Highlights

  • The First Descendant is coming to PC and the latest two PlayStation and Xbox console generations on July 2.
  • The co-op looter shooter was also treated to a new cinematic trailer during Summer Game Fest 2024.

Nexon has arrived at Summer Game Fest 2024 to announce that The First Descendant will reach PC and consoles on July 2. Aside from committing to a release date, the studio also shared a new trailer for The First Descendant as part of the event.

Nexon's third-person co-op looter shooter built with Unreal Engine 5 was originally announced in spring 2022. Since then, the South Korean gaming giant has treated The First Descendant to several gameplay trailers, as well as multiple beta tests, the latest of which was concluded in late May 2024.

The First Descendant Release Date Revealed in New SGF 2024 Trailer

A few weeks later, Nexon committed to a firm release date for The First Descendant, July 2. The game will have a simultaneous launch on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Its release date was unveiled as part of a new cinematic trailer that debuted during the opening showcase of Summer Game Fest 2024, offering fans a glimpse of the shooter's sci-fi setting and characters. The promo also underlines the game's co-op functionality, in addition to delivering a first look at some of its boss fights.

As previously announced, The First Descendant will be free-to-play and monetized exclusively via in-game purchases. Aside from virtual currency, players will also be able to buy battle passes. Fans' beta impressions suggest that this system will be fairly typical for a live-service game, with the shooter offering both free and premium battle pass variants. Paying for the latter can reduce the need to grind for unlocks, but without completely eliminating it. Nexon says it's been hard at work trying to improve the game based on player feedback since its latest open beta. Some of the changes that the studio introduced during this period include user interface improvements, increased mission variety, and graphical optimizations.

As is the case with every live-service game worth its salt, The First Descendant aims to deliver long-term content support in an effort to keep fans engaged and coming back for more. Some of the new bosses and other characters who were showcased in the SGF 2024 trailer are part of that content roadmap, i.e., they won't be available from day one.

New hands-on impressions of The First Descendant are likely to follow soon, as members of the press and some content creators will have a chance to try the game's "final demo" behind closed doors at SGF Play Days. Nexon, for its part, has also promised to share more details about its free-to-play looter shooter in the run-up to its July 2 release.