I think that with a game like Crimson Desert, you'd be well within your right to have an eyebrow pre-raised considering its online, sort of free-to-play (depending on where you live) predecessor Black Desert Online regarding the like of microtransactions. I know I certainly have! At a glance Crimson Desert certainly looks like it could fall into similar pitfalls if only based on vibes alone. However! Developer Pearl Abyss would quite like you to know that, in that regard at least, you have nothing to worry about.

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I'm desperate to get my hands on Crimson Desert. The new open-world game is looking absolutely packed, bringing together dynamic, flowing combat that has exhilarated me in multiple previews and a vast land filled with an impressive array of activities and pursuits. But is it an RPG? Developer Pearl Abyss doesn't think so, and is careful not to call it one, although director of marketing Will Powers acknowledges that there are certainly reasons why you might.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Pearl Abyss doesn't think of Crimson Desert as an RPG, but it understands why you might

Crimson Desert is an upcoming open-world RPG by developer Pearl Abyss, and fans are losing it over early breakdowns of the skill system that requires real-time learning instead of simply amassing skill points for a tree.

Crimson Desert is slowly shaping up to be one of the biggest games of 2026. Made by developers of the Black Desert MMORPG, this action-adventure takes place in a stunning fantasy world, with a strong focus on combat, exploration, and narrative.

A fully-fledged title and not a free-to-play live-service game, Crimson Desert won't feature a microtransaction store, at least not a cosmetics shop. This was confirmed by Pearl Abyss marketing director Will Powers, who highlighted that as a "premium experience," Crimson Desert's monetization model hinges on the price you pay for the game itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR9QMXJuGx4

As he bluntly puts it, the game alone is the only transaction, providing players with a vast open world and enough value that microtransactions of any kind aren't really necessary.

"This is made to be a premium experience that you buy, and you enjoy the world, and not something for microtransactions. [Crimson Desert] is a premium experience [and] that is the transaction. Full stop," Powers noted in a recent podcast.

In fact, Powers is so proud of the world Pearl Abyss has created that he thinks it's the game's biggest selling point, saying he never played a "truer" open-world title.

Whatever the case, Crimson Desert does look promising. It might not be a traditional open-world RPG that we've been seeing around every corner, and that may be for the best. A big environment to walk around and have fun in is more than enough, so long as the studio makes it interesting.

And if Powers' words are anything to go by, it seems they've nailed it.

The post Crimson Desert won’t have a microtransaction shop because it’s a ‘premium experience’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Crimson Desert will be fully voiced by humans, Pearl Abyss's marketing director has assured in a recent interview.

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Crimson Desert has slowly but steadily become one of 2026's open world games to watch out for, and with a March release date now locked, lots of people are seriously starting to consider making a trip to Pywel soon. At the same time, veterans might have reservations about jumping in at launch based on Black Desert Online's MTX-heavy model.

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Pearl Abyss‘ Will Powers has revealed during a chat with the Gaming Interviews YouTube channel that the open world featured in Crimson Desert is “absolutely massive,” going so far as to reveal it stacks up favourable against genre titans Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

I don’t think numbers really do it justice because, how big is that in terms of scope and scale? But what we can say is that the world’s at least twice as big as the open world, the playable area, of Skyrim. It’s larger than the map of Red Dead Redemption 2.

The continent of Pywel is absolutely massive, but size doesn’t really matter if there’s nothing to do. Open-world games are about doing things, having activities, having distractions. So we wanted to create a world that’s not only massive, but is also incredibly interactive.

You choose the type of character you want to play as in terms of your progression within the systems in the game. And then through head canon you’re having this very different experience than other players because of the scope and scale of the game. You’ll be distracted by something, you’ll go on this quest line, you’ll have an experience that’ll be radically different than someone else, even though they’re playing the same game and the same canonical storyline that you both are going through.

Crimson Desert is currently in development for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S, and was originally pitched as a prequel to Black Desert Online. The game takes place in a medieval fantasy world known as Pywel, where players follow a hardened mercenary who is plagued by burdens of leadership and past memories.

The narrative focuses on Greymanes Kliff, Oongka, Yann, and Naira, during a period where Pywel is experiencing great tension and conflict among its people. This already fragile period is disrupted further by an attack by the Black Bears, a rival faction to the Greymanes, killing many of its members. In the aftermath, Kliff and the survivors are scattered, and so it’s up to him to reunite with his comrades and rebuild the Greymanes, before confronting the Myurdin, the leader of the Black Bears.

Crimson Desert launches on March 19, 2026. We went hands-on with the game back in April 2025, so be sure to read our impressions of some of the Crimson Desert’s bosses here.

[Source – Gaming Interviews YouTube via IGN]

The post Crimson Desert Features An Open World At Least Twice As Big As Skyrim; Larger Map Than Red Dead Redemption 2 appeared first on PlayStation Universe.

If you ask me to name the game I'm most excited for this year, there's a 50/50 chance I'll say either Slay the Spire 2 or Crimson Desert. I've had the opportunity to play the stunning new open-world action RPG from Pearl Abyss several times now, and have always come away desperate for more time to wrap my head around its combat nuances. It's a big project, feeling rather like The Witcher 3 but with way more high-octane combat. During the New Game+ showcase, director of PR Will Powers from Pearl Abyss revealed just how large its world is, and what we can expect to find.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: High-octane RPG Crimson Desert has a world twice as big as Skyrim, yet its developer insists that "size doesn't matter"

During the recently concluded New Game+ Showcase, Pearl Abyss strategic planning expert Will Powers stated that the map of Pywel in the upcoming action RPG Crimson Desert is significantly larger than that of Red Dead Redemption 2. Powers also claimed it is “at least” twice the size of the accessible world in  The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The studio noted that they are working to make the map highly interactive as well. Crimson Desert is set to launch on March 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam.

The game’s details:

Crimson Desert is an open-world action-adventure game set in the stunning yet perilous continent of Pywel. After a devastating ambush by their sworn enemy the Black Bears leaves the Greymanes dead or scattered across the land, players follow Kliff who embarks on a journey to rebuild the Greymanes and reclaim what has been lost. As he traverses across the vast landscapes of Pywel, players will engage in intense battles, defeat formidable monsters, collect valuable loot, and follow the story of the Greymanes’ journey with next-generation visuals.

Crimson Desert will launch with Collector’s, Deluxe and Standard editions. The Collector’s Edition will feature an impressive 17” exclusive diorama of Kliff and Golden Star, a premium Greymane Brooch Pin and deluxe woven fabric map of Pywel – designed to elevate any treasured collection.

Pre-orders will be going live for all physical and digital editions in the coming days, available at most major retailers — all pre-orders come with the Khaled Shield as a pre-order bonus. Additionally, fans who pre-order any PlayStation®5 edition will also receive the Grotevant Plate Set DLC as a PS5 exclusive bonus included in pack.

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The post Pearl Abyss Claims The Crimson Desert World is Larger Than Red Dead Redemption 2 appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.

What would it take for you to check out Black Desert on the PlayStation 5 system? Maybe a lady knight who swishes a big ol’ sword around? Or perhaps you’d prefer to play for free? Well for a limited time, you’re getting both of those things, as the sandbox MMORPG is indeed completely free-to-play on […]