Developer Nexon has released the first post-launch update for The First Descendant, which brings some much-needed improvements to the game after its rough launch.
Hotfix 1.0.1, out now across PC, PlayStation and Xbox, improves performance on PlayStation 5 specifically (the PS5 version has significant frame-rate issues), makes gameplay tweaks and various bug fixes, and fixes the logo sound volume on game launch.
On gameplay, knockback and knockdown recovery times have been sped up by 1.5 times, and the maximum usage of the Eterllick shield skill per phase has been reduced from two times to one time. There are no changes to The First Descendant’s heavily criticized monetization, however, which some have called “microtransaction hell.”
Nexon’s free-to-play co-op focused looter shooter, a sort of fusion of the likes of Warframe and Destiny, launched on June 30 and has seen huge player numbers on Steam (Sony and Microsoft do not reveal player numbers on PlayStation and Xbox). On Valve’s platform The First Descendant has seen 239,513 peak concurrent players so far, enough to put the game in Steam’s top five most-played games. Check out IGN’s The First Descendant review in progress to find out what we think of the game so far.
But the launch has endured significant problems, including the aforementioned frame-rate issues and crash problems, with lots of players still waiting for promised rewards including Twitch drops. Nexon has issued multiple apologies and dished out compensation in the form of in-game resources and items, but that hasn’t stopped the complaints. Nexon even had to ask players to stop buying the same item multiple times through Steam or the PlayStation or Xbox platform stores because players weren’t getting what they paid for.
The First Descendant hotfix 1.0.1 patch notes in full:
Platform & System
- Fixed the issue where the logo sound volume was too high when launching the game.
- Server and client stabilization has been carried out.
- (PS5) Removed unintended factors that were degrading performance.
- (PS5, XSX) Fixed the issue where FSR Upscale was malfunctioning.
Content Improvements
- Knockback and knockdown recovery times have been sped up by 1.5 times.
- The maximum usage of the Eterllick shield skill per phase has been reduced from 2 times to 1 time.
Bug Fixes
(1) UI/UX
- Fixed the issue where the back button did not work after closing the capacity exceeded popup in the module enhancement UI.
(2) Descendant
- (XB1) Fixed the issue where the heads of other players wearing skins would intermittently not display.
(3) Module
- Fixed the issue where the ‘Skill Power Modifier’ number was not applied correctly after level 5 enhancement of the ‘Lethal Infection’ module.
- Fixed the issue where the ultimate module drop animation was used when the normal module ‘High-Power Rounds Capacity Increase’ was dropped.
(4) Field
- Fixed the issue where object destruction animations did not appear in the Strategic Outpost.
- Fixed the issue where the name and description of the NPC Dominique in the Hagios region were displayed incorrectly.
(5) Equipment
- Fixed the issue where the Guided Round of the Ultimate Weapon ‘Restored Relic’ did not apply the ‘Ancient Fire’ status effect.
- Fixed the tooltip error for the Fire Skill Power of the ‘Active Volcano’ External Components 2-set effect.
- Fixed the tooltip error for the Weak Point Damage of the ‘Frozen Heart’ External Components 4-set effect.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.