Gamescom breakout Crimson Desert isn't an MMO, despite its dev's track record

Crimson Desert
(Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

Crimson Desert nearly stole the show at Gamescom 2023, but you might be surprised to learn it's a strictly single-player RPG.

Yesterday on August 22, developer Pearl Abyss rolled out the smashing new trailer for Crimson Desert, seen just below, blending together elements of Assassin's Creed and The Witcher to form one captivating pitch. Despite the developer's MMO trappings though, it turns out that Crimson Desert is a strictly single-player RPG, charting a new path for its developer.

Pearl Abyss, a South Korean-based developer, is famed for Black Desert Online, an MMORPG that first launched all the way back in 2014. The MMO has been going strong ever since, with a fairly regular cadence of updates, both big and small, so some out there might be surprised to learn that Crimson Desert isn't drawing from the MMORPG expertize Pearl Abyss has accrued over the years.

In fact, Pearl Abyss is also developing another game, DokeV, which is incorporating multiplayer elements. The creature-catching game hasn't delivered much news as of late, after originally being hit with a delay last year, but we know Pearl Abyss is leaning into the multiplayer lessons it's learned from Black Desert Online with DokeV.

Unfortunately, there still isn't a release date on the cards for Crimson Desert, even after the game just resurfaced yesterday at Gamescom 2023 after a two-year radio silence period. What we do know for sure is that Crimson Desert will see a simultaneous worldwide release across both PC and console platforms alike, which is brilliant news for those in the West looking forward to it.

Check out our new games 2023 guide for a look ahead at all the other bangers we've got our eye on.

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.