I’ll admit that Nexon has surprised me in its post-release support of The First Descendant. As someone coming from Destiny 2, it’s refreshing to see quick responses, patches, and the developer actually listen to feedback. The good news keeps coming as Nexon has started teasing what’s to come in next week’s update, including Luna and Ultimate Valby.
What’s coming in The First Descendant Week 5 Update
The Week 5 Update for The First Descendant is rapidly approaching. In a post on X, it was revealed the release date had moved ahead from August 1, 2024, to July 31, 2024. Nexon’s other announcements have been mixed across X, its official Discord server, and The First Descendant site. I’ve compiled everything announced thus far below.
New Ultimate Descendant – Valby
Valby is the next Descendant to get an Ultimate form, called the “Sea of Emerald.” She comes with two new Mods, both of which are quite enticing. Less enticing is the design of her ultimate outfit. As a Valby main, I’m not digging the overall lack of flow and cohesion. That, and slapping what looks like a cybernetic diaper on her, has me feeling like the design team missed the mark here.
- Spiral Tidal Wave: Replaces Bubble Bullet with a projectile that shoots straight ahead. This Mod is ideal for “attracting the impurities of Gluttony,” making Ultimate Valby a strong pick for contending with the new Colossus.
- Hydro Pressure Bomb: Replaces Plop Plop. Valby leaps forward and deals AoE damage. Hydro Pressure Bomb’s damage scales based on the number of enemies hit.
New Descendant – Luna
Players that have made it through The First Descendant‘s campaign should recognize Luna. Nexon has listened to fan feedback and will be making her the next Descendant to join the roster. Sporting a synthesizer gun that looks a lot like Lucio’s, Nexon is blurring the line between inspiration and idea theft.
Furthering the comparison is how Luna’s powers work. Luna’s synthesizer becomes more powerful when fired in rhythm to the music being played and further enhances other Descendant’s abilities. When playing relaxing music, “allies’ mentality recovers and resource consumption decreases.” When playing upbeat music, “allies’ Skill Power increases.” Upon release, Luna will have two unique Mods available to her.
- Nimble Footsteps: Enhances Luna’s mobility and increases the range of her performance effect.
- Noise Surge: Luna switches roles from support to damage dealer. Luna is able to build an Inspiration Gauge that summons a stage to recover mental strength and shields once full.
New Colossus – Gluttony
The Devourer has undergone some changes and has now become something new. A beast that feeds itself on Void Energy, Descendants will need to exploit its mining phase and survive its cooling phase.
New Ultimate Weapon – Peace Mediator
The Peace Mediator is a hand cannon that can fire both single shots and bursts. As a fan of hand cannons in any game, I’m glad to see more coming to The First Descendant.
New Ultimate Mod – Arche Concretion
The Arche Concretion increases defense and “mentality” when using Skills while decreasing movement speed and attack power. Nexon has stated that it’s a good pick for Luna and Ajax, but can still prove useful to other Descendants.
Planned Balance Adjustments
- Buffs for Valby, Blair, and Freyna’s AoE Skills.
- Buffs to Enduring Legacy, Secret Garden, and Nazeistra’s Devotion to increase firepower with critical settings.
- Buffs to single-shot weapons.
- Buff to activation rate of unique ability for Greg’s Reversed Fate.
Published: Jul 26, 2024 12:05 pm