Crimson Desert is a success, promoting over 6 million copies in lower than three months. Regardless of preliminary reception at launch being combined, the sprawling single-player open world motion journey has caught on with followers, who’ve marveled on the sheer variety of updates Pearl Abyss has pumped out on a weekly foundation, every one bettering the standard of the sport and added new content material in a significant — and usually shocking — approach.
However there’s no signal of Pearl Abyss slowing down. The South Korean studio has stated it desires to make sure Crimson Desert receives long-term help, outlining a summer time roadmap of content material that features enhancements to the core narrative – a recurring criticism of the sport. And there’s even DLC within the works.
Throughout Summer season Sport Fest 2026, we sat down with Will Powers, director of promoting and PR for Pearl Abyss, to catch up on the state of issues with Crimson Desert. Together with breaking down the sport’s success in its first months and classes discovered from its suite of post-launch updates, Powers defined how the builders have been in a position to shortly deal with suggestions and launch huge updates to the sport in a well timed method since launch.
Editor’s Word: This interview has been edited for readability and readability.
IGN: The sport has been an enormous hit for Pearl Abyss, and many gamers have been having fun with exploring its world. How has the participant response been total since launch?
Will Powers: Properly, Pearl Abyss is constructed on group, and that is primarily based on our expertise in dwell service with Black Desert On-line. It is within the Pearl Abyss DNA to hearken to the group and reply to them; that is been extremely essential to the builders. The momentum going into launch, together with sustained suggestions and hours performed after its launch, is driving the crew to maintain bettering the sport. The gamers are investing within the sport, and as they maintain enjoying, we’ll maintain constructing it up. It is one thing like Area of Goals, that line the place he says, “In case you construct it, they are going to come.”
One type of query we get loads is asking us, why this can be a single-player sport with live-service growth? And a part of it is as a result of we are able to, [laughs]. We are able to, and we need to, add extra worth to the sport in the long run. We need to maintain bettering the expertise for gamers who’ve been invested in from day one and guarantee the sport continues to get higher.
IGN: Has there been a sure kind of suggestions that is been constant from the group, one which’s been a unbroken effort to enhance?
Will Powers: It is tough to say particularly, however I’ll say that one of many issues the event crew is extremely pleased with is their first-ever console-focused launch, and that is an enormous deal for the corporate. It is a huge deal for the Korean growth crew, and they need to proceed bettering the sport’s console expertise. It is one of many few instances that Korean growth studios have had this stage of success on consoles, and that is been such a problem. In Korea, the platform cut up for that sport is 95% on PC and 5% on consoles, nevertheless it’s drastically completely different from the West. So when a Korean studio says, “I need to make a Western-appropriate product,” they take a look at console, clearly, as a result of that is the place numerous the viewers is.
However when it comes to the core sport itself, I’d say one of many constant adjustments from suggestions is enhancements to the UI, that is positively a chunk of suggestions that they are taking in, as a result of they have not skilled single-player and console sport growth to this stage earlier than, when they’re principally working on MMOs. The UI adjustments are being made to account for single-player video games being designed for gamers who sit down, chill out, and play throughout a wide range of platforms, shows, and extra.
IGN: With all these updates to the sport, is there an enormous problem in not overcorrecting it? To the purpose the place the sport’s id begins to alter in response to group suggestions that wishes it to be extra like different video games.
Will Powers: Yeah, that is a great query. There are positively inner conversations about what kind of group suggestions to absorb. Do you hearken to the vocal minority on issues, or spend time determining who is aware of greatest about system adjustments with how one thing’s alleged to work in a sport, and so on? However it comes right down to needing a central filter on what the DNA of the sport is earlier than it involves Crimson Desert, and that comes right down to a core producer who takes any proposed adjustments, whether or not inner or exterior, and decides whether or not they compromise what makes this sport at its core. They’ve to find out whether or not it’s enjoyable as is, or whether or not it will get in the best way of issues, as a result of generally the alternative is true.
It is like, ‘Okay, we optimized farming as a result of too many button presses and all that, and that is getting in the best way of enjoyable, so let’s repair that.’ It is all about creating a greater, extra approachable expertise. Gamers are having fun with this, however let’s make it simpler for them to get pleasure from it and have enjoyable. Being receptive to suggestions, no matter the place it comes from, is extremely essential. However having the ability to filter that and just be sure you do not lose focus on the DNA of the sport is vital, as a result of that is clearly the danger that you just’re pointing at. We have made numerous adjustments, however not sweeping ones that alter the sport’s core id.
IGN: On that notice, one change that was mentioned beforehand was plans to regulate the storytelling of the present sport. Would you have the ability to elaborate on what meaning precisely, and what kind of suggestions you bought from the group?
Will Powers: Certain, I am going to begin with what I hope will not be a controversial assertion: artwork is subjective, simply generally. That is to not low cost anybody’s expertise, and individuals’s completely different opinions are all legitimate, whether or not it is a evaluation or a shopper’s impressions. However that is what comes right down to the crux of the query: does that imply we’re overhauling this story and throwing away what we constructed for a special story than the one individuals initially performed? No. Does it imply we’re making a greater effort to keep up story continuity and enhance cutscenes to make clear story components and present a greater onboarding expertise? Sure. That is the aim we’ve got with the improved storytelling, and that is okay.
Many gamers did not essentially perceive the character’s motivation at first hours, and they felt like characters appeared with out them understanding who they have been within the story. We are able to deal with that, however that will not change the expertise of those that already performed the sport. However does it make it higher for individuals enjoying for the primary time, or for individuals who need to play once more? Yeah, completely. However on the finish of the day, we did not need to compromise on enjoyable, and we additionally do not need to detract from people who find themselves early adopters for the sport as properly, so all the pieces that we’re doing is a approach of rewarding their expertise by making it additive to what they’ve already skilled.
IGN: There have additionally been updates hinting at extra adjustments for Damiane and Oongka, who’re Kliff’s playable allies within the sport. Will there be makes an attempt to make them really feel extra essential and worthwhile throughout the sport’s total expertise?
Will Powers: We have had conversations about fleshing out the backstories for the extra characters, and the specifics are nonetheless to be decided. However clearly, all of that is on the desk, and to go on file as saying that the builders do learn the suggestions that they see throughout the web. Gamers have expressed a need to see extra backstories for the extra playable characters and to grasp how these individuals got here to be concerned in the primary story. However yeah, it stays to be seen whether or not and how we find yourself doing it, however that is one of many choices we’ve got for persevering with to broaden the story in Crimson Desert. That is not as a lot as rewriting the story, however coming in to place extra meat on the bones of the story.
IGN: There are additionally plans so as to add DLC to the sport. Are you able to share any insights or particulars about what that may entail precisely, whether or not it is purely a content material improve or possibly one thing extra sweeping to the core sport?
Will Powers: I feel that is still to be seen about what path we are going to take with our upcoming plans for that. However, you already know, phrases are essential. So let’s be very clear in regards to the distinction between the phrases ‘replace,’ ‘DLC,’ and ‘growth.’ What we have referred to as all the pieces we have accomplished and added to the sport proper now has been updates. We’re calling this upcoming venture a DLC, so this can be completely different from all of the updates we have had after the sport launched. In order that’s the place I am going to go together with that. We’re calling it one thing completely different, and there is a good motive why we’re calling it a DLC.
IGN: It has been attention-grabbing to see what’s been added to the sport thus far. We not too long ago noticed a pinball minigame added, and I feel what’s labored properly in Crimson Desert is the way it mashes up completely different fantasy RPG types. It is excessive fantasy and steampunk as properly, and that appears to have given the builders numerous freedom to broaden issues as they see match.
Will Powers: Yeah, it is a kind of energy fantasy. Like, how do this stuff make sense on the planet? There’s been numerous conversations internally main into launch about, ‘Okay, properly, how do dragons, mechs, trains, and dinosaurs like raptors, all make sense in the identical setting?’ And it simply all comes right down to this being a fantasy sport, and it is a huge freaking world. So once you play it, it does make sense, and I feel that is what you hit the nail on the pinnacle of, that is the great thing about Crimson Desert. It is so huge, and you’ll be able to play with what is sensible within the completely different areas with completely different cultures and environments, and that presents the inventive liberty to do regardless of the hell you need. It then turns into the query of, ‘What will we need to do?’ fairly than, ‘What do we’ve got to do?’ and that is a enjoyable query.
IGN: Has there been any consideration so as to add mod help for Crimson Desert?
Will Powers: Yeah, I haven’t got a great reply for that, however I’d say my impulsive response is that we’re attempting to keep up a constant expertise throughout all Crimson Desert platforms. We simply introduced cross-save for the sport, and we’re gonna have cross-side help for all variations, so I am unsure the way you try this properly by splitting options that may change one model of the sport. The group’s already doing it for the PC model, however as a writer, I do not see an official approach to do this. That stated, we like seeing gamers have interaction with the sport to construct their group and all the pieces associated to it, which is actually nice. I like seeing gamers speak about their experiences enjoying the sport and speaking about what they uncovered.
IGN: Going again to the sport’s broader enchantment, it has been attention-grabbing to see simply how a lot help has been given to a single-player sport like this in such a short while, and gamers have actually been maintaining with it. Do you’re feeling the success of this sport speaks to a bigger pattern that audiences need extra partaking single-player video games?
Will Powers: I do not see a single variable for this sport’s success. I feel there are lots of elements at play, nevertheless it actually helps to have a great sport. The opposite components that threw us for a loop internally have been that we needed to rethink how we’ve got a group for a single-player RPG. Like, Pearl Abyss did not have group managers for a single-player sport, however we did for live-service video games. We’ve to work at retaining a group round this sport to help it. They need extra and extra content material as a result of they’re having fun with residing on this world, which seems like a live-service sport in scope, nevertheless it’s very completely different. Like once you buy this sport, you purchase it as soon as, and it is yours.
We additionally wished to reward gamers who’ve been there the entire time by avoiding sudden reductions for early adopters. Sometimes, in video video games, the primary low cost is 90 days or so. We have not discounted the sport, however that is not as a result of we’re actually grasping by any means. We need to add extra worth, so we’re persevering with not to remove something however make it a greater expertise with extra worth for the individuals who spent not simply their hard-earned cash but in addition their time, as a result of that is most likely the largest issue proper now for many individuals who need to play the sport. We’re asking you to play 100+ hours, which is a big time funding. But when you are going to spend your cash, we need to reward that have by supplying you with a ton of issues to do and making it extra rewarding.
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You’ll be able to attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.