If you’ve just seen clips of The First Descendant’s flashy combat and unique character roster floating around social media, you’ve probably asked the question: is the first descendant pvp or pve? I’ve had friends ask me this exact question before they bought the game, so I figured I’d put together a full breakdown to clear up the confusion. I’ve sunk over 200 hours into the game since its full launch, testing every mode available, so I can break down exactly what you can expect regardless of which playstyle you prefer. Don’t worry if you’re only here for one type of gameplay, there’s something for almost everyone.
Core Gameplay: Is The First Descendant PvP or PvE at Its Core?
To put it simply, The First Descendant is primarily a PvE game first, with optional PvP modes added as side content for players who want competitive play. At launch, over 80% of the game’s playable content is strictly PvE, so if you don’t like competing against other players, you can easily sink hundreds of hours into the game without touching PvP at all. None of the core progression systems require you to play PvP, either. You don’t have to fight other players to unlock new characters, get the best gear, or complete any story content. The PvP mode is completely siloed from the main PvE loop, so you never have to engage with it if it’s not your thing.
All Available PvE Modes You Can Play Right Now
The bulk of The First Descendant’s content revolves around PvE missions of varying difficulty, designed for solo or co-op play. The base game starts with story missions, which walk you through the world’s lore, introduce you to different characters, and unlock new regions as you progress. These can be played entirely solo, or with up to three other players if you want to run through them faster. Once you beat the main story, you’ll unlock endgame PvE content like Void Intercept missions, which are harder, wave-based challenges that reward rare loot and upgrade materials. All PvE content supports matchmaking, so you don’t have to round up friends to play even the hardest endgame content. There are also 8-player world boss raids that run on a rotating schedule, which drop some of the best gear in the game. I mostly play solo when I’m farming for specific weapon rolls, and I’ve never hit a wall that I couldn’t get past with a little bit of character optimization.
What PvP Options Are Included in The First Descendant?
If you do like competitive play, The First Descendant has a dedicated 4v4 PvP mode called Battle Arena that’s separate from the main PvE progression. There are two main game types available right now: team deathmatch, where you compete to get the most kills in a set time limit, and objective capture, where you fight to hold control points across the map. PvP gear and stats are normalized across all matches, so the only thing that matters is your skill and knowledge of character abilities. That means you don’t have to worry about players with stacked PvE gear dominating matches, everyone is on a level playing field. The biggest downside to PvP right now is the smaller player base compared to PvE. Queue times can be 5 to 10 minutes long in some regions, especially during off-peak hours. You also don’t earn any PvE progression rewards from PvP, except for exclusive cosmetics that you can only unlock by ranking up the PvP battle pass.
Tips for Choosing the Right Playstyle for You
If you’re still not sure which mode to jump into first, these simple tips will help you pick what fits your preferences best.
- Pick PvE first if you like story content, loot farming, or low-pressure co-op: You’ll have way more content to work through, and you can take things at your own pace without worrying about competing against more experienced players. You can also switch between solo and co-op whenever you want, no strings attached.
- Try PvP if you prefer fast, skill-based matches and don’t care about loot progression: The 4v4 modes are fast-paced, usually last 10 to 15 minutes, and are a great way to test your character ability knowledge against other real players. It’s also a good option if you only have a short amount of time to play.
- You don’t have to stick to one mode: If you get bored of farming for gear in PvE, you can jump into a couple of PvP matches for a change of pace, and vice versa, with no penalty for switching between the two. Your character progress carries over to both modes, so you don’t have to re-grind anything when you switch.
I usually switch between the two depending on my mood. If I’ve had a long day and don’t want to think too hard, I’ll run a few easy co-op PvE missions with friends. If I’m feeling competitive, I’ll queue up for a couple of PvP matches to blow off steam. You don’t have to commit to one playstyle to get the most out of the game, so feel free to experiment until you find what you enjoy most.
At the end of the day, the answer to is the first descendant pvp or pve is that it’s both, with a heavy focus on PvE as its core offering. You don’t have to play content you don’t enjoy, and there’s more than enough of both modes to keep most players occupied for months. If you’re still on the fence about picking it up, try playing the first few hours of PvE first to see if the core combat loop clicks for you, then dip your toes into PvP later if you feel like it. There’s no wrong way to play, as long as you’re having fun.