- The final battle against "Karrel" brings the long-running narrative to a close... New mega dungeon "Karrel's Ship" revealed
- Added new shotgun DPS Heir "Raven" and 11 new "Transcendence" tier weapons
- Introducing the new repeatable mode "Trials" and improving accessibility with "Rotating Build Sets"
On August 21, NEXON (Co-CEOs Kang Dae-hyun and Kim Jung-wook) announced that The First Descendant, a looter shooter developed by its subsidiary NEXON Games (CEO Park Yong-hyun), has officially implemented the "Season 4 Ep.1: The Grand Finale" update.
First, the main storyline "The Grand Finale" depicts the Heirs' final battle against their nemesis, "Karrel," bringing the long-running narrative to a satisfying conclusion. Players can experience story missions set in "Albion," a base thrown into crisis by Karrel's invasion. Karrel is portrayed not just as a simple enemy, but as a character with unique goals and beliefs, and his hidden secrets will also be revealed.
The new mega dungeon "Karrel's Ship" has also been updated. This mode features a three-stage showdown against the final boss, "Karrel," allowing players to experience large-scale spectacles with varying spatial layouts and attack patterns in each phase. Players can also gain advantages by destroying structures within the dungeon as part of the strategy. The dungeon offers Normal and Hard difficulties, with Normal difficulty designed for a natural progression through the story. From September 3 to October 15, the highest difficulty, "Conquest," will be available for a limited time. Clearing it rewards players with an exclusive skin for the new "Transcendence" weapon tier, "Malice Dominator," along with other limited-time rewards.
Meanwhile, a new Heir, "Raven," has been added. She was formerly the leader of the Albion Back Alley Guild and is a Goth-style Heir characterized by heavy eye makeup and a raven feather outfit. As an attributeless gunner who uses shotguns and mobility skills, she weaves through enemy crowds with her "Raven Feathers" and "Shadow Step" skills to eliminate large numbers of foes, while dealing powerful area damage with her "Blood Vendetta" skill. Additionally, two skill modules, "Nightfall" and "Back Alley Rules," have been introduced to enable diverse gameplay styles.
Eleven new weapons of the "Transcendence" tier have also been unveiled. These consist of four enhanced versions of existing "Ultimate" weapons and seven brand-new additions, offering unique impact and visual effects through their distinctive firing methods and animations. The performance of "Transcendence" weapons is determined by their quality, with the standard quality increasing each time one is acquired, providing opportunities to obtain higher-quality versions. "Transcendence" weapons can be obtained starting from Normal difficulty, and existing "Ultimate" weapon skins are compatible with their corresponding "Transcendence" weapons.
The repeatable game mode "Trials" has also made its debut. Based on Roguelite elements, the difficulty increases with each zone cleared. By combining "Variable Codes" with various enhancement effects, Heirs become stronger, ensuring a unique combat experience every time. With the "Rotating Build Sets" feature, which allows players to borrow pre-completed Heir builds, both new and returning players can jump right into the action.
Furthermore, this update includes balance adjustments for Heirs and enhancements to growth support. Heir "Kyle" has had his unique mechanic, which increases damage based on maximum shield, strengthened to improve viability in high-end content. "Gleyan" has received increased base power and a new mechanic that boosts damage based on shields, enhancing both stability and firepower. Additionally, through the "Boost Path: Ultimate Bunny Build Guide," Heirs at Global Level 20 or below will receive growth materials needed to complete the "Ultimate Bunny" build "Electric Condensation," as well as the "Transcendence" weapon "Thunderstorm Cage."
Additionally, NEXON is launching several events to commemorate this update. Until September 17, completing the "Grand Finale Departure Missions" will reward players with items such as Raven's "Transcendence Module Selection Box" and "Crystallization Catalysts." During the same period, completing the "New Mode Challenge Missions" will grant rewards like the "Evil Gun" weapon skin "Slaughterer" and "Sorting Devices." Until September 24, participating in the login event "Frontline Medical Support" will provide Luna's "Medical Support" skin and growth assistance rewards.