Ambitious RPG, Crimson Desert, developed by Black Desert Online’s Pearl Abyss, has been delayed into 2026. It was originally going to share its release date during Gamescom Opening Night Live.
Shared during its recent earnings call (via Gematsu), Pearl Abyss kicked it off with laying its cards on the table, announcing that it’s not releasing this year. This is largely due to things taking longer than expected to get all parties involved on track. The game needs to coordinate with multiple partners to distribute the game offline, produce voiceovers, get console certification, and other stuff to get the launch underway.
“The launch of Crimson Desert, our first large-scale AAA console game, has been unavoidably delayed by one quarter, from the previously announced schedule. This is due to longer than expected timelines arising from schedule coordination and collaborations with multiple partners for offline distribution, voice-overs, console certification, and other launch preparations. We sincerely apologize for not being able to meet the originally promised fourth quarter launch schedule. Please kindly understand that this is a strategic decision aimed at insuring success on a meaningful scale.
The release date has been internally confirmed for Q1 2026. However, given the change in launch timing, we will announce the date at a more appropriate time based on business considerations, rather than making an announcement at Gamescom next week.”
Crimson Desert’s internal release window is now between January and March 2026.
