The First Descendant 1.3.28 finally turns Onslaught Mode on for real

The First Descendant Update 1.3.28 is scheduled to go live after maintenance on 05.21.2026 for Steam, Xbox, and PS5, and the headline addition is simple enough: Onslaught Mode is moving out of beta and into official service.

The patch also brings in Bounty Operations, a new Axion Plains field mission called Axium Mining, a fresh Ultimate Descendant in Ultimate Esiemo, the Toxic Colossus Defiler, and a broader systems pass that changes how Arche Activity, rewards, research, and several endgame activities work. Nexon also posted the full breakdown on its official patch page.

There is a lot packed into this update, but the biggest change is the endgame shake-up. Onslaught Mode now has a live service version with a reset for beta progress, new weekly rewards, new challenges, and a Mastery Rank 18 entry gate. The same patch also adds the new Arche Activity system, which now acts as a key requirement for some high-difficulty content, and it changes how players earn and use several materials tied to progression and crafting.

Below is the main breakdown of what Update 1.3.28 will change when it arrives after maintenance.

Patch Notes – The First Descendant Update 1.3.28

Onslaught Mode becomes officially available, all unlocked stages from the beta service period are reset, and entry now requires Mastery Rank 18 or higher. Public Operations also require the listed Arche Activity values for each stage, while Private Operations can still be started without meeting that requirement.

Rewards for Onslaught Mode change too. Weekly bonuses can be earned up to four times per week, each bonus grants 1 Ancestors Module Loot III with guaranteed option tier and 130 Superconductive Cooling Units, and higher stages offer better guaranteed option tiers. The patch also adjusts normal stage rewards, adds new Commander monsters, new challenge rewards, a new objective called Assemble, and a Pickup Weapon called Emergency Fire Support Package.

Bounty Operations is a new activity centered on hunting High-risk Hostiles. It can be entered from the map or through NPC Eckert in Albion, and it also requires Mastery Rank 18 plus the proper Arche Activity. Rewards include Completion Rewards and Sync Loot, and the Sync Loot pool can be opened with Vulgus Bio Data Chips, which can now drop in Onslaught Mode and from Support Other Infiltration Operations in the Axion Plains.

Axium Mining is a new field mission in the Axion Plains. It alternates with Void Axium, spawns at one of six locations, and gives mission rewards plus extra materials from the Commander monster and from interaction with the mission object after completion.

Ultimate Esiemo joins the roster, along with two new Transcendent Modules for him. The update also adds a new quest line for Esiemo and changes how players obtain some of the materials needed for Ultimate Esiemo and Whirlwind.

Defiler replaces the Void Intercept Battle: Abyss/Challenge leaderboard focus. Nexon describes it as a Toxic-attributed Colossus that creates Abyss Symbionts, enters Void Reflux mode, and leans heavily into Electric weakness management. The related leaderboard periods begin after the 05.21.2026 maintenance, with separate end dates listed for each mode.

Arche Activity is now part of the game’s growth and access structure. Players can check it in the Inventory, Descendant UI, weapon tooltips, Reactor tooltip, External Component tooltip, Fellow UI, and the Party screen. It is used as a gate for some higher-difficulty content, and the game now calculates it across Descendants, weapons, Reactors, External Components, and Fellows.

The patch also adds two new Ultimate Weapons, Whirlwind and Frenzied Locomotive, plus new Trigger Modules and new Transcendent Modules for Ines. Enduring Legacy and Voltia also receive Unique Ability changes.

On the rewards side, the update revamps completion rewards across a long list of activities, changes Infiltration Operations to a Score Reward system, adds Archive Shard as a new item, expands research substitution options, updates trade shop inventory, and adds new login, challenge, research, and weekend boost events that begin after the 05.21.2026 maintenance.

There is also a temporary restriction on Yujin’s story quests and the replay version of Dying Light, plus a long list of bug fixes for Descendants, content, monsters, and UI.

Patch Notes highlights

• Onslaught Mode leaves beta and becomes a live service activity.
• Bounty Operations and Axium Mining are added for endgame and Axion Plains play.
• Ultimate Esiemo, Whirlwind, and Frenzied Locomotive arrive with new module support.
• Arche Activity becomes a major progression check for certain content.
• Rewards, research, missions, and UI systems receive wide changes across Steam, Xbox, and PS5.

Players who want the full line-by-line details should check the official Nexon patch page, especially for the reward tables, leaderboard windows, and the many class and weapon adjustments that sit behind the headline changes.

What else changes in 1.3.28

Some of the broader systems work in Update 1.3.28 may matter just as much as the new activities. The research flow now uses Archive Shard in a wider set of recipes, Forced Shaping has been added for Amorphous Materials, and the game now lets players view and save builds through a new View Descendants flow. Console subscriber rewards also get updated, and the Battle Pass for Episode 4 is getting a new season pass called Dimensional Clash.

The patch note also says the update will introduce new Login, Challenge, Accelerate Research, and Weekend boost events, all of which begin after the maintenance window on 05.21.2026 and run through mid-June or later depending on the event.

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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

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