July 2, 2025 - Yesterday, NEXON conducted a special presentation called ‘Descendant Fest 2025’ to celebrate the first anniversary of their looter-shooter title The First Descendant, in which the dev team revealed new details about the highly anticipated Season 3: Breakthrough update that is launching on August 7. The presentation also showcased brand new trailers, the game's crossover collaboration with NieR: Automata and more.
You can view the Descendant Fest 2025 Livestream here
You can view the official Breakthrough Update trailer here
You can view the NieR: Automata Collaboration trailer here
For more information about The First Descendant, please visit here
To celebrate the first anniversary of The First Descendant, the dev team released the infographic above, showcasing total player count, regional distribution and the top three Colossi that players either defeated or were most frequently defeated by. The infographic further highlights the most-played Descendants and the most-played weapons. Starting July 3, players will also be able to view their personal infographic from the past year on the official website.
New details for the highly anticipated Season 3: Breakthrough update were revealed during Descendant Fest 2025, including a look at the massive Axion Plains field, the Hover Bike vehicle, the Colossus Field Raid, the new Descendant Nell and the NieR: Automata crossover. Axion is a vast new field that serves as the main stage for the Breakthrough update. In this expansive area, players can engage in large-scale battles, explore new dungeons and more. The Colossus Field Raid is a new 8-player activity featuring a powerful boss, the Wall Crasher, a slow-moving but devastating enemy that unleashes shockwaves, wide-range strikes and AoE attacks. Players will need to strategically form teams using diverse Descendants to take it down.
Additionally, to navigate Axion’s open terrain, players can ride the new Hover Bike, offering greater speed and freedom in exploration. The update also introduces a new Descendant, Nell, who uses telekinetic abilities to mark enemies, deal enhanced damage to marked targets and support allies with shields and buffs. Depending on her build, Nell can excel in both offensive and support roles.
Moreover, the dev team showcased the first collaborative crossover, featuring NieR: Automata's iconic protagonists 2B and A2, who lend their likenesses and animations to the roster of playable Descendants. These powerful androids were built for warfare against machine lifeforms and their stunning skins, animations and decorations can be seen within The First Descendant’s game world in an all-new collaboration trailer here.
“We’re proud to celebrate one full year since launch and incredibly grateful to all the players who’ve supported The First Descendant over the past year,” said Beom-Jun Lee, Executive Producer of The First Descendant. “Your feedback has been invaluable as the game has continued to evolve since release. We’re committed to listening, improving and delivering more exciting gameplay content moving forward. There’s still so much more to come and we hope you’ll continue this journey with us.”
Adding to the festive atmosphere, The First Descendant is collaborating with Spotify to bring players a special celebration. The First Descendant’s original soundtrack will be available on Spotify and other major streaming services. Players who log in to the game after the July 3 update will receive a special Spotify Name Card and two new Paints. Additionally, exclusive first anniversary merchandise and in-game items will be offered through the ‘Grab the Breakthrough’ event on the game’s official website.
Starting Thursday, July 24, players can jump into the Season 3: Breakthrough demo, where they’ll be able to play as Nell, face off against the Legion of Breach and the Wall Crasher and experience the thrill of riding the Hover Bike across the vast field of Axion. As a condensed gameplay experience, the demo offers an exciting teaser into the action and excitement of the upcoming season.
Also, to support new and returning players, The First Descendant will launch a limited-time Descendant Boost Up and Descendant Boost Path event starting August 7. The Descendant Boost Up event allows players to skip early-game content and begin directly in the mid game Sigma Sector on Hard mode, with appropriate settings and gear provided.
The Descendant Boost Path offers a step-by-step guide to help players quickly adapt to key systems and develop their Descendants. Designed to lower the entry barrier and encourage co-op play, this event ensures that both new and veteran players enjoy the latest content together.
A detailed monthly roadmap for the rest of 2025 was revealed, including new dungeons, Descendants and more. Lastly, to help players access game information more easily, The First Descendant Companion App is now available. The app allows players to view Descendant details, track research progress, receive completion alerts and check item information and acquisition sources. The app provides convenient access to player information and key game features, with future updates planned to add interactive functions such as initiating research directly from the app. The First Descendant Companion App will be released on iOS and Android devices.
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 responded positively, appreciating that their feedback is being heard and reflected in the game’s development.
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.