Nexon’s free-to-play looter-shooter The First Descendant is gearing up for its Season 2 Episode 2 April update, packed with new gameplay content, cosmetics, and much-needed quality-of-life improvements. The developers recently held a livestream breaking down what’s coming next week, along with a sneak peek at May’s update and some PAX East 2025 announcements.
For those unfamiliar, The First Descendant is a co-op-focused looter-shooter in the vein of Destiny 2 and Warframe, where players take on the role of powerful “Descendants” battling alien threats in fast-paced, loot-driven missions. The game has a hugely successful launch, but its playerbase has dipped significantly since then. Still, the game averages 10,800 players on Steam.
Key Highlights from the April Update (Launching Next Week)
- New Ultimate Descendant: Ultimate Blair joins the roster, complete with a new story cinematic.
- Void Erosion Challenge Mode: A fresh endgame activity for players seeking tougher battles.
- Badge System & Reactor Upgrades: More ways to customize builds with five new External Component sets.
- New Skins:
- Dandy Corn (Unisex, available April 17)
- Albion Academy Summer Uniform (Full-body skin, available April 30)
- Beginner Experience Rework: Simplified main quests, guide quests, and adjusted early-game pacing to help new players get into the action faster.
- In-Game Events:
- Ingris Guardian Blair and Weekly Fire Support challenges (starting April 17)
- A login reward (Surprise Egg social motion) for players who log in between April 17-23.
Quality-of-Life Improvements
- Hard-mode Special Operations now reward Arke Tuning EXP.
- High-tier weapon crafting guarantees top stats.
- Void Shards no longer needed to open Amorphous Materials.
- The External Composition Core system has been delayed to avoid balance issues.
May Update Preview – What’s Coming Next?
- Dynamic Motion: New animations (demo shown with Ultimate Bunny).
- Void Abyss Boss Swap: The Ice Maiden replaces the current intercept boss.
- Party Finder Upgrades: Better matchmaking and teammate stat visibility.
- Photo Mode Additions: Stickers and frames for in-game screenshots.
PAX East 2025 Announcements
The devs will host a live Q&A and reveal Season 3 details at PAX East on May 11 (9 AM PT). Attendees can also meet cosplayers dressed as Bunny and the upcoming Serena Descendant, with surprise giveaways throughout the event.
With a mix of new content, player-friendly tweaks, and future teases, The First Descendant continues to refine its formula as a competitive looter-shooter. Refinement is absolutely necessary as the game’s playerbase has dropped off significantly since launch.
The April update drops next week, giving players plenty to dive into before May’s bigger changes arrive.
Further reading: Patchnotes
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