First descendants Developer Nexon has released update 1.0.4 to PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and S via Steam. Patch NotesUnder.
The patch tinkers with the popular “Valby Run” farming method. Set in The Fortress Outpost on Hard Mode, Valby Run involves destroying generators and dealing enough damage to the boss to trigger a ball resistance phase, then moving around the outer ring of the arena infinitely while continuously dealing damage using the character Valby’s abilities. Using the Valby Run farming method, players have been able to earn hundreds of thousands of in-game gold and tons of XP in just a few minutes.
The First Descendant Update 1.0.4 Full Patch Notes:
Content Improvement
- Module storage limit increased from 1,000 to 1,500.
- “Vulgus Strategic Outpost” cooldown reduced from 5 minutes to 1 minute.
- At the Vargas Strategic Base, the time between monster appearances has been extended and the reward amounts have been adjusted.
- Void Fragments will now drop when you defeat monsters in Special Operations. Special Operation “Void Neutralization Experiment” has the most Void Fragments as a drop.
- Using an “Arrest Seal” item acquired in a Special Operation will grant you 10 times the normal amount of Gold. Using an “Arrest Seal” from the “Consumables” tab will convert it to 100,000 Gold, while a “High Value Arrest Seal” will convert to 1,000,000 Gold.
“As a result of this adjustment, the rewards at the fortress outpost have been reduced,” explained Joo Min-suk, director of “The Oldest Descendant.”
“However, we have set the reward efficiency significantly higher than originally intended to ensure that Valby Run remains a popular hunting ground like Ambush Point and Refined Run. We want to provide First Descendants with numerous farming spots, each with their own unique characteristics and useful to a variety of Descendants. Rather than returning Valby Run to our original design intent, we have adjusted it to offer similar efficiency to other high-reward hunting grounds.
“Additionally, we’ve reduced the cooldowns for all bases, allowing players to play bases more frequently without intentionally failing, eliminating the need to travel around the map looking for bases with shorter cooldowns. We’ve also added gold rewards to Special Operations and adjusted the random drops of the four types of Void Fragments, giving players more options for different hunting grounds to choose from and take advantage of.
“Through challenges like Fortress Outskirts and Valby Run, we’re learning what playstyles players enjoy. The experience of wiping out and defeating monsters is of great value to our game.
“Your feedback and interest is what drives the continuous improvement of The First Descendant. We’re always listening to your feedback and improving the game.”
Joo Min-seok also gave a preview of week 5 of The First Descendant, which will begin airing next week and add a new descendant named Luna. Details are below.
The First Descendant Week 5 Update Patch Notes Preview:
Emerald Sea “Ultimate Valby”
Finally, the Magisters have completed the ultimate project for Valby. This ultimate equipment, called “Emerald Sea”, fulfills Valby’s long-held wish. It is a nanosuit that reproduces the color and texture of Valby’s previous body. Although it is covered by a thin layer, Valby feels like he has regained a part of himself that he had long forgotten.
Ultimate Valby Mod
- Spiral Tidal Wave: Replaces the difficult-to-aimate bubble bullets with a straight-flying projectile. Spiral Tidal Wave attracts Gluttony’s impurities, making it perfect for intercepting Gluttony.
- Hydro Pressure Bomb: Instead of a “pop-po-po” sound, this bomb will bounce forward, dealing damage to enemies near where it lands. The more enemies in the wash, the more damage it will do, making the Hydro Pressure Bomb a powerful finishing blow. Instead of diving into the water, jump forward with joy!
New descendant “Luna”
The crazy artist Luna has returned to Albion after a long wandering performance. Luna’s synthesizer gun fires more powerfully when fired in rhythm, and her allies’ abilities are strengthened according to her performance. When Luna dances to cheerful music, her allies’ skill power increases, and when she dances to calm music, her allies’ mental strength is restored and their resources are reduced. Invite everyone to Luna’s concert. Unfortunately, this will be Vargas’ last stage, but Luna’s performance has just begun!
Luna’s Mods
- Light on Her Feet: Increases Luna’s mobility and increases the range of her performances, allowing her to more effectively support her allies.
- Noise Surge: Transform Luna from a supporter to a battle dealer. Charge towards enemies in time with the rhythm, dealing damage to nearby enemies. When the inspiration gauge is full, summon a stage that restores mental strength and shields. Give your enemies a terrifying musical experience with Noise Surge!
Gluttony
The mutated Devourer Gluttony is a giant who greedily consumes void energy. He has a system for mining void energy and a cooling system for cooling the heat generated in the process. To fight Gluttony, you need a countermeasure to withstand his cooling performance and the judgment to use his greedy temperament. Intercept Gluttony and collect new ultimate weapons and external components.
The new ultimate weapon: the “peace broker”
If you need some meditation to bring peace to Ingrith, the new ultimate weapon, the Peace Mediator, is the perfect solution. This powerful hand cannon is effective in single shots, but under the right conditions it can fire a rapid succession of bullets for heavy firepower.
New ultimate module “Arche Concretion”
It has the Arch Concretion effect, which increases defense and mental strength when using skills, but decreases movement speed and attack power. It is especially effective against Luna and Ajax, and is a good choice for players who want stable skill use. The choice is yours. Combine different modules to create your own build.
Balance Changes
For our week 5 update, we decided to make some balancing changes to some of our descendants and ultimate weapons.
First, we will adjust Valby, Blair, and Freyna, whose main skills are AOE. We hope to see these descendants dominate the battlefield more effectively, creating wide AOE zones and watching as they slowly kill enemies from behind. Look forward to improved performance for these descendants with wide range coverage.
Additionally, there will be improvements to ultimate weapons that will increase critical hit chances and damage. The Enduring Legacy (machine gun), Secret Garden (tactical rifle), and Nazeistra’s Devotion (hand cannon) will be improved to boast more powerful firepower on critical settings.
In addition, Greg’s Reversed Fate (Tactical Rifle) will be adjusted to allow more of its unique effect to be activated, and the functionality of single-shot weapons will also be improved, allowing players to freely choose between single-shot and rapid-fire modes. Please look forward to it.
lastly,
In the 5th week update, we will also be introducing further quality of life improvements, as well as new cosmetics that many players have been waiting for, so please wait for one more week!
Nexon’s free co-op looter shooter is hugely popular Over 10 million players in just 10 daysBut it has come under heavy criticism for its overly aggressive monetization, including the cost of Ultimate versions of playable characters. Last week, IGN reported that one player I spent a whopping 200 hours just to unlock every Ultimate Descendant currently available in the game without paying a penny.
Wesley is IGN’s UK News Editor. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can contact Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or wyp100@proton.me.
