The First Descendent isn't secretly messing with your drop rates, and Nexon is taking steps to prove it's not lying

The First Descendent
(Image credit: Nexon)

The First Descendant isn't being shady with your drop rates, claims developer and publisher Nexon.

The free-to-play co-op looter shooter came out a couple weeks back, on June 30, and since then, those enamoured with the game's bombastic abilities and even more bombastic bosses have felt like something strange has been going on with drop rates. Players online have complained about grinding for hours without finding the shiny goodies they're looking for. (Check out how to farm Kuiper Shards and Void Shards if you're struggling too.)

Nexon now states that it's not obfuscating drop rates; you probably just got severely unlucky this time. "We are well aware that as many Descendants begin farming in earnest, various discussions are taking place regarding drop rates," the developer writes in The First Descendant's newest patch notes. "There is no variable drop rate system in The First Descendant. We are using the fixed rates displayed in the game."

The development team has supposedly reviewed "the acquisition rates across all servers" and found that there's no backend problem. Loot drops are in line with the rates displayed in-game, apparently. "We are currently working on various measures to ensure the community can trust the dev team such as disclosing item drop amounts for each content," Nexon continues. "And we also prepare ways to improve the farming experience. The First Descendant will continue to communicate transparently and honestly."

Remaining patch notes details various, smaller changes to balancing and optimization, alongside several bug fixes. Elsewhere, Nexon also revealed plans to change The First Descendant's icon designs that share strange similarities to those found in Destiny 2. "We have taken the concerns raised seriously and decided to make adjustments to ensure that the imagery that may appear similar clearly reflects the unique identity of our game," Nexon said in a statement from earlier today.

The First Descendant hits 10 million players in a week despite a rough start with 52% positive Steam reviews: “We will do our best to bring you great experiences.”

Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.

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