I caught myself midair, mouse clenched, as a slab of obsidian slid toward a puzzle plate and my stamina ticked into the red. The bird from the Abyss Nexus bobbed like it knew the cheat code I didn’t. I stayed still, breathed, and pulled the stone into place—game saved, ego intact.
I’m Kliff’s unofficial mechanic for moments like that. You’ll get the Axiom Force through a story beat in the Polar Opposites quest, and I’ll walk you from that first automatic acquisition to using it as your go-to tool for movement, puzzles, and a few ridiculous stunts you’ll want to show off on Reddit and the official Pearl Abyss forums.
How to get the Axiom Force skill in Crimson Desert
Many players stop at the first Abyss Nexus, take the bird’s stare, and assume nothing happens—only to discover they already have a new capability.
During the Polar Opposites quest inside an Abyss Nexus the game grants you the Axiom Force automatically courtesy of that mysterious bird. You don’t have to grind, buy, or meet a vendor. It’s tied to the story beat: when the cutscene ends, check your skill tree under Kliff Macduff’s Abyss abilities and you’ll see the first red node available.
How do I get Axiom Force in Crimson Desert?
Short answer: progress the Polar Opposites quest inside an Abyss Nexus and the Axiom Force is added to your skill list. If the puzzle stalls you, snap a screenshot, ask on the Crimson Desert Discord, or consult Steam community guides—the devs (Pearl Abyss) set this as an in-game acquisition rather than a microtransaction.
Using Axiom Force in the field
On a crowded raid or a lonely puzzle, your first instinct is to fumble with controls—and that split-second waste is what costs progression.
The Axiom Force is your grab-and-manipulate tool for objects: you can pull or push targets, move them through the environment, and use the skill as a movement aid. The basic Axiom Force appears in your skills panel as the first red node; from there you can spend Abyss Artifacts to develop sub-skills for aerial movement.
How do I use Axiom Force controls on PC and consoles?
If you prefer keyboard and mouse, aim at the object, press Tab to engage the Axiom Force, then left-click to push and right-click to pull. Move the mouse or walk to shift the object’s position. Press Tab again to cancel.
PlayStation players press L3 to activate, R2 to push, and L2 to pull; cancel with Circle or L3. On Xbox, press the left stick to activate, RT to push, LT to pull, and B or the left stick again to cancel. I’ve tested these across Steam and PS5 builds—responses are consistent unless you’ve remapped controls in Settings.
How to upgrade Axiom Force and make it sing
Players often hoard Abyss Artifacts like rare credit cards—then complain they can’t use the skill because stamina empties fast.
Spend Abyss Artifacts in the skills tree to improve the Axiom Force. The first upgrades open Aerial Maneuver and Aerial Swing sub-skills that let you move through vertical space more aggressively, but they cost stamina per use. Raise your stamina nodes or equip food buffs before investing heavily, because high-use aerial tricks chew through your bar.
How do I upgrade Axiom Force in Crimson Desert?
Open the skills tab, select Kliff’s Abyss skill branch, and spend Abyss Artifacts to progress the red nodes. The game ties sub-skills to resource availability, so if you want Aerial Swing early, plan your artifact farming routes—Abyss runs and side missions typically yield the items you need.
Pearl Abyss built this system to reward exploration. Think of the Axiom Force as a magnetic glove that refuses to let convenient objects sit still. Later, once you’ve invested, it becomes a grappling-hook cousin for traversal and spectacle.
Practical tip: if you’re troubleshooting a stuck puzzle in the “Abyss Without Balance” quest, try repositioning your camera, then use the pull command and move Kliff backward slowly—small corrections beat frantic inputs. When you share a clip on Steam or the Crimson Desert subreddit, timestamp the puzzle; savvy players will point out whether the issue is a control hiccup or an intended trick by the designers.
I’ve seen players turn the Axiom Force into a movement exploit, a puzzle crutch, or a way to stage boss knockbacks on stream. Which side will you pick and how will you prove it on your next run?