If you’ve ever found yourself pausing mid-mission to listen to a catchy battle track or leaving your game idle in the lobby just to let the background melody play out, you’ve probably wondered how many songs are in the first descendants. Nexon’s free-to-play looter shooter has built a dedicated fanbase not just for its fast-paced combat and unique character mechanics, but also for its surprisingly varied original soundtrack that blends orchestral scores, electronic beats, and vocal tracks tailored to different areas and story beats. I’ve spent dozens of hours grinding missions and unlocking hidden content across the game, so I’ve compiled every confirmed track plus tips on how to unlock the rarer OST pieces you won’t hear just by playing the main story. The audio team at Nexon worked with three separate composers for the base game soundtrack, including a well-known J-pop artist for the end credits vocal track, so it’s no surprise the OST has become such a fan favorite part of the game experience.
How Many Songs Are In The First Descendants: Full Official Count
As of the latest game patch, the official The First Descendants soundtrack has 42 fully produced, licensed tracks included in the base game, plus 3 limited-time event tracks that rotate every 3 months. That count doesn’t include short ambient sound bites or 10-second menu transition clips – we’re only counting full-length tracks that run for 2 minutes or longer, per the official OST listing released by Nexon’s audio team. 18 of these tracks are tied to main story missions, 12 are regional battle themes for different open world zones, 7 are character-specific leitmotifs that play during character cutscenes and ultimate ability activations, and the remaining 5 are lobby and menu tracks that play when you’re navigating your inventory, matching for missions, or customizing your descendant.
You won’t get access to all 42 tracks right when you make a new account, though – almost 30% of the OST is locked behind story progression, side mission completion, and limited-time event challenges. The three rotating limited-time tracks are never added to the permanent base game soundtrack, so if you miss unlocking them during their associated event run, you won’t be able to get them again unless Nexon re-runs the event at a later date. None of the limited-time tracks are included in the streaming version of the OST either, making them exclusive collectibles for players who participate in events.
Breakdown of The First Descendants OST By Type
The First Descendants’ audio team intentionally designed the soundtrack to match the game’s tone, shifting from high-energy electronic tracks during intense boss fights to soft, somber orchestral pieces during emotional story moments. The dynamic audio system adjusts the track in real time based on what’s happening in your game, so you’ll never hear the exact same version of a battle track twice during different missions. You can sort all official tracks into four core categories:
- Battle and zone themes: These tracks play dynamically during open world exploration and mission combat, shifting intensity based on how many enemies you’re fighting and how close you are to a boss encounter. Many of these tracks have layered versions that add drums and synth elements as the fight gets more chaotic, so the music ramps up exactly when you need that extra burst of energy during a tough fight.
- Character leitmotifs: Each playable descendant has a short, unique melody that plays whenever they activate their ultimate ability, appear in a main story cutscene, or are selected in the character menu. 7 of these are full-length tracks you can unlock to play in your player housing lobby, and each one is designed to match the character’s backstory and ability kit – for example, ice character Viessa’s leitmotif uses cold, sharp string instruments to match her frost powers.
- Story and cutscene tracks: These are tailored specifically to major story beats, including the prologue, each faction’s story arc, and the final boss fight of the main campaign. Many players cite the track that plays during the final Vulpine mission as one of the best in the entire soundtrack, as it builds slowly over the course of the multi-stage fight to a dramatic climax when you defeat the final boss.
- Menu and lobby tracks: These low-intensity tracks play when you’re not in active combat, including the default main menu theme, player housing background music, and match-making lobby tracks. You can unlock alternative lobby tracks by completing event challenges and side quest lines, so you can customize the vibe of your player housing to match your personal taste.
I’ve noticed that many newer players miss the layered dynamic of the battle tracks, since they’re often focused on dodging attacks and managing their abilities. If you ever have a free minute in a low-risk open world zone, turn off your in-game voice chat and just listen for how the track shifts when a squad of enemies spawns nearby – it’s a really impressive detail most people never catch, even after dozens of hours of playtime.
How To Unlock Hidden Soundtrack Tracks In The First Descendants
As I mentioned earlier, almost a third of the game’s full OST is locked behind progression, so you won’t hear every track if you only play the main story and skip side content. Unlocked tracks are added to your in-game jukebox, which you can access in your player housing to play any track you’ve earned as background music for you and your squad when you’re hanging out between missions. The easiest way to unlock new tracks is to work through all the side quest lines for each playable faction, as each faction’s final side quest reward usually includes their unique theme track.
You can also earn rare limited-time tracks by completing event-specific challenges, like the 2023 winter event track that was rewarded to players who cleared 15 event missions before the event ended. If you’re trying to collect every track, make sure to check the event shop every time a new limited-time event goes live, as they often sell rare OST tracks for event currency that you can’t earn anywhere else. One common mistake players make is skipping the character affinity side quests, which are the only way to unlock the full-length version of each descendant’s leitmotif.
These quests only unlock once you reach level 10 friendship with a specific descendant, so you’ll have to run missions with them equipped to raise their affinity level fast. If you’re trying to raise character affinity fast, equip the character you want to level and run low-difficulty repeatable supply run missions, which only take 5-7 minutes each and give just as much affinity as longer story missions. You can also give them gift items that you earn from mission rewards to raise their affinity even faster, cutting the time to unlock their leitmotif in half.
Fan-Favorite The First Descendants Tracks Worth Listening To Separately
The full official base game OST is available on all major streaming platforms, but there are a few standout tracks that even people who don’t play the game enjoy listening to. The main theme of the Vulpine Desert zone is one of the most popular tracks, blending traditional middle-eastern inspired instrumentation with upbeat electronic beats that fit the zone’s fast-paced sand skiff missions perfectly. It’s been used in dozens of fan-made gameplay montages and has racked up hundreds of thousands of plays on streaming platforms since the game launched.
Another fan favorite is the track that plays during the final boss fight of the main campaign, which builds slowly over 6 minutes before hitting a dramatic climax right as you deal the final blow to the boss. Many players have also shared clips of the character Viessa’s leitmotif on social media, since her ice-themed ultimate ability pairs perfectly with the track’s dramatic, cold orchestral sound. I personally have the default lobby track saved to my workout playlist, since its steady beat is perfect for pacing runs and weight lifting sessions.
Nexon also releases official lyric videos for the vocal tracks on their YouTube channel, including the end credits track that features vocals from popular Japanese singer LiSA. Many fans have made their own AMVs (anime music videos) using the game’s OST and cutscene footage, which you can find on social media if you want to see how other players use the tracks in their own content. If you do look up the soundtrack on streaming platforms, make sure you’re listening to the official release from Nexon’s audio team, as there are a lot of fan-made uploads that include unofficial tracks and short sound bites that aren’t part of the official OST count.
Whether you’re a casual player who just likes the background music or a completionist trying to unlock every item in the game, knowing how many songs are in the first descendants helps you know how much hidden OST content you still have left to find. Take a break from grinding for new weapons and character skins every once in a while to work through side quests and event challenges to unlock more tracks for your jukebox – you might be surprised by how many great songs you’ve missed while focusing on combat. The audio team has already teased that more tracks will be added with future major story updates, so the total count will only go up as more content drops for the game.