has a deadline is that door opening at noon.
Arknights “Time, Move Forward!”: Three Stage Blocks and a Free Dominion
The main event of Thank-You Celebration Part 1 is the SideStory “Time, Move Forward!”, unlocked by clearing main story 1-10 and running from 12:00 on November 1 to 03:59 on November 22.
The Three-Block Schedule
| Block | Opens | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Block 1 | Nov 1, 12:00 | Afterglow’s End |
| Block 2 | Nov 8, 16:00 | First Green of the Long Winter |
| Block 3 | Nov 15, 16:00 | Spring of the Century |
All three blocks close at 03:59 on November 22. The first opens earliest and is the only part you can push on day one; the other two cannot be rushed even if you want to, so hurrying is pointless.
How to Get Dominion, and What to Buy in the Shop
Dominion is a 6-star event operator, obtained through the mission “Witnessed by Dawn”, which also hands out the [Corner of the Palace] furniture set, module materials and [Invalidated Record]. No pulls required. Giving away a 6-star outright is probably the least controversial good news in the entire version.
The shop “Buried by Gunfire” stays open until 03:59 on November 29, a week longer than the event, and offers Dominion’s token, headhunting permits, and the outfits [Pale Gold Celebration – Myrtle] and [Distant Homeland Path – Quercus]. The recommended order is the usual one: token → permits → outfits → replaceable resources. Take what expires first, then what looks good.
That is where the free part ends. Every point of resource from here on depends on your wallet and your luck.
Arknights “Casting Snow into Fire” Banner: 70% Weight and the 300-Pull Ceiling
The limited headhunting [Casting Snow into Fire] opens at 12:00 on November 1 and ends at 03:59 on November 15: Talulah [Limited] and Frozen River take 70% of the 6-star rate; the three limited operators Frostward SilverAsh, Exusiai the New Covenant and Lappland the Decadenza are weighted 5× within the remaining 30%; the 5-star Olga takes 50% of the 5-star rate.
What 70% Actually Means
According to the Arknights operator ranking 2026, when a 6-star appears, seven times out of ten it lands on Talulah or Frozen River, 35% each. For anyone who wants Talulah herself, that is considerably friendlier than a 50% single rate-up; for anyone just testing the water without planning to pull deep, an off-rate is most likely one of these two anyway, so the pulls aren’t wasted. One point needs saying plainly, though: 70% is the probability after a 6-star is confirmed, not “a seven-in-ten chance per pull”. Every year someone works that distinction out only after the banner has closed.
The 300-Pull Bonus and the Contract Exchange
Reaching 300 cumulative headhunts on this banner grants one extra Talulah, once only. It produces no Headhunting Data Contracts and does not affect the next 6-star’s probability, and it resets when the banner ends. At 600 Orundum per pull, 300 pulls is 180,000 Orundum. An F2P player cannot save that within a single version, so this is essentially a safety net for mid-spenders and above — not a perk, but an emergency exit.
The Contract Exchange stays open until 03:59 on November 18: the 300 tier offers Talulah, Frozen River, Frostward SilverAsh, Exusiai the New Covenant, Lappland the Decadenza, Wis’adel, Virtuosa and Muelsyse; the 200 tier has Texas the Omertosa, Specter the Unchained, Nearl the Radiant Knight, Skadi the Corrupting Heart, Rosmontis and W; the 75 tier has Olga. Texas the Omertosa’s contract cost drops from 300 to 200, cutting the saving burden by 30%; unused contracts convert at 1 contract to 6 Parameter Models and never expire.
Two more things worth flagging in advance: Frozen River and Olga enter the permanent [Standard Headhunting] after 04:00 on November 5, while Talulah does not — she will not appear in any limited headhunting before October 1, 2027. In other words, Frozen River can wait; Talulah cannot. That trade-off deserves more thought than the rate table — rates are probability, but whether you can afford to wait is reality.
Four sections in, and we’re back to the question from the start: one morning, one pool of Sanity, one pile of Orundum — how do you split it? The answer isn’t that mysterious. Before maintenance, clear what can be cleared; unlock modules gradually according to how often you actually field the operator; claim Dominion first; and leave the rest to luck. Whether Talulah is worth pulling isn’t something this guide can answer for you, but at least you now know those 300 pulls are 180,000 Orundum, you know whose contract cost dropped to the 200 tier, and you know she won’t be back for a full year.
A version update, in the end, is an exercise in resource scheduling. Those who finish what needs finishing before 06:00, and who know what they want when the doors open at 12:00, haven’t wasted those six hours.
Arknights November 1 FAQ
When can I claim the maintenance compensation?
A: It is delivered by in-game mail once maintenance ends — 5 Originite Prime, claimable within 7 days after maintenance, for players who created a character before 06:00 on November 1.
Is Talulah’s limited banner worth pulling on?
A: If you want the limited operator herself, pull — within the 70% weight Talulah and Frozen River take 35% each. If you only want to fill in reruns, do the contract maths first: the 200-contract tier covers six operators including Texas the Omertosa, which is cheaper than pulling blind.
Do I need to pull for Dominion?
A: No. Dominion comes from the event mission “Witnessed by Dawn”; the event runs until 03:59 on November 22 and the shop until 03:59 on November 29.
Materials are short — which module should I unlock first?
A: Prioritise Suguang Xingyuan’s second and Muelsyse’s third; both see steady play. Horn’s Special Module changes her role, so wait for live data before deciding.
Arknights November 1 Action Checklist and Source Comparison
- Before maintenance, clear the day’s Annihilation and resource stages, and use any expiring Sanity potion the same day.
- Confirm your character was created before 06:00 on November 1, so you are sure to receive the 5 Originite Prime.
- At launch, claim the compensation mail first, then push the first SideStory block [Afterglow’s End] to obtain Dominion.
- Unlock modules in the order Suguang Xingyuan → Muelsyse → Frostward SilverAsh.
- Budget Talulah pulls against the 300-pull ceiling (180,000 Orundum); if you are not chasing the bonus, pull only as needed.
- After 04:00 on November 5, check the standard banner and the Distinctions shop (Viviana, Shenlü).
If you would rather order your upgrades by strength than by banner, cross-check the version list in the Arknights guide and then look at GameHub’s opening logs.