Summary
- Nexon Games denied accusations of asset theft from Destiny 2, promising to change similar icons in The First Descendant.
- The game faced criticism for bugs, microtransactions, and art assets resembling Destiny 2, leading to necessary changes.
Nexon Games addressed rumors claiming its third-person looter shooter The First Descendant stole assets from Bungie's Destiny 2. The First Descendant enjoyed a highly successful release back on July 2, racking up over 200,000 concurrent users within the first few hours of its debut. However, the game has also suffered from wave after wave of criticism, with some players now even alleging that the game reused barely edited icons from Destiny 2.
It hasn't even been two full weeks since The First Descendant's release and the game is already putting out fires one after the other. In the wake of its launch, developers were left to deal with everything from The First Descendant's bugged premium currency delivery to the player base's complaints regarding the game's prominent microtransaction practices. Things only worsened when fans noticed striking similarities between some of the icons used for mods and abilities to art assets from Destiny 2, prompting some users to wonder whether this was supposed to be a carefully hidden tribute or an egregious act of copyright infringement.
List of All Modules in The First Descendant
There are a ton of modules players can use in The First Descendant. Here's a list of them all.
In response to the rumors, Nexon Games contacted Paul Tassi, who previously wrote an article accusing The First Descendant of copying Destiny 2. In the message, Nexon promised the art assets would be changed. The members of the development team for The First Descendant additionally reaffirmed their admiration for Destiny 2, stating that the first-person looter shooter served as a major influence for their own title. Still, Nexon Games claimed it had decided to push these adjustments forward so no one could question the effort that went into the ongoing development of The First Descendant.
The First Descendant Accidentally Uses Open-Source Destiny 2 Icon Set
Some fans additionally looked into what might have led to the incident between The First Descendant and Destiny 2. After a closer investigation, users discovered evidence that suggested the developers behind The First Descendant did not intend to steal the assets. Instead, it is believed the problem stemmed from Iconduck, an online website that hosts thousands of free-to-use icons, illustrations, and other graphics. This included a "Destiny Icons" set, which contained 204 allegedly open-source icons that appear to be based on illustrations from Bungie's Destiny. Fans speculated that developers might not have realized just how similar some of the images were to Destiny 2's assets, leading to its use in a number of The First Descendant modules and abilities.
Despite the controversy, it hasn't been all bad news for Nexon Games. Its third-person looter shooter still boasts a sizable player count and the community surrounding the title remains interested in future content. Recently, The First Descendant also released hotfix 1.0.2, which added a highly requested public matchmaking feature for hard Infiltration Operations.
The First Descendant
- Released
- July 2, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
The First Descendant is a next-generation third-person co-op action RPG looter shooter featuring high-quality graphics created in Unreal Engine 5.
Players become a Descendant whose mission is to combat alien invaders – The Vulgus who crossed dimensions over 100 years ago and brought with them the devastating Colossi and destruction – for the survival of humanity and to protect Albion and the continent of Ingris. Players will encounter spectacular stories of forces fighting over the Iron Heart as they grow stronger through various missions and raids.
Encounter features that make The First Descendant's gameplay unique: a variety of characters with unique concepts and combat styles, massive boss battles with up to four player co-op, free movement and coordinated action with grappling hooks, a variety of weapons and compelling customization options.
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Nexon Games
- Publisher(s)
- Nexon
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Third-Person Shooter
