Pearl Abyss’ post-launch support for Crimson Desert isn’t stopping anytime soon. As Pearl Abyss aims for the game to make half-a-billion dollars, more game-changing updates are in the works alongside new DLC expansions.
There have been some criticisms thrown at Crimson Desert for its almost live-service approach to a single-player game. Defended by industry veterans behind other massive RPGs, Pearl Abyss has now commented on its unique approach.
“One sort of question we get a lot is asking us, why this is a single-player game with live-service development? And part of it’s because we can,” director of marketing and PR Will Powers told IGN in a new interview. “We can, and we want to, add more value to the game in the long term. We want to keep improving the experience for players who have been invested in from day one and ensure the game continues to get better.”
Powers explained that Pearl Abyss and its games are “built on community”. Black Desert Online saw its own game-changing features based on community feedback, and the single-player Crimson Desert will follow that same path. “It’s in the Pearl Abyss DNA to listen to the community and respond to them; that’s been incredibly important to the developers,” he said.
While Crimson Desert will see bigger, even more game-changing updates, the goal is to make sure those updates don’t uproot what fans like about the game right now. Players who “have been invested in from day one” don’t deserve to have the game they love taken away, and that shouldn’t happen.
“It’s all about creating a better, more approachable experience,” Powers said. “Players are enjoying this, but let’s make it easier for them to enjoy it and have fun. Being receptive to feedback, regardless of where it comes from, is incredibly important. But being able to filter that and make sure that you don’t lose focus on the DNA of the game is critical, because that’s obviously the risk that you’re pointing at. We’ve made a lot of changes, but not sweeping ones that alter the game’s core identity.”
For example, Crimson Desert will see a massive narrative overhaul in future updates, but the overall story won’t be changed. While Kliff’s motivations will be made clearer and the story will be expanded, the general tale will stay the same, albeit with more depth.
Crimson Desert is an absolutely massive game, and it’s undoubtedly one of the most ambitious releases this generation (Well, at least until GTA 6 releases.) It’s a gorgeous, vibrant open-world fantasy game with a lot of neat mechanics; it just needs some assistance connecting everything together.
Crimson Desert is currently available on PC, Xbox Series and PlayStation 5. At the time of writing, a Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game is in early development.
