NEXON rolled out a new roadmap for The First Descendant during the Descendant Fest 2026 stream marking the two-year point. They also showed a Season 4 story trailer, "The Great Battle," which throws Karel and the Descendants into a huge clash during the assault on Albion.
The plans kick off July 15 with content aimed at high-level (HL) players. Intercepts on hard and those inside the Void Abyss will be merged into a single mission that supports multiple difficulty tiers; an extra-tough Extreme Void Abyss Intercept option is being added too.
Episode 1 of Season 4 arrives August 20 and brings what the devs call a mega-dungeon focused on the final fight with Karel — bigger than current dungeons, several boss encounters, and heavier use of cinematic beats during the climax. A new playable Descendant, Crow, joins the roster: former Albion crime boss, mobile (quick repositioning), shotgun-focused, and capable of summoning a Crow form. Character progression gets a new layer via the Transcendent Weapon system — a long-term gear framework w/ 11 weapon types and interchangeable effects so you can tweak one weapon for different builds. There’s also an infinite Trials mission where enemy difficulty scales without end, and a limited-time Conquest mode scheduled to launch two weeks after the seasonal drop, paired with a ranked event.
On September 17 Super Hailey will be released, bringing two new skill modules plus a dungeon called the Cradle of Evolution — this one leans harder into randomness (RNG) than prior activities, so expect more unpredictability.
November’s update will add the Genozis Sanctuary dungeon and a new Descendant named Monet.
The year closes in December with Coliseum-A, the first asymmetric PvEvP mode. Matches will split players into opposing factions who must contend with Valgus forces, interfere with rivals’ objectives, and — for the wild card — gain the ability to become a Colossus mid-match.
The anniversary festivities are already underway: a two-week in-game event offers returning and new cosmetics, dev events, and other items. Skin contest voting runs July 6–20, and the winners’ designs are slated to be added to the game. NEXON also confirmed pre-orders for merchandise: Bunny figures (Nendoroid), Valby (Figma), and a full Super Bunny complete set — pre-orders open through the end of August.