Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC all received The First Descendant at launch, but can it run on a Mac?

Nexon's action-packed looter-shooter, The First Descendant, is enjoying a successful launch. Garnering significant attention, the game has already peaked at over 250k active players. So, can you play First Descendant on Mac?

Is The First Descendant on Mac?

No. Unfortunately, First Descendant is not available on macOS. So far, Nexon has not confirmed or denied the potential for the game to come to Mac, but currently, there are no announced plans.

That'll be disappointing to the countless Mac users but is a symptom of the platform's historic lack of support. Nexon's other recent hits, like The Finals, also did not feature macOS support.

Unlike on the Mac, Linux devices can already play First Descendant. That support is all thanks to the Steam Deck, Valve's popular handheld that's helped Linux leapfrog in the compatibility race.

(Image via NEXON)
(Image via NEXON)

First Descendant on Crossover?

Similar to XDefiant, First Descendant can't be run on Mac using Crossover. That is due to the game using two anti-cheats. First is the ubiquitous Easy Anti-Cheat. On top of that, the game is also running Nexon Game Security, also known as Black Cipher.

These anti-cheats protect First Descendant players but are also the prime culprit for their lack of Mac support. That means, even with Crossover, TFD will not run. If you have an Intel-based Mac however, you can use Bootcamp to play the game in Windows itself.

Will TFD come to macOS?

Unfortunately for players on Apple's platforms, a Mac release seems unlikely. Not only are there no plans announced currently, but Nexon has no published games on Mac so far.

That's despite a number of its games being available on iOS. Again, all hope lies with Anti-Cheat developers eventually bringing support to the platform, maybe with a (monetary) nudge from Apple.

For now, Mac users are better off using something like Nvidia's GeForce Now Ultimate cloud streaming platform to play First Descendant and get their hands on that Ultimate Bunny skin.

Stay tuned to esports.gg for more esports news and The First Descendant coverage.