Key Takeaways
- First Descendant Season 1 introduces new content and a new Descendant, Hailey Scott.
- Dev team addresses community concerns about Season 1 additions.
- Changes being made in 1.1.1 Update, with future plans for focus group testing.
The First Descendant Season 1 has just begun, introducing new content and the debut of a new Descendant.
Unfortunately, what should be a time of hype and celebration is sullied by frustration as several additions have been poorly received. It’s only been a day, but the Dev team has rushed to address community concerns.
In a lengthy post on X titled “Dev Note vol.13,” the team apologizes for the inconvenience since the Season 1 update. The post then summarizes several changes rolling out in the coming weeks.
Most of the discourse stems from the new Invasion Dungeon activity, which is puzzle-based. Bafflingly, the content is also restricted to solo play. This is an odd choice in a game where team play is usually encouraged, and friends can group up together.
To this end, the team is making the puzzles easier in the 1.1.1 update next Thursday. While no date is specified, the post also states, “We plan to add matchmaking systems so users can play the Invasion Dungeon in multiplayer mode.”
The Inversion Reinforcement progression system was also added for Season 1, and there are plans to make it more rewarding.
The new Descendant, Hailey Scott, is locked behind a sizeable time gate if you don’t want to open your wallet. The developers state the original plan was for the average player to get Hailey within 12 days of play.
Proposed changes will see this slashed in half.
The Dev Note also states that the team is “considering FGT,” which stands for Focus Group Testing. This idea has only been briefly touched upon but could lead to more refined updates in the future.
The rapid response by the developers is commendable, but some feel it’s too fast.
Plenty of players are unhappy that action is being taken so quickly. The Season 1 content differs from what players are used to, and some find the challenge refreshing.
Threads like this one by u/linkgh165 echo this sentiment, as the new puzzles are basic at their core. The replies are all over the place. Some players report that the puzzle mechanics are fine, and the enemy density is the problem. Others just don’t find the activity fun full stop.
No matter what side of the fence you’re on, it’s refreshing to see a team tackling community concerns head-on. The developers are clearly reciprocal to feedback, even if a few decisions miss the mark.
While some players fear the plans are a knee-jerk reaction, it’s arguably better than the situation with Helldivers 2 and Arrowhead Games. The latter has gotten so bad the team has a self-imposed 60-day time limit to quell community discourse.
