The First Descendant, the third-person shooter and role-playing game developed by Nexon, will stop supporting its servers in June of this year on PS4 and Xbox One consoles. The game was released simultaneously for current- and previous-generation consoles on July 2, 2024, so it will not even make it a year on the market. PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC users can rest assured that Nexon promises many surprises yet.
The First Descendant has bad news for Xbox One and PS4 fans
According to the official statement from the developers, the closure of The First Descendant servers on previous generation consoles is due to the technical limitations that these can cause them. They prefer to focus on providing a gaming experience that is in line with their demands, rather than splitting efforts and not being able to compete in a market where this type of games as a service is increasingly competitive. In this way, they will be able to focus their efforts on the current generation, where, they point out, the majority of active users are, justifying the distribution of resources to maintain and improve quality.
The news generates a strong impact on the gaming community, especially those who still enjoy The First Descendant on PS4 or Xbox One. Those who already play on the current generation, celebrate the decision, since they will benefit from a single approach and in eliminating technical restrictions; on the other hand, active users of the last generation show their dissatisfaction, since they have been hours invested in the title, and if they remain faithful to that version, it is possible that it is for economic reasons.
Despite the controversial decision, Nexon remains positive about the future of The First Descendant. The developer has promised and listed a series of DLC’s that are due to be released later this month, as well as major updates. The very decision to close the servers and give so much focus to the current generation works as an invitation for those who have not yet made the generation jump, to have the perfect pretext to do so. An official announcement will be issued on March 20, but the closing date remains June 20.
This news allows us to reflect on the still active user base, both PS4 and Xbox One, which still number in the millions. One wonders how they will close the game servers, or stop supporting them. It is possible that they will begin the transition gradually, especially with lower profile games, and end up closing those that remain the most popular worldwide.
The First Descendant joins the long list of titles that have had to close for one reason or another, while those that dominate the market remain on the podium and do not seem to give rise to many games as a service that try to compete for a place in the hearts of gamers. This coupled with the significant wave of layoffs in the industry, which does not seem to have ended yet.
The First Descendant is a title launched last year, which promised a bright future and to sneak in as one of the best games as a service. With powerful trailers and graphics powered by Unreal 5, it kept the expectation high. Gradually, interest in the game waned, as the industry moved forward and gamers opted for established experiences like Fortnite or Call of Duty. We will have to be aware of the announcements about the title and hope that the content they release from now on keeps the interest of the players.
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