Nexon has shared a wide-ranging recap of The First Descendant‘s 2nd Anniversary Creator Roundtable, giving players a clearer look at the plans being considered for Season 4 and beyond. The discussion covered farming, new modes, Descendant balance, Transcendent Weapons, build variety, cosmetics, social features, and the game’s story.
The full discussion was organized in an official Steam notice. Many of the answers are plans rather than firm release commitments, but the roundtable still offered a useful view of the team’s current priorities.
Season 4 will target repetitive farming
The developers said Season 4 will focus on longer-term goals such as Transcendent Weapons, along with new activities including the Mega Dungeon, Trials, and Cradle of Evolution. These modes are planned to include more variables so that runs do not feel identical every time.
The team also wants to move away from a system where a single material can only be collected efficiently in one specific location. Future Descendant content should offer different farming rates across several areas, while larger rewards will replace some of the smaller, repeated payouts that contribute to farming fatigue.
Existing activities are also due for another look. Breach Tracking will receive a new Dimensional Stone that consumes 10 Dimensional Stabilization Keys at once and provides rewards worth 10 keys. Another Amorphous Dimensional Stone is planned for Season 4, with the same broader goal of reducing repeated farming for Superconductive Cooling Units and other Ancestors Module materials.
Onslaught Mode will receive a fourth difficulty level and new Arche Parameters. The first Trials map is planned for August, with a second and third map already in consideration. The team said it wants older content to keep a clear purpose instead of fading into a maintenance-only state after each new release.
A new player path and friendlier Bounty Operations are planned
New players can currently progress quickly before running into a wall at Axion Plains, where modding and build knowledge become more important. Season 4 is planned to add a Boost Path that uses a completed Ultimate Bunny build to help players reach higher-level content sooner.
Trials will also let players try pre-built Descendants and builds. These trial setups are expected to include guides that explain how each Descendant works and how players can develop them.
The Bounty Operations commander is another target. The boss has been criticized for having too much health for a bonus activity, and the developers said they plan to reduce its bullet-sponge feel before Season 4. Visual feedback for important pickups such as Bio Data Chips should also improve over time.
Ancestors Modules received plenty of attention during the roundtable. The team defended their place in the existing leaderboards, since they are part of the game and must be earned, but it also agreed that a separate leaderboard based only on builds and player skill could be worth trying.
The developers do not plan to permanently raise the current acquisition rate for high-end Ancestors Modules. Instead, they pointed to events that can provide readjustment devices and reduce readjustment costs. They are also reviewing whether module sync values can eventually remain stable while balance is handled through base stats and new content.
Transcendent Weapons will bring a different progression model
Transcendent Weapons are being designed around repeated farming rather than constant rerolling. The team said the expected farming efficiency per hour will be higher than it is for Ancestors Modules, and a limited reroll option will be available.
Each weapon will have a personal quality floor that rises as the player continues farming. For example, a quality floor of 380 would limit future Onslaught drops to the 380–400 range instead of the full 300–400 range. Once the floor reaches 400, every later drop will have 400 quality.
The Transcendent Effect and secondary ability will be obtained separately, with separate readjustment options. The Transcendent Effect will use a before-and-after choice similar to Ancestors Modules. The team is also preparing a system that lets players spend extra materials to lock one of two secondary abilities.
Players will be able to equip Transcendent Weapons in all three weapon slots. The weapons will be tied to elements such as Toxic and Electric rather than being locked to one Descendant, allowing several characters to use them together. A spear-type Transcendent melee weapon is planned for Season 4, with more melee weapon types under consideration.
The team also plans an automatic core readjustment option. Players will be able to select a desired effect and value, then let the process repeat until the selected result appears or the available cores run out.
Descendant balance will move beyond a single DPS test
The developers acknowledged that balance has leaned too heavily on dungeon clear speed and damage efficiency. Their longer-term plan is to add more ways to distinguish Descendants, including hunting speed, Colossus damage, and assassination or stealth performance.
That direction should become clearer after Season 4 content arrives. Rather than relying only on full reworks, which take about four months, the team plans to use smaller and more frequent buffs starting with Season 4. Balance decisions will continue to consider top-tier dungeon clear times, usage rates, and efficiency in Onslaught Mode.
Male Descendants are also due for more attention. The Blair rework is planned for July, followed by numerical buffs for Kyle and Keelan in August when Season 4 begins. The developers denied intentionally favoring female Descendants, while acknowledging that male characters are currently underperforming compared with the broader meta.
Season 4 will also bring work aimed at preserving Descendant identity. The team pointed to Hailey as an example of a sniper whose intended playstyle can clash with content built around fast kills. Mods such as Camouflaged Sniping and Cold Heart offer different compromises, and the upcoming Raven is being designed with character identity in mind.
Trigger Modules became especially important during Season 3, but the developers want underused General and Rare Ultimate Modules to matter more. That could help keep a Descendant’s own abilities from being replaced by the strongest available module setup.
Gley, Ajax, Serena, and Enzo may benefit from the upcoming firearm-focused changes. The current skill-based meta has made firearm-focused Descendants less competitive, but the team wants skill and gun builds to take turns being strong. Controller concerns involving Dia and Gley are also being reviewed internally.
Luna is due for another balance pass before the end of Season 4 Episode 1. The goal is to address her weak single-target damage and firepower in activities such as Onslaught Mode.
New dungeons, Colosseum-A, and social features
Future dungeons will build on ideas from Bastion of Immortality, including elevators, interactive map objects, and vertical layouts. Random elements and varied gimmicks are planned for new dungeons and the Mega Dungeon. Mastering those mechanics should provide more than faster completion times, with buffs and other direct combat benefits also in the mix.
Colosseum-A will not be direct Descendant-versus-Descendant PvP. Instead, it is being developed as a 3v3 PvEvP mode where one player controls a Colossus and invades the opposing team. The developers described it as close to PvE while retaining the unpredictability of a human-controlled opponent. Testing is ongoing as the team works through the balance.
A Hoverbike racing mode has been discussed and tested internally, but the current vehicle does not yet meet the team’s quality bar for a dedicated racing experience. For now, the idea remains under consideration.
A full guild or clan system is also not a near-term priority. The developers said they first want to strengthen the party system for the new 3v3 mode before returning to broader social features.
Cosmetics will gain more customization options
The team described skins as one of its main revenue sources, which means pricing will continue to receive close consideration. Instead of promising larger discounts for high Mastery Rank players, the developers said they are focusing on improving the skins themselves and preparing toggles for cosmetic parts that can divide player opinion.
New and returning players should also see discounts for new Descendant bundles, along with other ways to catch up. Skin gifting is being considered, but the feature is not currently available.
A parts toggle system is in development for newly added skins. It should let players turn pieces such as horns, masks, and jackets on or off, as well as adjust an attachment’s position, direction, and rotation. Hair accessories are also planned for the system.
Evolving Skins will not return for the time being, as the team is prioritizing broader customization and skin quality. More farmable skins are planned through activities such as Battle Supply Chests, Void Abyss, and future Extreme-mode content. Last year’s swimsuit skins are also planned to return soon, while other frequently requested cosmetics may come back during the second half of 2026 or through future events.
The team is considering ways to display rare items in the Lounge and continues to add Photo Mode features. There is no specific timeline yet for multi-character social motions. The July 15 1.3.34 update already raised the friends list cap from 100 to 200, and the developers will investigate raising the Bio Data Chip storage limit as well.
More story content is in development
Albion will come under attack during the story, but it will not be destroyed. The team also clarified that Enzo and Nell are the only Descendants with an officially intended romantic relationship. Other interactions that may look romantic are meant to represent friendship, respect, or other emotional connections.
Season 4 is expected to continue improving the presentation of the story and the world around it. The developers said the game still needs more world-building detail, while quest scenes should receive stronger cinematic direction. Viessa’s Story is planned for release within 2026, and more stories for Descendants who have not yet received one are also in development.
New Colossi will continue to arrive according to the update schedule. The team is also conducting pre-launch Focus Group Tests and wants to move internal deadlines forward to leave more time for quality assurance before major updates.
Season 4 does not have a complete release schedule in the roundtable recap, but the answers point to a busy period ahead, with Trials beginning in August, new Descendant buffs, Transcendent Weapons, a spear-type melee weapon, and a new direction for farming and build progression. Players can also find details about the current event lineup in the July events guide.
Which of these plans would you most like to see arrive first? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
The First Descendant
Developed by Nexon Games
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 multiplayer 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.
- Genre: Shooter, Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox One
- Modes: Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Release: 2024-07-02
- Publisher: Nexon Korea
-
Age Rating:
ESRB M / GRAC 19+ / ACB M / PEGI 12 / CLASS_IND 12 / USK 16
- IGDB Rating: 59.3/100
