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Press release

The First Descendant April Update Expands Season 2 Episode 2 With New Features and Enhancements

With a Reworked Beginning Experience, New Content, Quality-of-Life Improvements and More, It’s a Great Time for New and Returning Players to Jump Into The First Descendant

Today, NEXON releases Season 2 Episode 2 of The First Descendant, the free-to-play looter-shooter that launched earlier this year. The Season 2 Episode 2 April Update brings a newly reworked beginner experience, which includes new Guide Quests and simplified Main Quest, making it a perfect time for new players to dive in and for experienced players to rediscover the title. The update also features the 'Blair’s' Descendant Story, In-game Cinematic and a new Ultimate descendant 'Ultimate Blair' that gives fan-favorite character Blair new backstory and a powerful ability. There’s also a Void Erosion 'Challenge' Mode, New Badge System, New Reactor/External Component Option Enhancement System, 5 New External Component Sets, several new skin updates and new in-game events.

 

More information about the new Season update can be found below:

 

  • New Content

    • New Ultimate: 'Ultimate Blair' 

    • Ultimate Blair Modification Modules (Killer Recipe & Next-level Recipe)

      • Significantly changed mechanism with newly added skill modules

      • Can be obtained by farming Amorphous Materials in Infiltration Operations and Outposts

Killer Recipe

  • A module that transforms Blair into a descendant with higher skill utility

  • Changes passive skill and skills 1, 2, and 4

  • Passive skill "A Feast of Flavors": Increases skill power, critical hit rate, and skill critical hit damage when attacking enemies with Burn

  • Skill 1 "Spicy Meatball": Implements enemy target meatball launch function and greatly increases usability

  • Skill 2 "Temperature Check": Introduces immediate MP recovery mechanism when passive skill is active

  • Skill 4 " Splendid Banquet": Allows selection targeting of enemies to fire projectiles

Next-Level Recipe

  • A skill module that feels like it will create extremely interesting builds

  • Skill 1 " Merciless Arson": Automatically creates Flame Zones with each movement. Expected synergy after setting movement speed core

  • Changes Skill 3 to "Catering". Changes the flames emitted forward from direct fire to fan-shaped
 

  • New Blair’s' Descendant Story & In-game Cinematic

  • Void Erosion 'Challenge' Mode 

  • New Badge System

  • New Reactor/External Component Option Enhancement System

  • 5 New External Component Sets

  • New Skin Updates: 

  • Void Erosion 'Challenge' Mode 

    • Content exclusive for players who have cleared Void Erosion Normal ‘stage 30’

    • Increased difficulty compared to existing Void Erosion ‘stage 30’

    • A total of 5-layer structure with one-time rewards per ID given upon completing each layer

    • Ranking system based on maximum cleared layers and completion records

    • Plan to award "Badges," a periodic honorary reward, to the top 100 players for each descendant when Season 2 Episode 2 ends

    • "Badges" can be optionally worn in front of the descendant's name

 

  • Beginner Experience Improvements

    • Guide Quests added for Beginners

    • Simplified Main Quests

    • Reorganized Early Game Fields 

    • Addition of In-game Web Guide

    • Ultimate Bunny Farming Difficulty Adjustment

  • New In-game Events

  • QoL Improvements

    • New Badge System

      • Structure for obtaining badges through achievement completion

      • System for rank upgrade and appearance enhancement when acquiring duplicate badges

      • Implementation of displaying badges on name tags and name cards

      • A system allowing players to show off achievements gained from core gameplay to other players

    • New Reactor/External Component Option Enhancement System

      • System for growing maximum option values by inputting materials into reactors and external components

      • Materials can be obtained through dismantling reactors/external components

      • A grinding system allowing players to grow their desired options to maximum values

    • New External Components (5 Sets)

      • Fire Brand: Maximizes flame attribute skill effects through "Burn" triggers applied to most flame attribute descendant skills

      • Plague: A set related to poison attribute descendants, considerably increases skill power when worn, considering that poison attribute descendants are mainly used as skill dealers

      • Enlightened Mage: Designed considering the damage cycle of non-attribute descendants, implementing more powerful damage in the next damage cycle

      • Moving Fortress: Improves defense stat utility for all descendants. Connects defense to incoming DMG, instantly strengthening descendants’ basic survivability and preventing sudden death

      • Shell Crusher: Considers Voltia's necessity due to the increase in monsters with barriers/shields. Additionally provides means to remove barriers/shields

  • PAX East 2025 Participation Announcement

    • On May 11th (Sunday) at 9 AM PT / May 12th (Monday) at 1 AM KST, A Dev Livestream is scheduled to be held both online and offline at PAX East 2025, be sure to tune in for new information on some of the highly anticipated new content of Season 3 that’s sure to capture the dreams of global players.

 

Players can also look forward to the next major update in May, which will introduce the long-awaited Dynamic Motion feature, new skins, enhancements to the Party Finding System, new Sticker and Frame functions in Photo Mode and various other improvements to elevate the player experience.

 

Descendants can dive deeper into the world of The First Descendant by joining the conversation on Discord. This channel was created as part of The First Descendant’s ongoing commitment to improving communication and gathering valuable feedback from the community. Players have already shown a positive response, appreciating that their voices are heard and that their input contributes to the game's growth.

 

Stay connected by following on X (formerly Twitter), liking on Facebook, catching updates on YouTube, or keeping up with the latest news on tfd.nexon.com.

 

More about The First Descendant:

Launched in July 2024, The First Descendant is a next-generation third-person co-op action RPG looter shooter featuring high-quality graphics developed using Unreal Engine 5. In the game, players become a Descendant whose mission is to combat against alien invaders – The Vulgus who crossed dimensions over 100 years ago and brought with them the devastating Colossi and destruction– for the survival of humanity and to protect Albion and the continent of Ingris. Players will encounter spectacular stories as they grow stronger through various missions and raids to finally discover the Descendants' secret. Cooperation is crucial as players team up with one another in strategic 4-player boss fights where teamwork and tactics are key. New equipment, materials, and items obtained through a myriad of missions and boss fights will contribute to players’ character development.

 

About NEXON Co., Ltd. https://www.nexon.co.jp/en/

Founded in 1994, NEXON Co., Ltd. (Nexon) (3659.TO) is a global leader in the production, development and operation of online games. First listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December 2011, Nexon has since been listed on JPX400, Nikkei Stock Index 300, and Nikkei 225. Nexon currently has more than 40 games operating in more than 190 countries on PC, console, and mobile. Major game franchises include MapleStory, Mabinogi, and Dungeon&Fighter. In 2024, the company set a multi-year IP Growth Initiative that details vertical growth with new experiences in existing major franchises and horizontal growth with the creation of the new pillars in the company’s IP portfolio.