Skip to main content

Free-to-play shooter The First Descendant launches this summer

Summer Gaming Marathon Feature Image
This story is part of our Summer Gaming Marathon series.
The First Descendant│Official Launch Date Reveal│Summer Game Fest 2024

The long-awaited The First Descendant from Nexon Games is finally going live. The co-op looter shooter will soon be available on July 2, it was revealed at Summer Game Fest 2024.

Recommended Videos

The game, which will pit players against an alien invasion while imbuing those characters with superpowers, will be free to play across PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. A new trailer at Summer Game Fest revealed its release date alongside a fresh look at its Unreal Engine 5 visuals.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Nexon previously announced during The Game Awards 2023 that The First Descendant would be launching this summer, although it didn’t have a more specific release window. It did confirm it was on track for the summer though in a post on X (formerly Twitter) in May. The studio has held a number of technical tests, along with a crossplay open beta in 2023. Crossplay, along with cross-saves, will be available at launch.

In case you haven’t been following along over the past few years, in The Final Descendant, players will take on the role of a Descendant, a person with powers who has to protect Earth against aliens called the Vulgus. Game producer Lee Beom-jun told Digital Trends in a 2022 interview that the game will reveal the story as players go through missions and get access to updates, so offering a closer blend of narrative and the gameplay of more casual free-to-play shooters.

“We have a main story in the game, and the content is delivered through quests and in-game cinematic scenes. We will continue to add these stories with each major update,” Beom-jun said. “In addition to the main story, several other stories and story settings will be shown through various methods in the game. Discovering these hidden side stories and background lore will be exciting and fun.”

Carli Velocci
Carli is a technology, culture, and games editor and journalist. They were the Gaming Lead and Copy Chief at Windows Central…
Super Mario Party Jamboree is the series’ biggest game yet
super mario party jamboree announcement

Super Mario Party Jamboree – Announcement Trailer – Nintendo Switch

There's nothing quite like a Mario Party game, and Nintendo has announced another entry that's coming out this fall. Super Mario Party Jamboree is the series' biggest game yet, and it's due out on October 17 for the Nintendo Switch.

Read more
Wii classic Donkey Kong Country Returns gets an HD remaster
donkey kong country returns hd dk

During the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced that an HD remaster for Donkey Kong Country Returns will release on January 16, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch.

It's unknown which studio is handling the remaster, but the game's original developer was Retro Studios. It was the first game in the Donkey Kong series that did not involve original developer Rare, which Microsoft acquired in 2002.

Read more
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom gives Zelda her starring role
Zelda running from a purple void

Nintendo revealed a brand new Zelda title called The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom during the June Nintendo Direct. This is the latest 2D entry in the series following the remake of Link's Awakening in 2019 and it will be released on September 26 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.

Instead of another remake of a classic Zelda title, which developer Grezzo is most known for, Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was revealed as an entirely new entry in the series. Using the same art style as Link's Awakening, Echoes of Wisdom will finally allow players to go on an adventure playing as Zelda rather than Link.

Read more