If you’ve just downloaded The First Descendant and are itching to team up with other players for high-stakes Void Chases or competitive PvP matches, you’re probably asking one question first: does the first descendant have matchmaking. The short answer is yes, but the system works a bit differently than many other looter shooters on the market right now. I’ve spent over 80 hours running co-op missions and testing queue times across PC and PlayStation, so I’m breaking down exactly how the system works, what modes it supports, and how you can avoid common headaches while queuing. You don’t have to stick to solo play if you don’t want to, and the game makes it surprisingly easy to find compatible teammates for almost every type of content.
Does The First Descendant Have Matchmaking for All Game Modes?
Matchmaking is available for nearly all of the game’s multiplayer content, with only a few small exceptions for solo-only story beats. All core PvE modes support public or private matchmaking, including Void Intercept runs, boss raids, resource farming missions, and limited-time co-op events. PvP modes also have full matchmaking support for both casual and ranked 3v3 matches, so you don’t need a pre-made squad to jump into competitive play. Crossplay matchmaking is enabled by default for all supported modes, so you can match with players on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox no matter what platform you’re on.
The only modes that don’t support matchmaking are the opening story prologue, small side missions designed for solo play, and open-world free roam exploration. You can still invite friends to join you in free roam, but you won’t be matched with random players automatically in that space. If you’re playing through the main story, you’ll unlock matchmaking for co-op story missions as soon as you complete the prologue and reach the first main hub area. You don’t have to reach a certain level or complete any extra challenges to access the feature, which is a nice touch for new players who want to team up right away.
You can toggle between public and private matchmaking at any time when setting up a lobby. Private lobbies are perfect if you only want to play with friends you invite, while public lobbies will let any player matching your criteria join your run. You can also set a password for private lobbies if you want to restrict access even further.
How The First Descendant Matchmaking System Works
The game uses a set of clear parameters to match you with compatible teammates, so you don’t end up stuck in a run with players who are way too new or way too experienced for the content you’re running. For PvE missions, the system prioritizes gear score first, then party size, then platform preference. For PvP matches, it uses your ranked MMR and previous match performance to make sure you’re paired with players of similar skill level. The game prioritizes matching you with players within 10% of your current gear score for all standard PvE missions, so you don’t end up paired with a level 1 new player when you’re running an endgame Void Raid that requires 150k gear score.
When you queue for a mission, you can choose to queue solo, as a duo, trio, or full 4-person squad for most PvE modes, and as a solo or 3-person squad for PvP. If you queue with a partial squad, the game will fill in the remaining spots with random players automatically, unless you set your lobby to private. The system also adjusts matching parameters for limited-time event missions, which often have fixed difficulty settings that apply to all players regardless of their level.
The full list of factors the matchmaking system uses to pair players includes:
- Current gear score (for PvE) and ranked MMR (for PvP)
- Party size and pre-made group composition
- Crossplay toggle status and platform preference
- Selected mission difficulty level and specific reward filters
You can adjust most of these parameters manually before you queue, so you have full control over who you end up playing with. For example, if you want to only match with other players on your same platform, you can turn off crossplay in your settings, though that will usually increase your queue times significantly, especially for less popular modes like ranked PvP.
Common Matchmaking Issues and How to Fix Them
Like any online game, The First Descendant’s matchmaking system has a few common quirks that can cause frustration if you don’t know how to fix them. The most common issue people run into is long queue times, which usually happen if you’re queuing for a niche mode at off-peak hours, or if you have crossplay turned off. The fastest queue times are for 4-player co-op Void Intercept missions during peak hours (7PM to 11PM local time), with average waits of less than 30 seconds for most regions. If you’re queuing for a higher difficulty raid or a PvP mode during the middle of the day, you might wait 2 to 5 minutes on average, which is pretty standard for looter shooters.
Another common error is the “matchmaking failed” or “unable to connect to lobby” message that pops up occasionally. This usually happens if your internet connection is unstable, or if the game’s servers are experiencing minor outages. The fastest fix for this issue is to restart your game and check your internet connection, then try queuing again. If you’re on PC, verifying your game files through your launcher can also fix corrupted files that might be causing connection issues. If you’re trying to queue with friends on a different platform, make sure all of you have crossplay enabled and are set to the same regional server, otherwise you won’t be able to join the same lobby.
Some players also report getting matched with players way outside their gear score range, which usually happens if there are not enough players queuing for your selected difficulty level. If this happens to you regularly, try switching to a slightly higher or lower difficulty level, or turn on crossplay to expand the pool of available players. You can also leave a lobby before the mission starts if you don’t think your team is properly equipped for the run, with no penalty for leaving before the countdown finishes.
Tips to Get the Most Out of The First Descendant Matchmaking
There are a few small tweaks you can make to your queue settings to have a way better experience with the matchmaking system, even if you prefer playing with randoms. First, don’t be afraid to queue for public matches as a new player. Most experienced players are happy to help new players learn mechanics, especially for lower difficulty missions, and you’ll earn way better gear and experience running co-op than you will grinding solo. You can filter matches by mission type, difficulty, and target reward before queuing to make sure you only join runs that match your goals, whether you’re farming crafting materials or grinding for new character skins.
If you run into a team of players you get along with, you can also save preferred squads after a good run so you can queue with the same teammates again later without having to add them as friends first. This is a great feature for players who don’t have a regular group to play with, and it helps you avoid toxic or uncooperative players over time. If you do run into a toxic player, you can mute and block them directly from the post-match screen, and the system will avoid matching you with them in future runs.
For high difficulty endgame raids, it’s usually better to queue with a pre-made squad of friends or players you’ve had good experiences with in the past, instead of randoms. These raids require tight coordination and knowledge of boss mechanics, and you’re far less likely to complete the run with a group of random players who might not know the fights. You can find groups for endgame content through the game’s official community hubs, where players post lobbies for specific raids and difficulty levels on a regular basis.
At the end of the day, if you were wondering does the first descendant have matchmaking that supports all the game’s core co-op and PvP content, you can rest easy knowing the system is robust, crossplay-friendly, and designed to pair you with compatible teammates for every run. You might run into occasional long waits during off-peak hours or small connection bugs, but most issues are easy to fix with a quick restart or toggle of your crossplay settings. Whether you’re looking to grind for new weapons with random players or climb the ranked PvP ladder with friends, the matchmaking system has you covered for every type of playstyle.