What you need to know
- The First Descendant team has released the 1.02 hotfix update to all platforms, and there are dozens of fixes, optimizations, and balance updates here.
- It also includes multiple comments and promises from the Nexon team on how they're focused on making The First Descendant as fun as possible for players.
- The First Descendant players on Xbox can also now redeem a new Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perk with exclusive cosmetic DLC.
- Well, mostly exclusive. This is almost exactly the same DLC bundle that was previously exclusive to PlayStation Plus, except with a different Xbox-themed weapon skin.
Live service games don't last long without cooperating with the community, and The First Descendant is making some important steps in that direction. Nexon has released The First Descendant 1.02, a hotfix update available on all platforms and realistically the first proper update the MMORPG looter shooter has enjoyed since launch. There are lots of improvements contained within this update, and some helpful updates and comments from The First Descendant team.
You can find the full The First Descendant 1.02 update changelog on Nexon's website, but I'll cover the most important and interesting updates below. A little further down, I'll also detail the new exclusive DLC bundle for The First Descendant players on Xbox.
- Sequential-type Immunity Spheres for Named Monsters have been eliminated, with Nexon admitting it isn't appropriate or fun for public matchmaking
- Additionally, the Nexon team has acknowledged community complaints about the monotony of breaking Immunity Spheres when battling Named Monsters (a sentiment I share), and has committed to develop new patterns and diversify existing Named Monsters
- Nexon has drastically increased the amount of rare materials dropped from Encrypted Vaults, and made Elite Vulgus in Field Missions and Operations drop more rare materials, too
- You can now obtain limited-time cosmetic skins for free from the Battle Pass Supply Shop just for completing seasonal missions
- The Descendant Instructor no longer speaks at an insanely rapid pace, and Nexon is working on a way to revisit old dialogue and tutorials in-game
- Nexon has committed to avoiding nerfs for powerful in-game builds that are currently dominating the meta, like Ultimate Gley and the infinite magazine Tamer build, and has expressed delight in seeing players find creative ways to build characters
- Nexon also commented on players concerned with resource drop rates being secretly variable, stating that the drop rates shown in-game are both accurate and verified... But the team is still working on measures to ensure community trust and on further ways to improve the farming experience
- Lots of other miscellaneous bug fixes and improvements
The First Descendant's latest update isn't the only interesting development lately. Since launch, PlayStation players have enjoyed an exclusive DLC bundle for The First Descendant featuring three cosmetic Paints, a Weapon Skin, a Back Attachment, and an Emote. The bundle was included for free as a part of PlayStation Plus, giving subscribers a unique in-game boost. Now, it seems that bundle isn't nearly as exclusive as we thought.
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I've actually commented in previous articles on The First Descendant on how we may see the game get an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perk in the future, and now that time has come. Except... It's almost completely identical to the PlayStation version of the same bundle. Starting now, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can go redeem the exclusive launch bundle, which includes the same Paints, Back Attachment, and Emote as the PlayStation Plus version.
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The only difference is the Weapon Skin. It's for the same weapon, actually, but the colors are definitely more appropriate for the Xbox platform. Regardless, The First Descendant supports full cross-play and cross-save, so all these cosmetics can follow you across platform boundaries if you play on multiple devices. Now, only PC-specific players are being left out of the fun; hopefully, something will come to those players soon.
If you're on PlayStation and missed this perk, you can still redeem it for free with a PlayStation Plus subscription.
The First Descendant is one of the best new Xbox games to come out this year, despite some early server issues that plagued the online-only title. It pits players, as one of many powerful Descendants, against hordes of vicious Vulgus and overwhelmingly powerful Colossi in an epic battle to save humanity. It's the latest in a genre previously dominated by titles like Destiny 2 and Warframe, and it seems to be off to a good start.
