How do I earn Merits?

Earn Merits through faction-war kills, Recycler deposits and relic fragments.

Kill rival faction NPCs and players in the faction-war maps, Cloud Wake and The Gallows. Kills in other breaches don't count.
In those maps, tow relic fragments to the salvage bays with your harpoon.
In a hub, deposit resources in the Recycler tab of your stash (it is the faction depot). Minerals and looted gear count; faction-issued gear is worth 0.

Good to know

The Leaderboard page lists the rules.

Warning

The war maps have no build-rating limit, so you can meet anything there. Shooting an ally or losing your faction starter ship costs Merits.

CorroboratedBeta 1 (wipe 1)Sign in to report as outdated

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Sources (10)

Speaker	Tier	Said on
phyzixteacher	Developer	30 Sep 2026
phyzixteacher	Developer	2 Oct 2026
Not named	Trusted player	1 Oct 2026
event briefing	Official	Sep 2026

Paraphrased from the Citadel Discord. Developers and official documents are named; other players by trust tier. Last verified 2 Oct 2026 for Beta 1 (wipe 1).

Also drawn from

Game reference: the game in one paragraph: The harpoon is the main interaction tool, including towing
Answer: How do I get ORE?: The Recycler is a tab of your stash at any hub
Answer: I recycled loot and got 0 Merits: Minerals and looted gear give Merits; faction-issued gear is worth 0
Answer: Where is it safe?: The Gallows and Cloud Wake have no build-rating limit
Answer: What happens if I shoot an ally?: Shooting an ally loses some Merits
Answer: Do I lose the free starter ship too?: Losing the faction starter ship costs Merits

Collected from the Citadel Discord and added on 3 Oct 2026.