When is The First Descendant release date? If you’re looking for a new co-op shooter in the vein of Destiny 2 and Outriders, The First Descendant might just be what you need. This sci-fi action RPG is packed with dynamic action that blends slick gunplay with strange otherworldly powers and gigantic bosses that need masterful strategy and seamless teamwork to overcome.
If you can’t wait for The First Descendant, we’ve got all of the details you need on the free-to-play looter shooter below. It may even be a contender for one of the best free shooting games on PS5 and Xbox when it finally releases later this year.
The First Descendant release date window
The First Descendant release date is currently Summer 2024 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. This window was revealed during The Game Awards 2023 when an exciting new trailer was showcased, following on from its successful beta tests over the past two years.
With these beta periods going down a treat for those who joined in on the action, we’re fully expecting The First Descendant to be a bit of a summer blockbuster.
The First Descendant beta
The good news is one final The First Descendant Technical Test has been scheduled for Saturday, May 25, and Sunday, May 26, 2024. However, the bad news – for console players, anyway – is that it will only be open to players on Steam.
“The First Descendant will be running a Final Technical Test to address any remaining technical issues before the global launch,” Nexon says. “To meet the goal of last-minute technical validation, the test will be limited to PC only, scheduled for a short duration.”
The last The First Descendant beta was held back in September 2023, and saw “almost two million” eager players – ourselves included – get stuck in and offer up ample feedback.
Judging from the small scale of this final test, it sounds like Nexon’s learnings from the previous beta period were more than fruitful, and it’s only bringing the game back to players pre-launch to iron out any remaining creases. Hopefully, then, we’re in for a smooth launch – a rarity in the modern live-service landscape.
The First Descendant gameplay
With slick movement and varied abilities, The First Descendant’s gameplay is a nice mix between Outriders, Warframe, and Destiny 2. So far, we’ve seen 11 different characters, known as Descendants, each with their own playstyle and personality in combat. Packed with loot to collect, we’re sure you’ll be able to sink countless hours into The First Descendant when it finally comes out.
To get a flavor of its gameplay, check out Arrekz Gaming’s thoughts after 24 hours of playtime below.
While the game’s combat and characters are off to a strong start, the biggest area we felt needed improvement from its beta periods is mission variety. During the play tests, the stunning environments were dragged down by rather repetitive mission design. This was one of the main pieces of feedback the team received, and the April 2024 dev update seems to be making good on it with the introduction of Instance Dungeons.
“Not only are Instance Dungeons intended to offer convenient mission gameplay, but our goal is to guarantee content volume and variety,” Nexon says. “Specifically, in addition to Intercept Battles, we aim to establish Instance Dungeons as end-game content. To allow a variety of gameplay for many players, both single-player and co-op gameplay are supported, and the difficulty level can be adjusted according to the number of participants.”
Dungeons can be entered through the terminal in Albion, as well as through Mission Beacons out in the field. Before entering a dungeon, bonus difficulty modifiers can be tweaked on top of the standard difficulty levels for better rewards – go big or go home.
This most recent update also introduced matchmaking and UI/UX improvements, a new Special Operation called ‘Research Blocking,’ Achievements and Titles, and a training environment called the ‘Laboratory’ where you can test equipment and more. Suffice to say, Nexon’s still going hard on feature additions even this close to launch.
With the game coming to PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, cross-platform multiplayer is a must-have feature at launch. Fortunately, The First Descendant will have full support, making clearing challenging content and bagging loot with friends and family that much easier regardless of which console (or PC!) they’re on.
Well, that’s all you need to know about the promising looter-shooter ahead of The First Descendant release date. Will this be one of the best multiplayer games out there when it drops? It’s unclear right now, but you can check out some games on our best co-op games list to find some new titles to play with your friends while you wait for The First Descendant.