Nexon’s first root shooter game, ‘First Descendant,’ has made significant achievements in the global gaming market, hinting at the potential to be a ‘game changer’ in the root shooter genre.
According to Nexon on the 26th, ‘First Descendant,’ which was officially released globally on the 2nd of this month, recorded 220,000 simultaneous users and ranked first in sales on the game platform Steam (PC) immediately after its release. Furthermore, on the 8th of this month, the 6th day after its release, it surpassed the peak simultaneous users of 260,000. These achievements exclude platforms preferred by Western users such as consoles (PlayStation, Xbox), making the actual success even more substantial.
Root shooter genre games combine shooting and RPG elements. Crafting desired items through repetitive gameplay to grow characters is the core content. Additionally, the genre is challenging to develop as it aims to provide sustained motivation and immersion in gameplay through shooting, action, characters, cooperative play content while reducing the monotony of gameplay.
‘First Descendant’ adheres to the essence of root shooter while showcasing flashy action, attractive characters, and sustainable content to captivate global users. It features 11 gun classes such as assault rifles and launchers, offering exhilarating gameplay. Users can enjoy actions like using the grappling hook for high mobility or dealing fatal blows to enemies, providing a taste of combat. The game also receives praise for its 19 distinct ‘successors’ characters with diverse skills and characteristics. These ‘successors’ can be utilized in content based on their roles, allowing users to freely customize according to their preferences. With over 560 types of ‘modules’ that add specific abilities to weapons and skills, it offers a high degree of freedom in strategic gameplay, enhancing the enjoyment of conquering challenges.
The user-friendly development direction is another factor contributing to the success of ‘First Descendant.’ Since the early stages of development, Nexon has actively communicated the main development directions through developer notes and dev talks videos, addressing detailed development progress of key items to rectify deficiencies. Recently, through live streaming, they have maintained closer communication with users.
In October 2022, during the first global beta test, Nexon incorporated feedback from users on gun sounds, optimization, movement, motion, and received positive evaluations on shooting actions, console optimization, and character charm during last year’s September cross-play open beta test, attracting around 2 million users. Additionally, around 110,000 user feedback from the cross-play open beta was reviewed, leading to systematic improvement and additional work, fostering user trust by transparently disclosing the process and results. Before the official release, they introduced detailed content such as the game world, end contents, growth strategies, and more.
Nexon aims for service longevity of over 10 years, focusing on stable operation. Users have highly praised the rapid improvements in the game since the patch on the 18th. Nexon plans to enhance completeness through improvements and provide sustainable RPG elements through season-based operations and monthly updates of new content.
On the 31st, Nexon plans to introduce highly anticipated new ‘successors,’ ‘Ultimate Valbi,’ ‘Luna,’ and the giant boss ‘Glutni.’ By the end of August, they will add large-scale content through the Season 1 update. They will continue to add more advanced content such as new dungeon content, main stories, ‘successors’ exclusive stories to enhance the enjoyment. 이범준, PD of ‘First Descendant,’ overseeing the development, expressed that the development team will continue to learn and evolve through user gameplay experiences. They value user feedback and strive to provide a better gaming environment.
