Upcoming open world RPG Crimson Desert dealyed to next year

Late last year, studio Pearl Abyss, developers of MMORPG Black Desert, announced a brand new triple-A single-player RPG that was being developed for PC and consoles called Crimson Desert. The game looks incredibly promising with visually striking combat, a large-scale open world, and the ability to wreak havoc by riding dragons and exploring floating islands in the sky.

It was initially set for late 2025; however, following the company’s Q2 2025 earnings conference call, it has now been pushed back to “Q1 2026”.

During the conference call, the company explained why this is. “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. We sincerely apologize for not being able to meet the originally promised fourth quarter launch schedule. Please kindly understand that this is a strategic decision aimed at ensuring success on a meaningful scale.”

The company also confirmed that while the game will be featured at Gamescom next week, they won’t be announcing any release date more specific than the currently slated Q1 2026. Ultimately, this isn’t too big of a delay, and as long as development continues on track – which Pearl Abyss’ statement suggests it will – we should be able to get our hands on the game soon enough.

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