How to Fix The First Descendant Settings Resetting Issue on PC

SAVE those settings!

The First Descendant Screen
Image via NEXON

The First Descendant is the latest free-to-play live-service title from NEXON, and it’s out now on PC and consoles. The launch has been a bit hard on the servers, and there are some technical issues that players have been running into. If your settings keep resetting every time you launch The First Descendant, here is how you can fix that.

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Fixing The First Descendant Settings Resetting Issue

If your graphics, controls, or any other settings keep resetting when you launch The First Descendant, you need to uncheck the Read Only attribute of the GameUserSettings.ini file.

To do this, follow the steps below.

  • First, open Windows Run by hitting the Windows and R keys together
  • Enter the following address, and press OK
%LOCALAPPDATA%/M1/Saved/Config/Windows/
  • Here, right-click on the GameUserSettings.ini file and select Properties
  • Make sure Read Only isn’t checked next to Attributes.
  • Press OK, and that should allow the file to be overwritten the next time you make any changes to the settings.

That’s all you need to do to make sure your settings are saved after you’ve closed the game. In case the settings still aren’t saving, we recommend trying the following.

Verify Game Files

  • Open Steam, and navigate to your library
  • Here, right-click on The First Descendant and select Properties
  • In the Installed Files tab, click on Verify integrity of game file

Run The First Descendant as an Administrator

At times, Windows can restrict certain applications from making changes in the main OS drive. To ensure that isn’t the case with The First Descendant, try running it with administrator privileges.

  • Open Steam, and navigate to your library
  • Here, right-click on The First Descendant, followed by Manage and Browse local files
  • This will take you to where the game is installed.
  • Right-click on the The First Descendant executable and select Properties
  • In the Compatability tab, check “Run this program as an administrator”

We hope that the developers address this in a future patch because it can be pretty annoying to set up your game on every boot.

If you’re playing the PC version and are running into the DirectX 12 error, we have you covered. Additionally, if you can’t seem to get your controllers to work properly, you need to make a small change in Steam. For more on The First Descendant, make sure to check out our dedicated section.

Ali Hashmi

Ali Hashmi is a games journalist, reviewer, and guides writer with over eight years of experience covering the gaming industry across news, reviews, features, walkthroughs, and technical guides. He currently writes for Prima Games and GTA 6 Bible, and has previously contributed to Dot Esports, WhatIfGaming, GameTyrant, and The OuterHaven. With a background in Computer Science and years spent covering PC gaming, Ali has developed a strong focus on performance analysis, optimization, troubleshooting, and in-depth game coverage alongside traditional reviews and features. A longtime fan of action games, Ali spends most of his time obsessing over stylish combat systems, difficult boss fights, immersive sims, and retro shooters that feel like they were pulled straight out of the late ‘90s. When he isn’t replaying Dark Souls for the hundredth time or climbing Ascension levels in Slay the Spire, he’s usually hunting for the next indie game to recommend to everyone around him. His coverage regularly includes AAA releases, indie games, Soulslikes, survival titles, live service games, and technical PC focused guides.