'The First Descendant' Launches Season 3 Episode 4 Update with Major Farming Improvements

Nexon Co., Ltd., which produces and operates online games, announced that on May 21, 2026, the Season 3 Episode 4 update was implemented for 'The First Descendant', a free-to-play TPS looter-shooter developed by its consolidated subsidiary NEXON Games Co., Ltd. The update introduced new content, balance adjustments, and various improvements.

In this update, a major reorganization of the overall farming (material gathering) system was conducted, making it more convenient to collect materials required to acquire and strengthen Descendants and weapons. Additionally, the new endgame content 'Clash Mode', which had been operating in beta, has been officially implemented with various improvements. New content such as 'Axium Mining' and 'Bounty Tracking Operation' were also added, alongside the arrival of a new Ultimate Descendant, 'Ultimate Esiemo'.

Details regarding this update were also introduced in the developer live stream broadcast on May 19.

▼ Update Information ▼

■ Farming Reorganization
To improve the farming experience for players who previously found game progression difficult, the farming system has been overhauled. Players can now collect and grow crucial Descendants and weapons more intuitively and conveniently.

[Main Farming Updates]
- By simply collecting a single material called 'Archive Fragments', players can obtain Descendants and weapons useful for early gameplay.
- Amorphous Material patterns have been re-categorized by Descendant rather than by number. This makes it easier to find and play the content that drops the required Amorphous Material, facilitating the acquisition of specific Descendant blueprints.
- Farming locations have been significantly changed. Materials have been consolidated and simplified, and skill modules are now easier to obtain.

■ Addition of Descendant 'Ultimate Esiemo'
The new Descendant 'Ultimate Esiemo' has been added.
Equipped with 'Black Detonator', an Arche-reactive blast suit that redesigns and enhances existing gear, his blast reaction speed has greatly improved. Base skills have also been strengthened to match his Ultimate status, including adjustments to sync values, reduced overall skill activation times, and a new feature to deploy stacked bombs all at once.
Furthermore, two Esiemo-exclusive transcendent modules have been added: 'Frenzied Bomber', which is effective in close-range combat, and the coordinated skill 'Explosion Maestro', which is effective against single targets like Colossi.

■ Official Release of 'Clash Mode'
The defense mission content 'Clash Mode', where players must stop enemies from advancing toward a target point, has been updated to its official version. Based on player feedback from the beta, the official release includes the following updates and improvements:

[Main Updates]
- Turrets: Balance adjustments and addition of a taunt function to barricades.
- Resources: Addition of artillery support, new resource acquisition routes, and expanded resource utilization methods.
- Abilities: Addition of ability grades and types.
- Missions: Addition of voice lines and visual effects, adjusted Colossus spawn timings, and the addition of pickup weapons.
- Rewards: Revamped into a weekly reset reward system, allowing players to earn up to four Precursor modules per week. Clearing high-difficulty levels guarantees higher-rank rewards.

■ Descendant 'Valby' Balance Adjustments
Balance adjustments have been made to the Descendant 'Valby'. Her performance is improved by modifying some skills, adding new effects, and adjusting/strengthening synergies between skills. Additionally, the Arche types of her skills will be unified to improve loadout convenience, and skill module enhancements tailored to her play concept will be implemented to improve overall usability.

■ New Weapons & New Content Added
New weapons 'Whirlwind' and 'Runaway Locomotive' will be added. In addition, new combat content 'Axium Mining' and 'Bounty Tracking Operation', where players hunt targets with bounties, have been introduced, along with two new skill modules for the Descendant Ines.

■ In-Game Events
Battlefield Medical Support Mission