The First Descendant Marks Survival of Poor Metacritic Score with Teaser for Season 3: The Breakthrough

At GDC this week, Nexon hosted a session discussing what it calls the redemption arc of The First Descendant, the MMO-inspired looter-shooter that debuted last summer (or “Shooty with the Booty,” as my esteemed colleagues have dubbed it). You might be curious about what this redemption refers to—it stems from the gaming industry’s persistent fixation with Metacritic. The development team reportedly took its 57 Metacritic score to heart.

Nexon revealed that despite the harsh launch reviews, the game pushed forward into its second season, which resulted in “significant growth in both player engagement and overall game popularity.” Specifically, the update saw an 18% increase in new players compared to the previous update, a 25% rise in daily players, and a new concurrent player peak of 23K on Steam.

As part of the presentation, Nexon also teased the upcoming season for The First Descendant.

“Additionally, for the groundbreaking update, Season 3: The Breakthrough, coming this summer, the team is taking a new approach to expand The First Descendant. Players can look forward to a larger battlefield to explore, new vehicles for transportation, exciting Colossus battles on expansive fields, and a new lounge space.”

The update is expected to launch in July.