The First Descendant Season 2 will introduce two new characters to the free Steam looter shooter, as developer Nexon gives us a comprehensive look at what’s to come when it launches on Thursday, December 5. Producer Beom-jun Lee and director Minseok Joo sit down for a deep dive into the second season, and highlights include the pair’s additional Descendants, new Void-themed endgame content, more story and an ultimate form for Sharen, and an adorable canine companion to help you to stay on top of your loot drops.

While the two new Descendants, Keelan and Ines Raya, along with the Ultimate Sharen, are sure to bring a new dynamic to free steam gamesit is the German shepherd fellow Fellow that will likely get the most attention. This very good boy will now accompany you through your adventures in The first descendantand he can actually help you farm faster by grabbing items for you and automatically dismantling those that don’t meet your requirements. He’ll also have a range of alternate looks and outfits, and the team promises interactions like pats, handshakes and high-fives.

The first of the two new descendants, Keelan Ayodele, is a fresh face who is part of the HOUND specialist search unit heading out into the void. His abilities include a piercing skill, Onslaught, which can be used either on the ground or in the air. It also applies his Acidic Decay debuff, causing his other skills to do more damage as he stacks the poison. With no MP restrictions on his skills, he will be a valuable asset in dungeons.

Ines Raya is our other newcomer, another member of the HOUND squad, and she uses electrical abilities in battle. Ines is in the Season 2 storyline, but she doesn’t come when the season starts, instead landing in week seven of the update. As such, we don’t get much more than a brief teaser for now, but keep her in mind for the future.

Part of the story we’ll get in Season 2 is centered on Stealth Specialist Sharen, and as such we’ll get her in a new Ultimate form much like we saw for Freyna in Season 1. She’ll gain access to two new modules – Area Suppression boosts her AoE abilities, allowing Sharen to throw out a circle of damaging swords around her, while Ambush allows her to build more into her stealth skills with the ability to hide again every time you manage to kill an enemy from stealth.

Season 2 will also see us face the Vulgus Legion boss Dread Armor, a giant warrior who switches between fighting with a handgun and a shield, a split dual shield melee form and dual wielding pistols. We will get to explore the new dungeon, the Void Vessel, where the Ancestors have been stranded and the paths through the map shift and change with each attempt.

Scout drones patrol the halls and must be bypassed or quickly disabled or you will face a much more hostile force. The Void Vessel quest becomes available from Mastery Rank 8 regardless of how far you’ve progressed through the main story of The First Descendant, and that’s where you’ll discover both Keenan and Fellow.

The Void Abyss Intercept Battle will see you enter a showdown against several Colossus mutations with enhanced abilities and the power to regenerate destroyed parts. Rather than requiring complex team play, this encounter focuses on putting your builds to the test – you’ll be able to switch between charge-ups for each boss, and must ensure your defensive and offensive abilities are adequate to take each one down .

New Hard Special Ops will introduce more high-level monsters and custom layouts to provide a greater challenge that is “on a different level from the previous Special Ops.” The final endgame element in Season 2 is called Void Erosion Control, and Nexon says it requires a well-equipped, coordinated party of four players with “perfect teamwork” to conquer the 30 stages ahead. But if you succeed in doing so, you will receive materials to further customize your weapons through a new system called Weapon Core Unleash.

New Ultimate weapons are also featured in Season 2. There is a beam rifle called Voltia, which implements Bunny’s chain lightning charge and is the only weapon that can damage anti-void shields, which normally require the use of skills to handle. The Hammer and Anvil is simultaneously a powerful shotgun that’s great for close-quarters encounters where you need to move and fire quickly in its widespread “hammer” mode, but also allows you to aim down and go into “cleanup” mode, where you fires explosive single shots with long range.

Additionally, Ultimate weapons will no longer suffer penalties until they are upgraded, making them more accessible to use as soon as you get them. It’s a welcome perk, and it’s just the start of the new features coming in The First Descendant Season 2 to help you farm the gear you want – you can also look forward to the Focus Strategy system and the High-Shape Stabilizer.

Focus Strategy is a way to reduce the drop rate by guaranteeing specific targeted drops after completing a given mission enough times. This essentially acts as a sin check to ensure that if you’re particularly unlucky, you’ll still get the items you’re after without struggling for too long. High-Shape Stabilizer also allows you to change item drop chances when opening Amorphous Materials, making it much more likely that you’ll get the rare results.

Season 2 also introduces a number of new cosmetic upgrades. Paint can now be applied to the standard character and weapon skins, allowing you to tweak them to your heart’s content. Nexon also plans to release bundled products individually to ensure you can get the specific cosmetics you want without having to pay for the whole bundle.

The First Descendant Season 2 begins Thursday, December 5. You can play the game for free on Steam. Download it here if you fancy getting your hands on the loot.

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