Crimson Desert (PC/PS5/XSX) - March 19, 2026

[6souls]

“Hello, everyone. My name is Jason Lung, the lead producer of Crimson Desert. The beginning of Crimson Desert can be traced back to the vast desert that spans across the world of Black Desert. You could even say that Crimson Desert was born of a desire to tell the story of Black Desert‘s past. With the exception of a few identifiable in-game homages, we created entirely new worldviews, religions, and characters unique to the world of Crimson Desert worthy of a true epic. Thus was born our next flagship title that continues on with the ‘desert’ theme. This is how Crimson Desert came into existence.”

“Crimson Desert‘s subtitle, ‘A Saga Written in Blood,’ encapsulates the epic events that will test our mercenary heroes. Blood will be spilled. The character you see in our key art is Macduff, son of Martinus. He’s the leader of a ragtag band of mercenaries. Here is a man in constant turmoil, struggling with the responsibilities of leadership and the survival of those who rely on him, and a tragic past that no matter how hard he tries, he cannot escape from. As such, Crimson Desert is a story of growth and resilience. It is a story of mercenaries plagued by hardship and pain, and their endeavors to survive in a hostile world.”

“Crimson Desert tells the story of many different characters, whose fates are entwined with the main character and his band of mercenaries. Each has their own unique settings and tales to tell, affecting everything from the decisions they make, down the gear they equip. And it doesn’t end with our main band of mercenaries. The lands are full of other mercenary groups, each with their own distinct personalities and inclinations.”

“Crimson Desert offers an immersive single-player campaign teeming with engaging quests based on the exploits of the many mercenaries you’ll find available for hire, as well as a vast amount of content based around a more traditional MMORPG format. Here lies a world designed for you to freely enjoy, with various content at the high levels expected of a next-generation MMORPG.”

“Players will face many dangers in the world of Crimson Desert. A diverse range of creatures, both big and small, threaten your survival. This is a world of mythical creatures who are neither friend nor foe, cruel mercenaries vying for blood, and powerful figures conspiriing in the shadows of the royal court. You cannot let your guard down. To survive these bigger threats, you must learn to make strategic choices, all brought excitingly to life through Pearl Abyss’ unique, action-driven combat system.”

“But as many of you will know, your biggest friend and foe in any MMORPG is the other player right beside you. Revel is a world that is as beautiful as it is dangerous, filled with a cast of fascinating characters, mercenary groups, and others such as yourself trapped in a spiral of endless feuds and bloody battles for survival. Furthermore, in true Pearl Abyss fashion, we’ve created a world full of playable content including trade, exploration, and so much more. Everyone at Pearl Abyss is working hard to bring you the ultimate gaming experience, with realistic character representations, rich backgrounds, and action that is as thrilling as possible, whether you’re playing on PC or console.”

https://crimsondesert.pearlabyss.com/en/Main/Index

[D44kpunk]

isn't there a private BDO server with the same name?

[6souls]

isn't there a private BDO server with the same name?

Yes - https://crimsondesert.online/#home

https://mmoculture.com/2019/11/crims...ayer-campaign/

MMOCulture is reporting while this was originally meant to be a Black Desert prequel, it's now a standalone IP.

[Bombur]

[Bombur]

This feels like a Necro..lol

But Pearl Abyss finally showed off a new Trailer at Gamescom.

[Rulke]

Damn, if that isn't a blast from the past. I loved me some BDO for about 4 years or so. Best action combat on the market. This sure looks pretty and in that same spirit. I could dig a single player game from PA. Still, probably another couple of years until this hit the market. Thanks for the update Bomber.

[Bombur]

More gameplay video.

[Rulke]

Looks fun. I can't tell if this is more of a main character like "Geralt" or if they are just showcasing the "Commander Shepard" default main character and we get do design our own. BDO has legendary character creation so I am hoping for the latter personally.

[Takiwaki]

Isnt this a single player game? I dont think its an mmo. but from what I read there is supposed to be co op content though. was gonna post the video but could not find it as I was not looking under mmorpg section lol

[6souls]

Isnt this a single player game? I dont think its an mmo. but from what I read there is supposed to be co op content though. was gonna post the video but could not find it as I was not looking under mmorpg section lol

Press release in OP says it's a "next gen MMORPG".

[Bombur]

Isnt this a single player game? I dont think its an mmo. but from what I read there is supposed to be co op content though. was gonna post the video but could not find it as I was not looking under mmorpg section lol

It was going to be a mmo, but now it's single player with co-op.

[Bombur]

More Boss Battles

[Bombur]

New Game trailer from the Game Awards. Coming out late 2025.

[Bombur]

Combat and Progression Overview.

Also shows off some of the other weapons and classes.

Launches March 19th, 2026.

[Rulke]

Psudo bump, comes out in a couple of weeks. I think this is shaping up to be a really fun game. Can't say I hold any real promise in the story being good but the gameplay should be fantastic.


Also worth noting: since this isnt a MMORPG perhaps a mod could move it to regular gaming?

[Bombur]

Your Charater and the world



Life that goes on in the world

[6souls]

Preview day

[Tyrath]

Every trailer I see makes this game look fucking good.

I am cautiously hyped.

[Krandor]

My biggest question at this point is what the story is going to be like, because that is generally not what one would consider a strong suit for a Korean MMO dev. And that matters quite a bit for a single player RPG

Edit : made a comment about the voice acting but apparently it's quite good in the portion people got to play

Combat looks cool and the technical aspects of the game (both overall graphical fidelity and perceived performance/fps) look fantastic.

[Rulke]

My biggest question at this point is what the story is going to be like, because that is generally not what one would consider a strong suit for a Korean MMO dev. And that matters quite a bit for a single player RPG

This is what I was alluding to. I tried so hard to get into the BDO storyline but i became a button masher for cutscenes. It was so bad Hopefully PA developed a decent writing team for this. Luke's review says to temper our expectations on narrative though- this is no Red Dead Redemption 2 or Witcher 3.