If you’ve jumped into The First Descendant’s 2026 Void Frontiers update and unlocked a handful of new characters, you’ve probably wondered how to change your descendant in the first descendant without restarting your entire run or losing your progress. I’ve sunk over 120 hours into the game since the latest update dropped, and I’ve made every mistake in the book when it comes to swapping characters mid-session, mid-mission, and even between co-op lobbies. This guide breaks down every valid method, common pitfalls to avoid, and tips to make sure you pick the right character for every fight without wasting resources.
How to Change Your Descendant in The First Descendant: Step-by-Step for Hub Areas
The most reliable place to swap your character is in the main Albion hub, and this method works 100% of the time as long as you’re not in an active mission queue. First, head to the glowing blue Descendant Terminal located right next to the central mission board, just a 10-second walk from your spawn point when you log in. Interact with the terminal, and you’ll see a full list of all descendants you’ve unlocked, greying out any you haven’t earned yet. Select the character you want to swap to, confirm your choice, and you’ll see a short 2-second animation before the swap is complete.
Important note: Your weapon and mod loadouts don’t carry over automatically when you swap, so you’ll want to save up to 3 custom loadouts per descendant to cut down on prep time. I used to forget to save loadouts all the time, and I’d spend 10 minutes re-equipping legendary mods right before a Void Boss fight, which got me kicked from two lobbies last month. Don’t make that mistake. If you’re in a co-op lobby, you also can only swap when the party leader hasn’t queued for a mission yet, otherwise the terminal will show a locked notification until the current run ends.
Can You Swap Descendants Mid-Mission in 2026’s Latest Update?
A lot of long-time players still assume you can’t swap once you’ve launched a mission, but the 2026 Void Frontiers update added a highly requested checkpoint swap feature that works for almost all non-ranked PvE missions. You can only access this feature at designated blue respawn beacons scattered across the map, usually placed right before major boss fights or after completing a large mission objective. Interact with the beacon, select the “Swap Descendant” option from the menu, and you can pick any unlocked character from your roster.
There are big limitations to this feature that you need to know before using it: You lose all current mission-specific buffs when you swap, and you can only use the mid-mission swap feature twice per run. It also doesn’t work in ranked Void Raids, for obvious balance reasons, so you’ll have to stick with the character you picked in the hub for those competitive runs. That said, this feature is a game-changer for longer 30-minute Void Nest expeditions, where you might need a tank for the first wave boss and a high-damage sniper character for the final boss fight. If you want to see a full list of all 2026 playable descendants and their ability kits to plan your swaps, you can check the official dev post 2026 The First Descendant full character roster for all the latest stats.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Swapping Your Descendant
Even if you know the basic steps, it’s easy to make small mistakes that cost you progress, rare loot, or even your spot in a co-op party. I’ve compiled the most common errors I’ve seen (and made myself) over the past few months of playing the 2026 update:
If you do run into a glitch where your swap doesn’t register, you can exit the mission and rejoin if you’re in a co-op party, but you’ll lose any uncollected loot you picked up before the glitch happened. There’s no fix for this right now, so it’s better to avoid rushing swaps entirely to save yourself the headache.
Tips to Pick the Right Descendant to Swap To for Every Playstyle
Knowing how to swap is only half the battle; picking the right character for your team and mission type will make your runs way smoother, and cut down on unnecessary grind time. If you’re playing solo, you’ll want to prioritize descendants with both damage and self-healing abilities, like the new 2026 character Lira, who can drain enemy health to heal herself while dealing wide AoE damage to crowds of mobs. She’s my go-to pick for solo farming runs, and I’ve cut my clear time for low-level missions by almost 40% using her kit.
For co-op teams, you’ll want to fill gaps in your party composition first: if no one is playing a tank, swap to a defensive descendant like Ajax to soak up damage for your damage dealers. If your team is missing support, swap to a healer like Viessa to keep everyone alive during high-damage boss mechanics. I always ask my party what roles they’re playing before I pick my character, and it’s cut the number of failed raid runs I’ve been part of by more than half. If you’re farming for specific legendary loot, some descendants also have built-in loot luck buffs, like Bunny, who increases rare drop rates for the entire party when she’s active. I always swap to Bunny when I’m farming for new legendary mods, it’s cut my grind time by almost 30% over the past month.
At the end of the day, learning how to change your descendant in the first descendant is a basic skill that will completely change how you engage with the game in 2026. You don’t have to stick to one character for every mission, and experimenting with different kits is half the fun of playing. Just remember to save your loadouts, avoid mid-mission swaps unless you really need them, and always communicate with your co-op team before you swap to make sure you’re filling a useful role. If you follow these tips, you’ll be breezing through even the hardest Void Raids in no time.