If you’ve just jumped into Nexon’s free-to-play looter shooter, you’ve probably already noticed that massive boss fights and void battles feel way more rewarding when you’re not tackling them alone. The first question most new players ask before inviting their friends is how many people can play The First Descendant together. There’s a lot of conflicting info floating around online about party limits for endgame content, crossplay restrictions, and squad size caps, so we’ve put together all the verified details you need to start playing with your crew hassle-free.
How many people can play The First Descendant together, exactly?
The official maximum party size for all co-op content in The First Descendant is 4 players, including the lobby host. This limit applies to every game mode, from early story missions to the hardest endgame Void Interceptor raids and boss hunts. All public and private co-op lobbies cap at 4 total players, including the host, so you won’t find any 8-player or larger squad modes available right now.
A lot of new players assume higher difficulty raids would allow larger teams, but the 4-player cap is intentional. The devs designed combat encounters around the 4-person squad dynamic to ensure each player has a clear role to fill, no one gets lost in overcrowded battlefields, and difficulty remains balanced even when you’re playing with a full group. You can still play any mission solo if you prefer, but the game is clearly optimized for 4-player co-op play.
It’s worth noting that you don’t have to fill all 4 slots to launch a mission. You can play with 2, 3, or even 1 player, and the game will automatically adjust enemy health and damage output to match your squad size. That means you don’t have to wait for a full group to play with friends if someone is running late or can’t make it online.
How to set up your co-op party for smooth gameplay
Setting up a party with friends is pretty straightforward once you know where to look in the menu. Crossplay is enabled by default across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, so you can team up with friends no matter what platform they use. You don’t need any extra accounts or paid subscriptions beyond your platform’s online service if you’re on console.
Follow these simple steps to get your squad together in a few clicks:
- Open the in-game main menu and select the "Social" tab from the left sidebar
- Search for your friend's in-game ID or platform username to send a friend request
- Once they accept, select their name from your friends list and click "Invite to Party"
- Once all your members join, pick your desired mission and launch the queue
If you want to play with random players to fill empty slots, you can toggle your lobby to public, and the game will auto-match you with other players of similar gear score who are queued for the same mission. Public lobbies are a great way to test new builds, learn different character playstyles, and meet other players if you don’t have friends online. Just make sure you’re properly geared for the mission difficulty you select, so you don’t drag your random teammates down.
If you want to keep your lobby private for just you and your friends, make sure you toggle the public search option off before queuing. That way, no random players will be able to join your squad, even if you have empty slots open.
Best team compositions for 4-player squads
While you can run any combination of characters for lower difficulty story missions, endgame content is a lot easier when you have a balanced squad. A balanced 4-player squad will almost always outperform a group of all damage dealers, even if individual gear scores are higher. I learned this the hard way when I tried running a max difficulty Void Interceptor fight with four DPS characters, and we wiped three times before swapping one DPS out for a healer and beating it on the first try.
The ideal 4-player comp has one character filling each of the four core roles: tank, main DPS, sub DPS, and support. Tanks like Ajax can absorb massive amounts of damage and put up shields to protect the rest of the team from boss AoE attacks. Main DPS characters like Viessa or Bunny deal high area-of-effect damage to clear out waves of minor enemies quickly. Sub DPS characters like Lepic specialize in single-target damage to melt boss health bars fast. Support characters like Gley provide heals, damage buffs, and debuffs to make the whole squad more effective.
You don’t have to stick to this exact comp if you have a different playstyle, of course. For example, you can swap out the sub DPS for a second support if you’re fighting a boss with really high burst damage, or run two tanks if your squad is still learning a new raid mechanic. The key is to make sure you have someone who can take damage, someone who can heal, and enough damage output to beat the mission timer.
If you’re playing with randoms, don’t stress too much about picking the perfect role. Just pick a character you’re comfortable playing, and communicate with your team if you notice you’re missing a key role. Most random players are happy to swap characters to fill gaps if you ask nicely.
Common co-op issues and how to fix them
Even though the co-op system is pretty polished, you might run into a few issues when trying to team up with friends, especially if you’re playing across different platforms. The most common reason for failed invites is mismatched game versions, so make sure every player has installed the latest update before trying to team up. The game auto-updates on most platforms, but sometimes manual updates are required if you left the game open while an update rolled out.
If you’re on console and can’t receive crossplay invites, check your platform privacy settings. Many consoles have cross-network play disabled by default for child accounts or new users, so you’ll need to toggle that setting on to receive invites from friends on other platforms. You’ll also need to make sure your in-game crossplay setting is turned on, which you can find in the settings menu under the “Gameplay” tab.
Lag or disconnections mid-mission are usually caused by a poor host internet connection. If you’re having consistent lag issues, try having the player with the fastest and most stable internet host the lobby instead. If someone gets disconnected mid-mission, you can invite them back to the squad as long as the mission is still active, so you don’t have to restart the whole run if someone drops out.
If you want to play with more than 4 friends total, you can split into two separate 4-player lobbies and run the same mission side by side. The game doesn’t have a larger raid mode right now, but you can still coordinate with your larger group to run missions at the same time and compare loot drops afterwards.
At the end of the day, the answer to how many people can play The First Descendant together is 4, and that limit is set to make co-op play as balanced and fun as possible. Whether you’re running casual story missions with a couple of friends or tackling the hardest endgame raids with a full squad, the 4-player cap gives everyone a chance to contribute and feel like a valuable part of the team. Stick to a balanced team comp for endgame content to cut down on wipe times significantly, and don’t be afraid to join public lobbies if you don’t have friends online – I’ve met some of my favorite gaming buddies through random public squads in this game, and you might too.