Does The First Descendant have crossplay and cross-progression?

The First Descendant characters: Sharen.
(Image credit: Nexon)

The First Descendant is one of the hottest new free-to-play games on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. Rather than pitting players against each other, the game has players work together in teams of four to take down groups of enemies as well as powerful bosses. But since this third-person looter-shooter is available on different platforms, you're probably wondering if it supports crossplay as well as cross-progression. We're here to answer all of your questions on that subject. 

Does The First Descendant have crossplay?

Yes! The First Descendant allows players on different platforms to still play together. So, it doesn't matter if you're playing on PC, your brother is playing on Xbox, and your friend is playing on PlayStation. You can still all team up and take down enemies in multiplayer co-op sessions. 

Does The First Descendant support cross-progression?

We've got more good news here. The First Descendant does indeed support cross-progression, as long as you make a Nexon account. This means you can continue your game file on whatever platforms you've downloaded the free game on. For instance, I could start The First Descendant on my Xbox but then later play it on my PC. Cross-progression is supported between PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. 

What platforms is The First Descendant on?

The First Descendant platforms include PC (via Steam), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. 

How do I invite friends to play The First Descendant?

In order to invite friends to join your party, you need to be playing The First Descendant. Go to the Press the Option button to open the map menu → Options → Social. From there, enter your friend's ID in the upper right corner and you should be able to join parties. 

🎮 RELATED: For additional assistance, check out our The First Descendant cross-play and cross-save guide.

A fun new multiplayer for you and your friends

Each character has different skills in The First Descendant. (Image credit: NEXON)

As explained in our The First Descendant FAQ, a while back, The First Descendant's Producer, Beom-jun Lee, said that the multiplayer game supports both crossplay and cross-progression. As such, get ready to enjoy the game with your friends on whatever platforms you want. What's more, since the game is free-to-play, it's easy to install it on whatever compatible devices you might have.

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While the base game is free-to-play, The First Descendant does have microtransactions. It's unclear at present whether or not these purchases are optional and balanced or if the game presents a pay-to-win dynamic. Hopefully, it's the former. If it does prove to be pay-to-win, it will be very upsetting. 

Another important aspect of The First Descendant is that each character offers different stats, abilities, and roles. Some also have attributes or special skills such as the ability to use fire, chill (ice), and electric attacks. As such, you can get a very different playing experience depending on which character you're controlling. If interested, you should check out our The First Descendant character tier list. You can develop skills as one character and then when you're ready for another challenge, you can move on to another character. It helps provide more replay value. 

The First Descendant released on July 2, 2024 for PC (via Steam), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, and PS5. It is free-to-play but there are microtransactions. Since it supports crossplay and cross-progression, you can play with friends on various supported platforms. 

Image

The First Descendant | Free to play at Steam

Dive into game sessions with other players and work together while taking down powerful enemies. Each character has different skills and roles, so you can get a very different experience depending on who you play as.

Xbox: Free download at Xbox
PC:
Free download at Steam

Rebecca Spear
Editor and Reviewer

Self-professed gaming geek, Rebecca Spear, is one of Windows Central's editors and reviewers with a focus on gaming handhelds, PC gaming, and laptops. When she isn't checking out the latest games on Xbox Game Pass, PC, ROG Ally, or Steam Deck; she can be found digital drawing with a Wacom tablet. She's written thousands of articles with everything from editorials, reviews, previews, features, previews, and hardware reviews over the last few years. If you need information about anything gaming-related, her articles can help you out. She also loves testing game accessories and any new tech on the market. You can follow her @rrspear on X (formerly Twitter).