If you’ve just added Nexon’s looter shooter to your game library or are weighing if it’s worth the 60GB+ storage space, you’re likely asking how long will The First Descendant last for your preferred playstyle. Unlike many linear single-player titles, this game’s runtime varies wildly depending on what you want to get out of it, from a quick story run to a months-long grind for perfect builds. I’ve put in over 120 hours across three different accounts, so I’m breaking down exactly what you can expect for every type of playthrough, no fluff included.
How Long Will The First Descendant Last For Standard Story Runs?
For players who only care about working through the main campaign and skipping optional side content, you can expect a 12 to 16 hour runtime on normal difficulty. The story is split into 8 linear acts, each with 2 to 3 core missions and a major boss fight at the end, so you can easily knock out one act per play session if you only have a couple hours to spare a day. You don’t need to grind side missions to beat the main story if you just upgrade your starting character’s weapons and core skills every couple of levels.
If you play on a higher difficulty like hard or extreme, you can add 3 to 5 hours to that runtime, as boss fights will have far more health and you’ll need to pause occasionally to farm better gear to get past tricky encounters. Playing co-op with friends who already know the mission layouts can cut your total story playtime by 2 to 3 hours, as you can burn through boss fights and wave defense missions far faster with a coordinated team. I did my first story run solo on normal in 14 hours, and my second run with two friends in just 11 hours, so that difference is very noticeable.
Playtime For Completionists Who Want All Side Content
If you’re the type of player who likes to clear every available mission and collect every hidden item before finishing the main story, you’re looking at a 35 to 45 hour playtime. Each of the game’s 5 open world zones has 4 to 6 side missions, plus hidden Void Relics, lore entries, and small world events that reward exclusive materials and currency. A lot of this side content gives permanent account buffs like increased mod storage or higher rare drop rates, so it’s well worth doing if you plan to stick around for endgame content.
Unlocking all base characters alone adds 8 to 10 hours to your runtime because you need to farm specific materials from open world events and complete character-specific unlock missions for each of the 11 base playable descendants. If you take time to explore every nook of the open world instead of fast traveling everywhere, you can add another 5 to 7 hours easily, as there are tons of small hidden areas with rare loot that most casual players never find. I took my time with my first playthrough and did all side content before beating the final boss, and I clocked in at just over 42 hours total.
Endgame Runtime: How Long Can You Grind After The Story?
The vast majority of The First Descendant’s content is in its endgame loop, which is designed to keep players engaged for months after they beat the main story. If you want to get perfect endgame builds for your favorite characters, clear all high-difficulty raids, and unlock every cosmetic in the game, you’re easily looking at 100+ hours of playtime, and that’s before you account for seasonal content drops. New content drops every 2 to 3 months on average, so even if you run out of things to do, you can come back later for fresh missions and rewards.
The core endgame activities that add to your total runtime include:
- Void Intercept runs: These 4-player co-op missions drop rare mod sets, and you’ll need to run them at least 50 times to get perfect rolls for a single main character build
- Special Operation raids: Weekly resetting missions with exclusive cosmetic and gear rewards, adding 2 to 3 hours of content per week for active players
- Seasonal event content: Each new season adds 10 to 15 hours of limited-time story, missions, and exclusive rewards you can’t get after the season ends
- Character maxing: Getting every descendant to level 100, unlocking all their skills, and unlocking their exclusive skins adds 60+ hours of grind for dedicated players
The endgame loop is designed to keep players engaged for months, not weeks, so if you enjoy looter shooter grind, you can easily sink 200+ hours into the game without running out of things to do. If you only play casually, like 2 to 3 hours a week, you can keep coming back to endgame content for 6+ months without getting bored, since weekly resets give you fresh rewards to chase every seven days.
Tips To Adjust Your Playtime To Match Your Schedule
You don’t have to follow any set playstyle or grind for hundreds of hours if you don’t want to, and there are easy ways to cut or extend your playtime to fit your schedule. If you only have a limited amount of time to play and want to get through the story quickly, stick to core missions only, play co-op with more experienced players who can guide you through missions fast, and skip all collectibles and side content until you decide you want to stay for endgame. You can always go back and do side content later if you end up liking the game.
If you want to stretch your playtime out and get the most value out of the game, play on the highest difficulty you can handle for your first run, take time to explore every open world zone instead of fast traveling everywhere, and try out different characters instead of sticking to just one for the whole campaign. You don’t have to 100% the game to have fun – a lot of casual players only do the story and a few endgame runs and walk away satisfied, and that’s totally fine. I took a 2 month break after beating the story, and when I came back, the new seasonal content gave me another 20 hours of stuff to do, so I didn’t feel like I was repeating the same content over and over.
At the end of the day, how long will The First Descendant last is entirely up to what you want to get out of the game, with runs ranging from 12 hours for a casual story playthrough to hundreds of hours for dedicated endgame grinders. There’s no right or wrong way to play, so you can adjust your runtime to fit your schedule and interests perfectly. If you’re on the fence about trying it, even the 12 hour story run is well worth the time for the fun boss fights and interesting world building, especially since the base game is completely free to play.