The First Descendant may not be bunched in with the likes of Highguard and Concord, but publisher Nexon hasn't sugarcoated things in its recent investor call. The third-person looter-shooter is most commonly known for its revealing outfits, jiggle physics, and a hot tub feature, but even that wasn't enough to save it from being in the "What didn't work" section of the presentation.
While the publisher's other game, Arc Raiders, has been going pretty strong since launch, CEO Junghun Lee admitted that the same success didn't follow with The First Descendant. He added that the issues weren't something that could be fixed with a patch, but it was the overarching game mechanics themselves that needed changing (thanks, GamesRadar).
Lee first addressed Dungeon & Fighter Mobile, saying it "launched with terrific momentum in 2024, then lost its way. The retention mechanics weren't strong enough to hold players long-term." Holding on to players is probably the hardest part of any online game, as we've seen over the past couple of years.
"Same issue with The First Descendant: Strong launch, no staying power. These are design issues that are not fixed with a patch – they require structural changes to game...
