The long-in-development open-world action RPG Crimson Desert is getting pushed back, again, but will hopefully arrive in Q1 26. First revealed in 2019, then followed by an official trailer at The Game Awards in 2020 when it was said to get a 2021 release, the title has had its share of difficulties in getting released.
Crimson Desert has been gestating for around six years, or more, now and delays have spanned from the COVID-era but now include other global challenges leading to another push back from a late 2025 release to now an early 2026 launch window. Given how long its been since the first official trailer it wouldn’t be a surprise if folks have forgotten about the game from Pearl Abyss (Black Desert Online), so here’s the 5-minute trailer from The Game Awards along with a nearly 1-hour gameplay video from last year.
Pearl Abyss revealed during its latest earnings call (via Gematsu) that the latest delay is due to a number of challenges in cordinating a global release for PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S consoles, including region-specific voiceovers.
“The launch of Crimson Desert, our first large-scale AAA console game, has been unavoidably delayed by one quarter, from the previously announced schedule. This is due to longer than expected timelines arising from schedule coordination and collaborations with multiple partners for offline distribution, voice-overs, console certification, and other launch preparations.”
-Pearl Abyss
Crimson Desert is described as an open world action adventure game set in the war-torn continent of Pwel where the Greymanes seek to protect and fulfill an epic mission. Players will embark as Kliff and fellow Greymanes to journey across a land filled with mystical beings while finding treasures and discovering its mysteries. Those in the area might want to check out PAX West 2025, on August 29, where the game will be available to play. Just visit the Pearl Abyss booth where you can try a new public demo in which Kliff is tasked to find and rescue one of his comrades on the battlefields of Calphade. Folks overseas can also find Pearl Abyss at this year’s Gamescom from August 20 to August 24.