NEXON’s ‘The First Descendant’ Unleashes Summer Mega Update ‘Breakthrough’ at PAX East 2025

The First Descendant’s Executive Producer Beomjun Lee and Creative Director Minseok Joo

Reveal a Game-Changing Update with Massive Fields, Hover Bikes, the First-Ever Crossover, and a Glimpse of What’s Still to Come

May 11, 2025 -  At PAX East 2025, NEXON held a live developer livestream session previewing the groundbreaking Season 3 update that is coming to their looter-shooter title, The First Descendant.

You can view the full Developer Livestream on YouTube here

You can view the teaser video here

During the session, Beomjun Lee, Executive Producer, and Min-Seok Joo, Creative Director of The First Descendant, hosted a presentation previewing the upcoming mega update, Season 3: Breakthrough, launching this Summer. The update features a massive battlefield to explore, a sleek new Hover Bike, the Colossus Field Raid, the introduction of the ‘Lounge,’ a new Descendant and more.

Additionally, the presentation revealed a highly requested crossover with the beloved Square Enix RPG, NieR: Automata. In celebration of the upcoming one-year anniversary of The First Descendant, the team is preparing for the first-ever 'TFD Fest', which will feature special events, a skin contest and various celebratory items.

Find more details on the information revealed from the livestream below:

Season 3 “Breakthrough” Sneak-Peek

• New Massive Field: Axion Plains

  • A brand-new, enormous battlefield once a promising outpost site, now devastated by a Void Storm and overrun by Colossus.

  • Faces a new threat from both artificial creatures and mutated beasts, making it more dangerous than ever.

• New Vehicle: Hover Bike 

  • A new vehicle system designed for high-speed travel across a massive field, giving players a thrilling sense of speed.

  • Players can obtain a standard Hover Bike just by logging in during Season 3, and can collect enhanced ‘Accelerated’ and ‘Boosted’ models by exploring the Axion Plains.

Each Hover Bike can be upgraded, allowing players to traverse the battlefield with dynamic movement using boost and jump abilities.

• New Content: Colossus Field Raid

  • 8-player raid content

  • First-ever reveal of the new and overwhelming colossus "Wall Crasher"

  • Massive scale designed to match the size of Axion

  • Players are able to ride their Hover Bike along the vast field, then engage in combat against the Colossus.

• New Feature: Lounge

  • A dedicated social space where players can interact with their Descendants and take a break.

  • A personalized space where players can display and interact with their Descendants.

  • Players can place their Descendants throughout the space, customize their appearances with skins, and interact with furniture.

  • Collectibles like Colotoys can be placed inside, with lounge-exclusive items to be added in the future.

  • Designed to deliver a deeper, more immersive experience within the world of The First Descendant beyond just combat.

• Season 3: Breakthrough – Story

  • The reappearance of "Karel," a key character in the story.

  • Season 3 story marks a big turning point for the narrative of The First Descendant.

  • Focusing on Enzo and Nell’s romance would be one of the highlights of Season 3

• New Descendant: Nell

  • Former NPC Nell joins the roster as a playable character with a brand-new look and unique abilities.

  • Nell utilizes arche like telekinesis, throwing spheres which form debuffs and also pulls nearby enemies.

  • Capable of changing all her gunshots into weak point strikes, making her a perfect fit for aggressive, run-and-gun playstyles.

  • Nell will be officially added in the upcoming summer update.

• New Ultimate: Ultimate Luna

  • Two new Transcendent Modules are being prepared for the release of Ultimate Luna. One shifts her playstyle to focus on firearms, while the other enhances her rhythm-based abilities and debuffing potential.

As Season 3 will be divided into multiple episodes, Ultimate Yujin is expected to arrive in Season 3 Episode 2, following Ultimate Luna.

• New Weapon: Sword (3 Types)

  • Swords are finally being added to the game and can be equipped in the same weapon slot as firearms, with performance enhanced through specialized modules.

  • Players can perform both normal and special attacks with swords. The first type, the ‘Shadow’ Blade, features a charged iaijutsu-style dash attack as its special move.

  • The Blade and a new dungeon featuring a boss that utilizes sword mechanics will be introduced in Season 3 – Episode 1.

  • Additional sword types, including a two-handed greatsword and a lightsaber-style weapon, will be added in Season 3 – Episode 2.

• First-Ever Official Crossover with Nier: Automata

  • The First Descendant’s first official crossover features the fan-favorite NieR: Automata.

  • A full trailer will be released soon, following the reveal of key visuals during the livestream.

  • More IP collaborations are also in the works.

• Additional Announcements

  • New “Gilded Death Blossom” skin to be released on May 22.

  • Announcement of TFD Fest for 1st Anniversary in July, featuring: showcase, in-game events, skin design contest and more.

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. 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 Korea

Founded in 1994, NEXON Korea is engaged in the production, development, and operation of online games. With a diverse portfolio of over 45 live games available in more than 190 countries, NEXON Korea offers engaging entertainment experiences across PC, console, and mobile platforms. Renowned for its iconic franchises, including MapleStory and Dungeon&Fighter, as well as newer titles like The First Descendant and The First Berserker: Khazan, NEXON Korea is dedicated to delivering innovative, high-quality game experiences to players worldwide. For more information, visit the official website: https://company.nexon.com/en/.