Crimson Desert pre-load and release times

The Crimson Desert release time is now days away, and pre-loading is even closer, letting players get the colossal RPG ready a couple of days in advance. Pre-loading is available for all platforms Crimson Desert is launching on, so that's PS5, Xbox Series X and PC, but you obviously need to have pre-ordered the game first. Once you've got it pre-downloaded, it's just a matter of waiting for the release time on March 19 or 20 depending on where you are in the world. Here's a rundown of the Crimson Desert release and pre-load times for the US, UK, and more.

When can I pre-load Crimson Desert?

All Crimson Desert platforms can begin pre-downloading the game from 10PM UTC on March 17, letting you get the game ready ahead of launch day, but only if you've pre-ordered it. That works out as the following release times for time zones around the world:

• US Pacific: 3PM PDT on March 17
• US Eastern: 6PM EDT on March 17
• UK: 10PM GMT on March 17
• Central Europe: 11PM CET on March 17
• South Korea and Japan: 7AM KST/JST on March 18
• Eastern Australia: 9AM AEDT on March 18
• New Zealand: 11AM NZDT on March 18

Once 10PM UTC rolls around on March 17, check the platform storefront you pre-ordered from, such as the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, or Steam, and you should be able to begin installing from there – just make sure you've got plenty of storage space, with Steam confirming a 150GB file size at the moment.

In the case of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, you may need to find Crimson Desert in your game library ('My Games and Apps' on Xbox) and begin installing from there instead. And remember that unlike Black Desert Online, Crimson Desert is not multiplayer, so you won't be able to play with your friends who might also be pre-loading Crimson Desert.

What time does Crimson Desert release?

Two days after pre-loading goes live, Crimson Desert releases globally at 10PM UTC on March 19 on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. That works out as the following release times for time zones around the world:

• US Pacific: 3PM PDT on March 19
• US Eastern: 6PM EDT on March 19
• UK: 10PM GMT on March 19
• Central Europe: 11PM CET on March 19
• South Korea and Japan: 7AM KST/JST on March 20
• Eastern Australia: 9AM AEDT on March 20
• New Zealand: 11AM NZDT on March 20

A global simultaneous release for Crimson Desert means there are no chances to use things like the trusty New Zealand clock change trick to try and play as early as possible, and you'll just have to be patient.

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