Mac compatibility
Can you play The First Descendant on a Mac?
Short answer: Probably not — The First Descendant uses a kernel-level anti-cheat, which no Wine-based tool can load. Untested, but the anti-cheat decides this one, not the graphics layer.
What we know
Steam lists The First Descendant for Windows only. Its requirements call for DirectX 12, which Grapple runs through D3DMetal — but the anti-cheat decides this one.
Steam's store page discloses that it uses a kernel level anti-cheat, NGS (Nexon Game Security), which needs manual removal after uninstalling.
AreWeAntiCheatYet lists the game as running on Linux/Proton, naming Nexon Game Security and Easy Anti-Cheat: it works there, but Nexon hasn't officially enabled it.
Grapple settings
Nothing verified for this game yet — but here's where to start, based on its DirectX version. If you get somewhere, tell us and we'll put the real settings here. You can change the same options in the app; from the command line, replace <bottle> with the name of the Windows environment the game runs in — bottle is the CLI's technical term for it.
- DirectX 12 runs through D3DMetal, which comes with Grapple — a new install already uses it, and nothing needs downloading. See the Game Porting Toolkit guide.
- To see frame rates, turn on the Metal HUD:
grapple set <bottle> hud on
Heads-up: this game uses NGS (Nexon Game Security). Anti-cheat support can differ between Linux and macOS, so treat online play as unverified until someone has run it.
Test record
Empty until someone runs it. A record here lists the Mac, macOS and Grapple versions, the engine and graphics layer, the settings and every check — yours can fill it, or ours will.
FAQ
Can I play The First Descendant on a Mac?
Won't run. NGS (Nexon Game Security) loads a kernel-mode driver on Windows, and Grapple runs Windows programs without a Windows kernel — there's nothing for that driver to load into. No setting changes this; only the game's developer can. That's what the game's published facts suggest, not a result. We publish a verified status only after running the game on a real Mac.
Is there a Mac version of The First Descendant?
Steam doesn't offer a macOS build of The First Descendant; it's listed for Windows only.
How can I try The First Descendant myself?
Grapple's Free plan runs one game, forever — enough to settle this one. Add Steam in one click (launchers and Windows tools never count as your game), install the game and launch it: that first launch is what claims it, and you can swap it for a different game once every 30 days. If it won't start, try the other graphics layer in the game's settings. Then send us the result — the game and where you bought it, your Mac model and macOS version, the engine and graphics layer it ran on (grapple info <bottle>), your in-game settings, the frame rate from the Metal HUD, and screenshots of any error or a diagnostics report (grapple report <bottle>) — and we'll publish it here once it's a real test run.
Sources
Every factual claim on this page comes from these. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
- Steam store page — system requirements, platforms and anti-cheat disclosure (checked 23 September 2026)
- AreWeAntiCheatYet — The First Descendant, listed as "Running" on Linux/Proton (checked 23 September 2026)
- Wikipedia — Kernel-level anti-cheat (checked 21 September 2026)
Try The First Descendant yourself — and tell us
Grapple's Free plan runs one game, forever — exactly enough to settle The First Descendant. It's claimed the first time you play it, launchers and Windows tools don't count towards it, and you can swap it for another game once every 30 days. Install it, play for a bit, and send us what you saw. Every result — working or broken — decides what we test next, and verified results get published here with credit if you want it.
What to send
- The game and where you bought it (Steam, GOG, Epic…)
- Your Mac model, chip and macOS version
- The engine and graphics layer the game ran on —
grapple info <bottle> - The resolution and graphics preset you played at
- Frame rate from the Metal HUD, and the scene you measured it in —
grapple set <bottle> hud on - Screenshots of any error, plus a diagnostics report —
grapple report <bottle>
In those commands, <bottle> is the CLI's term for the Windows environment the game runs in — type its name instead. How to create a diagnostics report — it collects the game's settings, versions and logs into one zip, with your username removed.
The First Descendant is a trademark of its owner and is named here only to identify the game. Grapple isn't affiliated with or endorsed by NEXON Games.