Is Crimson Desert on Game Pass?

A man sits astride a wolf mount on top of a mountain in Crimson Desert, which isn't on Game Pass. — (Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

With a $70 price point and a wildly varying range of opinions, it's not a bad question to ask whether Crimson Desert is on Game Pass or not. It's a lot of money to drop on a game that people seem to love or hate, so getting a chance to try it on Microsoft's subscription service for free (ish) would be a useful way to decide if it was for you. With that in mind, here's what I currently know about the situation.

Is Crimson Desert on Game Pass?

A player fights an armored foe in Crimson Desert, which isn't on Game Pass. — (Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

Crimson Desert is currently not available on Game Pass. This vast RPG is currently available on PS5, PC and Xbox, but there are no plans revealed yet to bring it to the subscription service.

However, that doesn't mean that we won't see Crimson Desert on Game Pass at some point in the future. Developer Pearl Abyss' huge MMORPG Black Desert was on Game Pass between 2020 and 2023. That was added roughly 18 months after Black Desert's launch on Xbox, so you could be looking at Crimson Desert's arrival to the service sometime in 2027.

If that means you're considering buying it then our Crimson Desert review might help you make up your mind. While it took our reviewer a while to get into it, you definitely get your money's worth from the huge, open-world. For more, Hayes Madsen has written about how much Crimson Desert makes them think of Breath of the Wild.

While you decide, you should also check out if there are any Crimson Desert Twitch Drops right now. You'll get to watch others play, and any rewards you earn will be saved to your account for whenever you decide to play, even if you wait for its potential Game Pass arrival.

CATEGORIES

After studying Music and Lifestyle journalism and writing a column for a stylish lifestyle magazine in her hometown of Brighton, Danielle finally found her feet writing about videogames for WePC in 2021. She then honed her guides writing skills at PCGamesN between 2022 and 2026, when she took those skills to GamesRadar as a Guides Writer. Danielle's guides are a safe space - she definitely got stuck before you did, which is why she's perfect for the job. When she's not replaying the Silent Hill games or a more up-to-date single-player horror game, you'll find her fighting for her life in Dead by Daylight, tending to a garden in Stardew Valley, or doing both in Minecraft.