The First Descendant release date window, open beta, and more

If you want to know more about when The First Descendant release date might arrive then look no further as we think we’ve worked it out.

The First Descendant release date: A blue-eyed Descendant leans over, the blue of her helmet perfectly matching the color of her eyes.

When is The First Descendant release date? A new looter shooter from Nexon is on its way, and if its popularity during the first hours of its crossplay open beta test is anything to go by, it appears Nexon has struck gold once again.

In The First Descendant, you pick one of a range of futuristic Descendants to tackle a series of brutal enemies. Even though The First Descendant characters do have abilities of their own, this is a looter shooter, so there are randomly generated weapons to level the playing field as well. Read on for more news of the action game including its speculative full release date.

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The First Descendant release date window

The First Descendant release date is going to arrive in Summer 2024. The window was revealed during The Game Awards 2023 when a new trailer debuted.

Unfortunately, we still don’t have a confirmed release date just yet. While Nexon’s main priority would be to release the game when it’s bug-free and ready to go, some consideration needs to be made to the game release schedule. If there’s a big AAA game on the horizon, Nexon won’t want to release The First Descendant anywhere near it.

We originally believed The First Descendant would launch a few months after the open beta, however, it appears Nexon has deviated from its usual release cadence. MapleStory Evolution was released just one month after a closed beta test. Meanwhile, KartRider Drift opened up for a crossplay beta in August 2022, only to be released just four months later.

The First Descendant open beta

The most recent First Descendant open beta ran between September 19 – 25. giving players a chance to be among the first to get to grips with the Descendants and their abilities. It’s unclear whether the devs plan on launching another open beta in the future, or if they’ll release the full game instead.

If you want to know what the developers thought about the open beta, you can read their detailed notes over on The First Descendant Steam page. They talk about the feedback they received and how they plan on tweaking the missions, UI, and even the gameplay mechanics.

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The First Descendant trailers

Already everyone’s favorite Descendant, Bunny is an electric character – and we mean that quite literally. As you can see from her introductory trailer, Bunny can create electricity, and we’re assured she’s also the fastest playable character. We’re pretty sure she’s gonna spark something in the game’s fanbase.

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If Bunny is a little too… excitable for you, then perhaps Sharen is more your speed. Her trailer certainly delivers a far more somber tone, as it starts with the Descendant’s limbless body rigged up to some sort of machine as her voiceover says, “If there were a God, he wouldn’t have left me like this.” Oof. If she channels even half of that pain into battle, this stealthy assassin is bound to be a solid Descendant choice.

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A further trailer premiered at The Game Awards in 2023, showing the mystical world and giving us a glimpse at an apparent friendship between the Descendant and various characters before she turns on them, firing blue lazers. A massive turtle-like boss is also shown, which could prove a fun challenge in the upcoming multiplayer game. This trailer was also the reveal of the release date window of Summer 2024.

The First Descendant system requirements

The First Descendants system requirements are a mixed bag, with the game being easy to run, but the bar is raised quite a bit for the recommended specs.

There is still plenty of time for these to change, and if anything they are more likely to increase given that The First Descendant is an Unreal Engine 5 title.

That’s everything you need to know about The First Descendant release date and gameplay right now. We’ll be adding more to this list as we get closer to the game’s full release, including a list of all the playable Descendants and the best First Descendant Bunny build. In the meantime, take a look at some of our other favorite RPG games, or the best PC games right now.