It's taken a while - a long while - but DokeV, a Pokemon-like monster-collector from Crimson Desert studio Pearl Abyss, is eyed for release in the next couple of years. The company revealed the potential launch window in its latest earnings report, along with an upbeat report on how development is going.
"DokeV is progressing smoothly by leveraging the development assets and production experience accumulated from our previous projects," the studio says. "Having moved beyond the foundational system setup, the project is currently in the phase of expanding content creation and validating the core gameplay loop."
Basically, it sounds like the devs are filling out the map, making sure all the mechanics work, and putting systems in place for growing the base game. All positive stuff, and the really good part is what's next.
"We are targeting a launch in the second half of 2028," the report reads, "and both information releases and marketing initiatives will be executed in phases according to our development milestones."
That may be two years away, but a launch window is a launch window. If you're struggling to remember this project, you need to cast your mind back to 2019 - yes, really - where Pearl Abyss revealed DokeV after a period of ambiguity. The first proper trailer arrived at GamesCom in 2021, and we've only really had scraps since.
The publisher says the publicity machine for DokeV will kick off properly in the back half of 2027, "including hands-on playable demos and sequential information reveals." There probably won't be many trailers or teasers before then, because Pearl Abyss is wary of doing anything too early.
"Learning from past experience that releasing content too early can lead to hype fatigue, we plan to showcase the game at a timing that fully demonstrates its quality and vision," the studio adds. Todd Howard is nodding in approval, while staring at all the inquiries about The Elder Scrolls 6.
The plan was previously to have this out a year and a half later than Crimson Desert. The devs will miss that goal, but not by much. And after this much time, it's just good to see the game acknowledged at all.
Crimson Desert DLC is coming "this year" as part of "various follow-up strategies" at Pearl Abyss
