If you’ve spent hours grinding for better gear, unlocking unique playable characters, or diving into the alien-infested world of The First Descendant, you’ve probably asked at least once who makes the first descendant—both in the real world, and in the game’s deep, often under-explored lore. Most players only scratch the surface of the game’s backstory when they first boot up, skipping cutscenes to jump straight into co-op missions or boss fights. But taking a minute to learn the origins of the game and its core characters makes every mission feel more meaningful, and even helps you pick the right descendant for your playstyle long term. I’ve spent over 200 hours playing the game across PC and console, and I’ve dug through every hidden lore entry, developer interview, and in-game easter egg to answer this question fully.
Who Makes The First Descendant: Real-World Development Team
The hit free-to-play looter shooter is built by Nexon Games, an internal studio under global gaming publisher Nexon, with a core team of over 150 developers specializing in online multiplayer action titles. The core development team has over 12 years of experience building online multiplayer action games, including previous hits like Vindictus and Sudden Attack, so they came into this project with a clear understanding of what co-op players want from a live service game. The team built the entire game on Unreal Engine 5 to deliver high-fidelity graphics and smooth cross-platform play across PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One from day one.
One of the team’s biggest stated goals was to avoid the pay-to-win pitfalls that plague many free-to-play looter shooters, and they’ve stuck to that promise so far. They also release free content updates every 3 months, including new descendants, missions, and endgame raids, with no pay-to-win mechanics locked behind paid passes. All playable characters, including the first descendant, can be unlocked completely for free with in-game progression, no premium purchases required. The only paid content is cosmetic skins and optional convenience items that don’t give players any competitive advantage.
The In-Lore Creators of the First Descendant
If you’re asking about the in-universe answer to who created the first descendant, the story is far more dramatic and tied directly to the game’s main conflict. Most players don't realize that the descendant program wasn't originally built for global warfare. After the alien Vulgus faction first invaded Earth and destroyed 70% of human settlements in just 2 years, the remaining global governments merged to form the Albion Alliance, a collective focused on developing weapons that could stand up to the alien's advanced bio-technology.
Dr. Eleanor Voss, the lead scientist of Albion's genetic research wing, was the first person to successfully merge human DNA with Vulgus core fragments without causing immediate organ failure. That fusion created the first ever descendant, a test subject codenamed "Prototype Zero" who would later become the playable character Void Agent. Early tests of the fusion formula had a 98% mortality rate, and Voss spent over 4 years adjusting the serum to stabilize the genetic bond between human and alien DNA. I found a hidden lore entry in the abandoned Albion lab map during a side mission that mentions Voss hid Prototype Zero from the Albion military council when they wanted to turn him into a mass-produced weapon that would be sent on suicide missions.
Key Differences Between the First Descendant and Later Playable Units
Now that you know who makes the first descendant, you're probably wondering why they’re so much more powerful than the base characters you unlock early on. There are a few core differences that you’ll notice both in lore and in actual gameplay, that set Prototype Zero apart from every other descendant on the roster:
- Void energy resistance: The first descendant takes 40% less damage from Vulgus void attacks, a buff no other playable character has, making them the best pick for endgame void raids that regularly one-shot other characters.
- Unique skill tree: Unlike other descendants who have 3 fixed active skills, the first descendant has 6 interchangeable skills that you can swap between missions to fit your team's needs, from crowd control abilities to team-wide damage buffs.
- Lore locked progression: You can only unlock the first descendant after completing the full main story campaign and finding 12 hidden Voss research logs scattered across the open world map, most of which are hidden in hard-to-reach areas of high-level zones.
A lot of players grind for weeks to unlock the first descendant, and it's worth it if you regularly play endgame content with a team. But if you mostly play solo, you might not get as much value out of them, since their strongest skills are built to support team buffs and crowd control for large groups. I made the mistake of grinding 30 hours to unlock them when I only played solo, and I ended up going back to my main, Viessa, for most solo missions because her ice abilities are better for taking down bosses alone.
Common Misconceptions About The First Descendant's Origins
There's a lot of false information floating around community forums and social media about who makes the first descendant, so I wanted to clear up the most common myths I've seen over the past year. First myth: A lot of players think the first descendant was created by the Vulgus to infiltrate human ranks. That's not true, even though their DNA has Vulgus fragments, all lore entries confirm Voss was the sole creator, and Prototype Zero fought against the Vulgus from the day he was activated.
The confusion comes from a cutscene early in the game where Prototype Zero is shown working with Vulgus soldiers, but that's a flashback to an undercover mission he did to steal Vulgus core data that helped Albion build more stable descendants later on. Second myth: You have to pay for the first descendant with real money. That's also false, you can unlock them completely for free by completing story missions and finding the research logs, no paid battle pass or premium currency required. The only paid items for the first descendant are cosmetic skins, which don't affect gameplay at all. Third myth: The first descendant will be removed from the game in a future update. The dev team confirmed in a recent community Q&A that the first descendant is a permanent addition to the character roster, and they have plans to add more story content focused on his origins in the next 2 content updates. If you start collecting the research logs now, you'll be ready to unlock the new story chapters as soon as they drop, no extra grinding required.
At the end of the day, the question of who makes the first descendant has two equally interesting answers, depending on if you're asking about the real-world dev team or the in-lore creators. Both sides of the story add a lot of depth to the game, and learning about them makes playing feel more immersive than just grinding for gear mindlessly. If you haven't started looking for the Voss research logs yet, I recommend making that your next goal the next time you log on, it's a fun side quest that rewards you with one of the strongest characters in the game.