The First Descendant finally gets swords as new update expands the endgame

Swords are very satisfying. From Chivalry and Half Sword to Destiny 2 and Sekiro, they've proven a tremendous staple of action-heavy RPGs, and now The First Descendant has finally delivered its own long-promised offering. That's not all, however, as developer Nexon's new TFD update brings more endgame activities to the free-to-play looter shooter, along with additional crafting tools, character balance changes, and several welcome quality-of-life improvements. It's a big one, so let's see what's involved.

The First Descendant update 1.3.6 is the biggest patch since it launched its giant Season 3 overhaul (and the AI-generated advert fracas that ensued). The most obvious feature is swords, which have been a persistent request among the free Steam game's community for months and are here at last. They're an entirely new weapon class complete with dedicated modules and components. There are two unique variants to earn: Shadow comes with a dashing Shadow Slash ability, while Deus Ex Manus consumes MP on normal attacks to reduce incoming damage and power up its Liberation special move.

The new Void Vessel dungeon is unlocked at mastery rank 13 after clearing the existing map on hard. It'll put your builds to the test, and there's an even tougher variant of it available from mastery rank 15 onwards. At MR 18 you'll be able to take on the latest Void Intercept Battle against fire-aspected colossus Lava Citadel. It's in an unstable arena that will gradually close in around you as the fight progresses, so you'll need to come prepared.

Three new trigger modules have been added to complement the system introduced this season. Supply Fortress recovers ammo and boosts damage when using barrier-type skills. Wave Eruption raises the damage to targets hit by your emission-type skills based on the stacks you've built up. Rhythmic Step is earned when using rhythm-type skills, granting you an effect that temporarily increases your maximum shield and movement speed.

All amorphous material types can now be opened at the shaping device near Anais in Albion, and a 'shape continuously' option allows you to automatically loop the process until you've spent all of your selected materials or you manually cancel it. Photo mode gets a 'look at camera' option, the Executioner field colossus has been brought to Axion Plains, and there's a Halloween-themed Albion Harvest Festival event that will run from the update's launch through Wednesday November 5.

Expect balance changes too, and we're mostly looking at buffs. Kyle, Ajax, Esiemo, and Bunny all get some significant damage and utility upgrades. Luna, meanwhile, has had the maximum multiplier of Battlefield Artist increased, along with the addition of the new charm and rhythm types to her skills to complement the trigger modules. With the introduction of swords, several Arche Tuning nodes have also been given additional weapon-focused stat boosts.

The First Descendant update 1.3.6 is out now. You can play the game for free on Steam. Check the full patch notes courtesy of Nexon for a complete rundown of what's changed.

Need help setting up The First Descendant crossplay? We've got your back. You can also browse our pick of the best co-op games in 2025 for even more alternatives.

Are you still playing TFD, and if not will you be coming back for the new update? Drop by the PCGamesN community Discord server and give us your thoughts on the state of the game.