NEXON’s looter-shooter The First Descendant just blew out its first birthday candles — and instead of cake, it served up a massive livestream event, Descendant Fest 2025, packed with new content, trailers, and a look ahead at what’s next. The highlight: Season 3: Breakthrough, launching August 7.
At the center of the update is Axion Plains, a wide-open new field designed for large-scale battles and exploration. To help you get around without sprinting for five minutes straight, Hover Bikes are finally here. They’re fast, sleek, and feel like the mobility boost the game’s been missing.
Axion also plays host to the new Colossus Field Raid, where eight players take on the Wall Crasher, a hulking boss with AoE shockwaves and wide-range attacks. It’s slow but hits like a truck — or more accurately, a collapsing building with legs. You’ll need a coordinated team and a solid strategy to survive.
Joining the roster in Breakthrough is Nell, a new Descendant who uses telekinesis to mark enemies, amplify damage, and shield teammates. She can be built for offense or support, making her one of the more flexible additions to the lineup. Players will get to try her out early in the Season 3 demo, launching July 24.
To celebrate one year of bullets and boss fights, NEXON also released a global infographic showing off the game’s most-played Descendants, top Colossi kills (and deaths), weapon stats, and more. Starting July 3, players can check their own personal stats from the past year — and maybe discover that yes, the Wall Crasher did, in fact, flatten them the most.
There’s also a musical bonus: The First Descendant’s original soundtrack is coming to Spotify and other platforms, and players who log in after July 3 will get a themed Spotify Name Card and two new Paints. Extra anniversary rewards and exclusive merch are available through the Grab the Breakthrough event on the game’s site.
To make it easier for new and returning players to dive in, two new systems are launching with the update. Descendant Boost Up lets you skip early-game content and start directly in the mid-game Sigma Sector, fully geared. Descendant Boost Path is a guided system that walks players through the core mechanics, helping everyone get raid-ready faster. It’s a solid move for a game that’s finally found its footing — and wants more people playing the good parts sooner.
Also announced: a new Companion App for iOS and Android that lets you check Descendants, manage research, track drops, and eventually trigger tasks remotely. It’s the kind of tool min-maxers will live in and the rest of us will appreciate during lunch breaks.
NEXON closed out the stream with a roadmap teasing more Descendants, dungeons, and content coming through the end of 2025. But for now, all eyes are on July 24 for the demo — and August 7 for the full Breakthrough update. Hover Bikes, telekinesis, NieR skins, and an 8-player raid? Not a bad way to kick off year two.
