Nexon’s The First Descendant Becomes A Global Looter Shooter Phenomenon

Nexon’s new looter shooter, The First Descendant, has captivated global gamers, maintaining its popularity achieved a high player count on Steam a month after its release. In July, the First Descendant ranked No. 13 on Steam’s most-played games chart, peaking at 120,000 concurrent players in the past 24 hours.

Only established titles like Counter-Strike 2, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, and ELDEN RING outpaced it.

Following its global launch on July 2, The First Descendant quickly climbed to the top of Steam’s PC chart, achieving leading sales and a peak concurrent player count exceeding 220,000. By July 8, this number had surpassed 260,000, indicating a positive and stable outlook for the game’s ongoing popularity.

A looter shooter combines shooting and role-playing game elements with core gameplay involving shooting, action, character progression, and cooperative play. While similar games like Ubisoft’s The Division 2 and Bungie’s Destiny series have thrived globally, looter shooters were once unfamiliar territory for Korean game studios.

First Descendant’s Game Features and Updates

Nexon stated that The First Descendant adheres closely to the looter shooter structure, offering exhilarating gunplay with 11 different types of firearms, including assault rifles and launchers. The game features 19 heroes, each with unique skills and abilities, fulfilling various roles within the game’s content.

Nexon responds promptly to user feedback and releases fast content updates to maintain momentum. From the early development stages, the company has shared revealing updates and critical progress through developer notes and recently held a developer chat session to interact with the user community.

Soon, The First Descendant will introduce new heroes, Luna and Ultimate Valby, alongside a major content expansion with the Season 1 update. Nexon also plans to release new dungeons, an expanded main story, and additional hero content soon.

Player Milestones and Controversies

Nexon’s free-to-play sci-fi shooter The First Descendant has reached 10 million players in seven days. Marking the occasion, Nexon expressed gratitude for the “tremendous support and love” from players, emphasizing their commitment to providing great experiences.

Despite its success, The First Descendant faced controversy over claims that its iconography closely resembles icons found in Destiny 2. Nexon responded by stating they are “taking the concerns raised seriously” and will “ensure that the imagery that may appear similar to Destiny 2 clearly reflects the unique identity of its game.”

The First Descendant is now available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and last-gen consoles. It currently holds a “mixed” user review score on Steam, reflecting both praise and areas for improvement.

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