Even though The First Descendant had a strong launch, you may have heard mixed things from the players regarding the game’s developer. Here’s everything you need to know about the studio behind The First Descendant, Nexon.
Who developed The First Descendant?
The First Descendant is developed and published by Nexon, a South Korean video game development and publishing company. Nexon games can be divided into two categories: Games developed by Nexon and games published by Nexon but developed by subsidiary studios.
The list of games developed by Nexon includes MapleStory, Blue Archive, and Mabinogi. The most controversial game on this list is the 2D MMORPG MapleStory. In early 2024, Nexon was fined $8.9 million by the Korean Fair Trade Commission for allegedly misleading players with the drop rates of in-game items. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only time Nexon has been accused of providing misleading information to its players. In 2018, it was fined by the Korean Fair Trade Commission over its use of loot boxes in an event for its online shooter, Sudden Attack.
Another Nexon game you might’ve heard of is Blue Archive. It’s an anime action-strategy gacha game with an interesting story and cute characters, available on Android and iOS. Blue Archive was released in 2021 and currently has over one million downloads on the Google Play Store.
If you haven’t heard of any of these games, Nexon published a few better-known titles through its subsidiaries, including Dave the Diver, DNF Duel, and THE FINALS. Dave the Diver, developed by MINTROCKET, is a fun diving game with a beautiful art style that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The game was even nominated for the Best Independent Game award during The Game Awards 2023. Game-show-themed FPS, THE FINALS, which took the gaming world by storm in late 2023, is technically developed and published by Embark Studios, but that studio is also owned by Nexon.
What is next for The First Descendant?
Previous allegations against Nexon and potentially excessive monetization in games like MapleStory are the main reasons some players were cautious about The First Descendant, as there were fears Nexon would implement its monetization strategy in it, too.
Unsurprisingly, the game came under fire for greedy microtransactions at launch, with players slamming the prices that are 20 times higher than in a game like Warframe. In the first month after launch, however, Nexon released multiple patches that players loved. In these patches, Nexon addressed multiple issues raised by the community, including improving the Void Shard farm and increasing Gold rewards.
The First Descendant developer laid out a roadmap for the next two seasons with more progression, characters, and features. Unless Nexon decides to lift the foot off the gas, The First Descendant has a bright, action-packed future.
