The First Descendant Overview — Descendants, Loot, Co-op, Season 4

The First Descendant is a free-to-play third-person looter shooter developed by NEXON Games and published by NEXON. Players choose a Descendant, combine character abilities with firearms and modules, clear story and world missions, collect materials and equipment, and research stronger characters or gear. It launched July 2, 2024 on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

Core loop

The main loop moves between combat and preparation. A player selects a Descendant, enters a mission alone or with others, uses guns, abilities, and the grappling hook to defeat Vulgus forces, then returns with weapons, modules, components, and research materials. Those rewards improve the next build or unlock another Descendant and piece of equipment.

Regular missions build toward harder activities and large Colossus battles that support teams of up to four players. Progress comes from both character kits and gear: a Descendant supplies active abilities and role strengths, while weapons, modules, reactors, and external components shape damage, survival, and resource use.

What makes it different

• Descendant kits and gun builds work together. Character abilities do not replace firearms; both sides of the build matter.
• Research turns materials into progression. New Descendants and equipment often require collecting blueprints and components before a timed research process.
• The grappling hook changes movement. It supports rapid traversal and repositioning during missions and boss fights.
• Co-op scales into giant encounters. Colossi and later activities emphasize mechanics, team roles, and sustained build progression.

Who it fits

The First Descendant suits players who enjoy repeatable co-op missions, collecting loot, refining builds, unlocking characters, and returning for seasonal content. It is less suitable for players who want a one-and-done campaign, dislike repeated farming or research timers, or expect every character and item to unlock through a short linear path.

Current Season 4 snapshot

Update 1.4.0 went live August 20, 2026. It added the Season 4 Episode 1 story, Karel's Mothership, Raven, Trials, Archive Shards, and Transcendent Weapons. Update 1.4.3 is the current feature boundary, followed by Hotfix 1.4.3c: the update added Cradle of Evolution, Ultimate Hailey, Transcendent Weapon trading, and further Raven and Trials changes. Hotfix 1.4.3b fixed below-minimum Base Quality drops from the Cradle Commander. Hotfix 1.4.3c then fixed the blocked Hailey exclusive quest, Lepic/Jayber Transcendent Weapon amplification with Unique Weapons, a blue inventory tint, and adjusted Luna's Remix interaction with Battlefield Artist.

Choose the exact answer

Current unlock chain

1. Update and reconnect so Update 1.4.3 and Hotfix 1.4.3c are applied.
2. Finish any missing main quests through S03 EP04.
3. Complete S04 EP01 and the quest And, Tomorrow.
4. Clear Karel's Mothership on Normal to unlock Hard and the later Conquest event.

Trials, Raven research, Archive Shards, Transcendent Weapons, and Onslaught each have separate requirements and reward tables. Use the focused page for the activity you want instead of treating them as one mandatory route.

Onslaught status

Nexon temporarily restricted Onslaught Stage 1 after identifying repeated Transcendent Weapon acquisition through abnormal play. Stages 2 through 4 remained available, and Stage 1 was restored August 27 after the fix. Bans and item recovery followed the exploit investigation.

Sources & evidenceOpen the references used for this page

• The First Descendant Update 1.4.0
• Patch 1.4.1
• Season 4 Episode 1 page
• Official launch notice and platforms
• The First Descendant on Steam
• August known issues
• Onslaught abnormal-gameplay notice
• Patch 1.4.2 — Conquest, events, improvements, and fixes
• Update 1.4.3 — Cradle, Ultimate Hailey, trading, and current balance
• Hotfix 1.4.3c — Hailey quest, weapon amplification, Luna Remix, and inventory fixes
• September known issues