Nexon has announced a new round of balance adjustments for The First Descendant, focusing on two of the game's more prominent characters: Serena and Ines. In a developer video released on July 13, community director Jason Lee confirmed that the upcoming July 15 update aims to move the game away from a meta dominated by only the strongest options.

"We place great importance on an environment where various Descendants can each have their own strengths and be used together across a wide range of content," Lee said in the announcement. The update is intended to maintain that variety as the game introduces more powerful gear.

Quick Facts

  • Update Date: July 15, 2026
  • Affected Characters: Serena and Ines
  • Key Changes: Adjustments to Serena's 'Redemption' skill and Ines' 'Dark Current'
  • New Content: Two new Transcendent Modules for Serena and a reworked Void Intercept Battle mode

Serena Adjustments and Future Power Creep

The adjustments to Serena are not being framed as a direct nerf. Instead, Nexon is modifying her Redemption skill by splitting it into base and AoE damage components. This change is designed to boost her single-target damage output while keeping her area-of-effect pressure in check.

The developer noted that these changes are proactive. With the arrival of Transcendent Weapons in August, the team is concerned that the performance gap between Serena and other characters could grow too wide. By adjusting her now, the developers hope to prevent her power from scaling uncontrollably once the new long-term grind features are introduced.

Despite the skill rework, Serena is receiving a significant buff to her skill synchronization value, which is jumping from 0.496 to 1.177. Additionally, two new Transcendent Modules will be added in the July 15 patch to encourage more skill-based gameplay.

Ines and the Balancing Philosophy

Ines, who is currently outperforming many of her peers, is also facing changes. The update will target her Dark Current skill to bring her performance in line with the rest of the roster. Nexon stated they will be monitoring her closely following the patch to ensure the adjustments do not leave her underpowered.

This balancing approach marks a shift for the studio. Following community backlash regarding previous nerfs to Ines last year, Nexon has focused more on buffing underperforming characters rather than simply weakening top-tier ones. However, the developers acknowledged that this strategy has contributed to an ongoing cycle of power creep, which they are now attempting to manage more carefully with the Serena rebalance.

The July 15 update will also include monthly balancing for Blair and a full rework of the Void Intercept Battle mode. Full details on the specific values and changes will be available in the official patch notes arriving later this week.