If you’ve logged even a few hours into The First Descendant lately, you’ve probably seen the bright battle pass icon blinking in the top right corner of your menu, teasing exclusive skins, upgrade materials, and premium currency. It’s hard to ignore, especially when half the players you run co-op missions with are rocking those rare character skins you can’t get anywhere else. If you’re on the fence about splurging the 999 Nexon Coins to unlock it, you’re not the only one asking: is the First Descendant battle pass worth it? This guide breaks down every angle, from the time you’ll need to invest to the actual value of every reward tier, so you don’t waste your money on content you’ll never use.
Is The First Descendant Battle Pass Worth It? Quick Pros and Cons Breakdown
Before we dive into the fine details, let’s lay out the biggest advantages and drawbacks of picking up the paid battle pass first. I’ve bought three consecutive passes since I started playing last year, so I’ve seen firsthand what’s worth the hype and what’s just filler content to pad out the tier list. The good news is that there are very few downsides for regular players, but casual players might not get enough value to justify the cost.
- Paid pass exclusive cosmetic rewards that are never re-released after the season ends, including full character outfits, weapon skins, and lobby animations
- 2x the amount of progression materials compared to the free track, including high-tier Void Reactor cores and skill enhancement modules you’d otherwise have to grind 10+ hours for
- Full refund of premium currency if you hit tier 50, so you can buy the next season’s battle pass for free if you complete the current one
- No pay-to-win advantages – all combat-related rewards are available on the free track, so you won’t lose out on power if you skip the paid version
That last point is the biggest one for most free-to-play players. Unlike a lot of live service games, The First Descendant doesn’t lock any game-changing power behind the paid battle pass. The only exclusive rewards are cosmetic, plus extra materials that speed up progression, not gate it. If you only care about being strong enough to beat endgame Void Chasm missions, you can skip the paid pass entirely and still keep up with other players. That time commitment is another big factor to weigh when you’re deciding if the First Descendant battle pass is worth it for you.
What You Actually Get On Free vs Paid Battle Pass Tracks
A lot of players assume the free track has nothing worthwhile, but that’s not true at all. Every season, the free track includes 30 tiers of rewards, including three full weapon skins, enough premium currency to buy a few character slots, and all the basic enhancement materials you need to level three different characters to max rank. I usually play with a group of friends who refuse to spend any money on live service games, and they’ve never complained about missing out on necessary content from the free track.
The paid track adds 20 extra tiers on top of the free 30, plus bonus rewards for every tier you complete past 50. The most sought-after rewards are the exclusive legendary character skins, which usually come with custom voice lines and skill effects that make your main feel totally unique. You also get a permanent 10% boost to mission XP for the entire season, which makes grinding for character levels and weapon upgrades way faster, even if you only play a few hours a week.
One hidden perk a lot of players miss is the paid track’s bonus storage slots. You get 50 extra inventory slots for materials and 10 extra character slots, which is a huge quality of life upgrade if you like collecting every playable Descendant in the game. I ran out of storage space two months into playing, and those extra slots saved me from having to spend hours sorting and selling old materials every week.
How Much Time You Need To Complete The Full Battle Pass
The biggest mistake new players make is buying the battle pass when they don’t have enough time to actually complete most of the tiers. If you only play 1-2 hours a week, you’ll probably only hit tier 20 or 25 by the end of the 12-week season, which means you’re wasting most of the money you spent on the pass. I’ve seen dozens of players make this mistake, so I always recommend calculating your available playtime before you buy.
On average, you need to play 3-4 hours a week to hit tier 50 before the season ends. That’s a pretty low bar for most players, especially if you run daily and weekly challenges with a co-op group, which give you 2x battle pass XP. If you play more than that, you’ll easily hit the max tier with weeks left to spare, and you can start earning bonus premium currency and enhancement materials for every extra tier you complete.
If you’re buying the pass halfway through the season, do the math first. If the season is 6 weeks in and you’re only at tier 10, you’ll need to play 6+ hours a week to catch up, which isn’t feasible for most people. In that case, it’s usually better to wait for the next season to start, so you can get the full value of your purchase. You don’t want to pay full price for only 20% of the available rewards, after all.
Who Should (And Shouldn’t) Buy The Paid Battle Pass
At the end of the day, the value of the pass depends entirely on your playstyle and what you care about getting out of the game. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but there are a few clear groups that will get way more value out of the pass than others. It’s okay to skip it if it doesn’t fit your current schedule or preferences, no matter how many ads for it pop up in your menu.
If you’re someone who plays regularly, loves customizing your main Descendant, and wants to speed up your progression, the pass is a no-brainer. The refund of premium currency at tier 50 means you’re essentially paying once for every future season, as long as you keep playing consistently. I’ve only paid for the first pass I bought, and I’ve gotten every subsequent pass for free from the refunded currency.
You should skip the pass if you only play occasionally, don’t care about cosmetic rewards, or prefer to take your time progressing through the game at your own pace. There’s no pressure to buy it, and you won’t miss out on any core content if you stick to the free track. Never buy the battle pass just because other players have it – if you don’t have the time to grind the tiers, it’s a total waste of money.
One exception: if there’s a specific character skin in the current season that you’re obsessed with, and you know you’ll use that character all the time, it’s okay to buy the pass even if you won’t hit max tier. Just go into it knowing you’re paying for that skin specifically, not the full value of all the rewards. I did this once for a Viessa skin I couldn’t live without, and I don’t regret it at all, even though I only hit tier 32 that season.
At the end of the day, the question of is the First Descendant battle pass worth it comes down to how much you play and what you want out of the game. For regular players who love customizing their characters and want to speed up progression, it’s one of the best values you can get in the game. For casual players who only log in once a week, you’re better off sticking to the free track and saving your money for other content you’ll actually use. No matter what you choose, you’ll still be able to enjoy every core part of The First Descendant without spending a dime, so don’t let FOMO push you into a purchase you’ll regret later.