Nexon doesn't have the best reputation following the issues with their games Sudden Attack and Maple Story. Their games are full of microtransactions, which has gotten them into some hot water in the past. This reputation worried players going into The First Descendant, but it seems that Nexon is actually doing great things with in-game support post-launch.
On July 11, 2024, the team at The First Descendant released an update detailing all of the changes made in their 1.0.2 hotfix. For those unfamiliar, a hotfix is a patch or update that is added to the game to provide immediate solutions to any issues without players needing to download the bigger files that come with a full patch. A hotfix will sometimes require a small update to your game, but it takes seconds to complete.
In this hotfix update, Nexon has tweaked several features of the game, including the addition of matchmaking for infiltration operations that are set to Hard mode. This feature wasn't available previously, which made these missions unnecessarily difficult.
As The First Descendant is a game where running out of ammo is often an issue, I can't imagine trying to take on an infiltration operation by myself in Hard mode. TPS games aren't my usual thing, but I am enjoying The First Descendant's cooperative nature. It seemed strange to have missions that I couldn't open up to other players around me or join to help Descendants who were also going for the same mission.
Another huge change that players are happy about is the immunity spheres on bosses. These spheres, which would float above bosses during missions, had to be destroyed in a certain order. That's no longer a thing - you can destroy them however you wish, which means that you don't waste time trying to hit one target.
Other highlights include:
- Tripled drop rates for rare basic materials from encrypted vaults.
- Elite Vulgus enemies dropping Encrypted vault-exclusive materials.
- Reduced hacking time for the Kingston 'Vulgus Data Transmitter' Hacking Mission.
- Slower voice lines for the Descendant Instructor (who used to speak so fast players couldn't keep up).
- Longer party invitation message pop-up time.
The devs also announced: "It has come to our attention that the community is worried about possible nerfs to Tamer and Gley's infinite magazine builds.
This meta is very strong, but since it is within the scope of what the Dev Team has planned, there are no immediate plans to do so."
Players across various Reddit posts about the hotfix are extremely happy about the updates, with fans saying they are "excited about the future of the game," and likening The First Descendant to Warframe and Destiny 2 if updates like this continue.
Overall, this hotfix has every The First Descendant fan abuzz. I can only hope that the devs do keep up with these updates, fix the ammo issue (please, fix the ammo issue), and stay true to their promises to not nerf their character builds just because they're a bit snacky.
Want to read more about The First Descendant at Pro Game Guides? Try our guide on How to fix Caliber not showing in The First Descendant or How to unlock all trophies in The First Descendant.
