South Korean publisher Nexon seems to have quite a bit on its plate at the moment. With more than a dozen projects said to be in the works and the anticipated looter shooter ARC Raiders being moved back to 2023, it can be hard to keep track of the publisher’s projects. That said, though a definite release date has yet to be confirmed, Nexon’s forthcoming free-to-player multiplayer shooter The First Descendant recently received a new trailer ahead of an anticipated appearance at Gamescom 2022.
One of a number of promising games confirmed to be developed in Unreal Engine 5, The First Descendant definitely appears to be a looker, and much of the new trailer emphasizes the incredible visual fidelity made possible by both the upgraded engine and new console generation. Character models are vibrant and detailed, and environments seem to be nothing short of photorealistic. That said, concluding in less than a minute, there wasn’t much to be gleaned from the teaser despite the many unknowns surrounding the game.
Nexon's The First Descendant looks to follow in the footsteps of the many successful multiplayer-focused free-to-play titles that came before it. Squads and squad-based tactics appear to play a role and call to mind Turtle Rock Studio's Evolve, while the brief snippets of combat seem at least slightly reminiscent of the powers afforded to wearers of Anthem’s Javelin exo-suits. There’s also a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment in which a character holds something that looks very similar to a Ghost from the Destiny franchise, and the third-person shooting on display comes off as vaguely Outriders-inspired.
Nexon is, of course, not unfamiliar with the free-to-play scheme. Best known for MMOs like Vindictus and MapleStory, the publisher certainly seems to have established itself within a particular niche. That said, Nexon was also attached to the troubled release of the 2016 hero shooter LawBreakers, the failure of which contributed to the dissolution of developer Boss Key Productions.
Ties to that title and other less-than-lucrative projects seem to have soured Nexon’s public image slightly, as a three-to-one like-to-dislike ratio on the new The First Descendant teaser trailer indicates that some gamers may be harboring once-bitten-twice-shy mentalities. Still, Nexon isn’t likely to disappear from the gaming space any time soon. Being a major investor in big-name publishers like Sega, Konami, and Bandai Namco with multiple high-profile projects in the works, it could be that Nexon is hoping to double down after learning from previous mistakes in the free-to-play shooter arena.
The First Descendant is in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.