Crimson Desert execs expect the game to make half-a-billion dollars by the end of 2026 as DLC expansions start development

crimson desert kliff macduff in a sword fight

Published:

May 12 2026

Last Updated on 12 May 2026

By:

Lewis White

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Crimson Desert has already been a major hit sales-wise with millions of players across PC and console. The game has also made an impression with other developers with many praising the interactivity and scale of its virtual game world.

As Pearl Abyss works on the game’s announced Nintendo Switch 2 port, which would add another revenue stream for the game, the studio is also working on additional content for the game in the form of DLC. At the time of writing, the open-world action game has made $178.8 million, according to the studio’s latest financials, but that number is expected to climb.

In the latest financial report for the developer, Pearl Abyss explained that it expects Crimson Desert’s post-launch sales to bring in between $432.2 million and $514.4 million by the end of the year. While the developer expects the game’s sales to “soften” in Q2 2026, they are expecting “stable performance” through post-launch support.

Since launch, Crimson Desert has some game-changing updates with mechanical changes just weeks after release. Pearl Abyss expects these updates to continue, therefore “enhancing user satisfaction and driving new sales”.

Additionally, the game’s upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 port—which is in development at the studio—is a key factor behind the game’s projected sales increases. The studio notes that “platform expansion” will allow the game to sell more copies as the team works on “expanding its market presence”.

Finally, the aforementioned DLC is expected to be a huge boon for the game. While Pearl Abyss didn’t state what the DLC will entail, or its scale, the studio said it’s “currently exploring various ways to broaden the game to the next level including DLC”. This could mean additional areas and missions could come to the game in the future.

Since launch, players have already discovered multiple parts of the game’s huge, sprawling map that have gone unused. While it’s not clear whether or not these areas will be expanded in future content, there are already clear areas that could improved for future expansions, if that’s what the developers want to do.

About The Author

Lewis White

Lewis White is a veteran games journalist with over a decade in the field. Starting with beloved Xbox website ICXM/XboxMAD, Lewis became the Gaming Editor at MSPoweruser before becoming the Editor in Chief of StealthOptional and Gfinityesports. Lewis later jumped to By Gamers For Gamers where he jumped to become EIC of VideoGamer and the host of the New VideoGamer Podcast prior to the website’s acquisition.

Over the years, Lewis has also seen long-form investigative pieces published in outlets such as Eurogamer, PCGamesN, Wireframe, Retro Gamer, Nintendo Life, and EDGE. Now, as the Editor in Chief of FRVR Blog, Lewis strives to bring the same level of quality journalism with interview-led content to the site in both written and audio form with the FRVR Podcast.

With a First Degree BA Hons in Games Journalism and Public Relations, Lewis has been a stable part of the British games press for over a decade, and has frequently displayed his love of Halo, The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and other games pretty much everywhere he’s worked. And FRVR is no different.

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