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Crimson Desert finally gets release date news, demo incoming

Crimson Desert cover

The long-awaited Crimson Desert may finally have a release date materializing, and the developer will announce more details soon.

The upcoming action RPG has seemingly been in development hell for years. First revealed in 2019, Pearl Abyss initially slated Crimson Desert for a 2021 release. When the year came, the developers announced a delay and pushed the release date to 2022. 2022 came and went, and 2023 followed, but there was still no Crimson Desert to be found and few updates regarding the game from Pearl Abyss.

Finally, it seems the studio is happy with the project and will tease something more concrete than a cinematic trailer. Reports in 2023 hinted at a Q2 2025 release date, but recent leaks suggest an even earlier launch.

Crimson Desert release date info

Crimson Desert will reportedly launch in Q1 2025.

Lunatic Ignus, a notable leaker who previously reported details on Black Myth: Wukong before its release, claims Crimson Desert will launch in early 2025. Pearl Abyss will reportedly have a demo of Crimson Desert at Gamescom 2024, marking the first time fans will be able to try the game.

Much of the excitement comes from fans wondering how Pearl Abyss can translate the Black Desert Online experience to a single-player game. Some expressed concerns that a single-player title might feature grindy elements like resource gathering or microtransactions that are standard for MMOs, but less fun elsewhere. Pearl Abyss has hinted this won’t be the case. 

The long development time may have been a blessing for the project. In recent years, gamers experienced a plethora of overhyped releases that ultimately disappointed upon launch. In 2023 it was the opposite problem, with gamers not having the time to play all the AAA titles that were coming out. Crimson Desert will look avoid a controversial launch like the one seen for Cyberpunk 2077, while not being lost in the shuffle like Alan Wake 2.

Will Pearl Abyss release other games after Crimson Desert?

Pearl Abyss is reportedly optimistic about the development of other projects like DokeV and Plan 8.

In particular, the studio slated DokeV to release a year after Crimson Desert does. Interestingly, fans don’t know much about DokeV other than its exciting gameplay trailer featuring an over-the-top art style and combat. What has been shown has drawn comparisons to Palworld, a game that has seen its player count flagging despite the release of new content.

Meanwhile, Plan 8 will also launch sometime after DokeV, reportedly in Pearl Abyss’ fiscal year ending 2026. The series of close releases may be the studio’s way of making up for lost time. After all, Pearl Abyss has not released a major title since their first outing, Black Desert Online, in 2014. More details about Crimson Desert will roll out by Summer 2024. 

Written by Gab Hernandez X Twitter Logo

Gab Hernandez has a particular love for video games that give players control over the narrative direction, such as Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Disco Elysium. Gab spends just as much time playing games as they do gushing about them online to anyone who will listen. Their work has also been seen on TheGamer, Gfinity, and Wargamer, and you can follow them on Twitter / X at @HardlyWorkinGab.

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