Crimson Desert update targets pesky movement bugs and more as reviews rise to "Very Positive" on Steam, with fans praising Pearl Abyss for "working fast"

Macduff running from a monster during the upcoming PS5 game, Crimson Desert. — (Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

Crimson Desert arrived nearly two weeks ago now, landing as developer Pearl Abyss's first big single-player open-world game – but the developers aren't done with their work on the new genre gem just yet.

Although Crimson Desert suffered a bit of a shaky launch with a "Mixed" rating on Steam and complaints regarding wonky controls, it's since recovered, now boasting "Very Positive" reviews on PC and millions of copies sold.

As fans continue sharing how one of 2026's most hotly anticipated new games won them over, Pearl Abyss continues its work on improving Crimson Desert in the background – and hotfix 1.01.01 serves as proof.

The studio unveils the new Crimson Desert update – admittedly more of a minor one, all things considered – in an online post, with official patch notes attached. "Check out the fixes and improvements that have been added this patch below," they read, with Pearl Abyss then confirming 1.01.01 is available on all platforms aside from the Epic Games Store and Mac App Store now, from Steam to PlayStation and Xbox.

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A hotfix with several fixes is going out across all platforms.For the best experience, we recommend receiving this latest patch.Please check the below notice for details and to see if it's available for download on your platform.https://t.co/QT0hEMkf1CMarch 30, 2026

As for the contents of the update, they target buggy controls and movement issues, along with some quest-breaking problems. For instance, horses will now seamlessly follow NPCs during missions rather than moving "abnormally," as Pearl Abyss writes.

Another tweak ensures A.T.A.G is destroyed when its health hits zero. It's worth a full read of the patch notes, as short as they are, for a more in-depth look at what's changing with 1.01.01.

Overall, fans seem pretty pleased with the new Crimson Desert hotfix, too. One commenter praises Pearl Abyss for "working fast," while another exclaims, "Great patch!" Others request further fixes and updates, from mod support to various control-related changes – and I'd say it certainly seems the devs are listening.

They did just replace AI-generated assets "as part of ongoing visual improvements," after all.

Here's hoping that the Crimson Desert updates just keep on rolling and improving the new open-world game – who knows, we might even see its reviews go up to "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam one day, should the patches continue.

If you're curious about the game yourself now, check out our Crimson Desert review for our honest thoughts on it.

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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.