Why Crimson Desert Getting Delayed To 2026 Is A Good Thing

Crimson Desert is an upcoming single-player medieval open-world action adventure game currently being developed and published by Pearl Abyss. Originally planned as a prequel to Black Desert Online, Crimson Desert follows the story of a Mercenary Leader named Kliff as he leads his group through the mysterious and war-ravaged continent of Pywell. Crimson Desert was originally targeted to launch later this year for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and macOS.

However, these plans changed yesterday when Pearl Abyss announced that the game would be delayed to Q1 2026 during their second Quarter 2025 earnings call. Additional time was needed for voiceovers, console certifications, and launch preparations, which were listed as reasons for the delay. In the meantime, fans attending Gamescom, PAX West, or Tokyo Games Show will have opportunities to get their hands on the latest demo of the game.

Before this news dropped, I was planning to mention Crimson Desert in another video I’m currently working on. I’m also planning to play the latest build of this game at PAX West later this month. Stay tuned for those videos in the future, but in the meantime, I want to share my quick thoughts on this delay and why it’s a good thing.

Between GDC and Summer Games Fest, I have seen plenty of Crimson Desert gameplay, and I’m very much impressed by what the Blackspace engine has to offer so far. Everything from the seamless loading and dynamic combat to the cloth physics and realistic weather and lighting mechanics makes it feel like this engine could provide a glimpse into the future of gaming. 

However, the verdict is still out on whether other aspects of the presentation, like narrative structure, character development, cast performances, and musical score, will match the high bar set by the visuals. I haven’t yet seen enough of that, and I firmly believe Pearl Abyss should take as much time as they need to make sure these things match the greatness of what they are building. We have seen plenty of examples of games launching too early before they are ready, and that should be avoided in this situation.

There are also plenty of games still to come this year in the form of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, Ghost of Yotei, and so much more. If Crimson Desert were to launch in November or December, it could get lost in the shuffle, as many might be focused on checking out other titles they missed out on from earlier this year. As I’m currently recording this video, Resident Evil Requiem is the only major title launching in Q1 2026. This can obviously change based on what’s announced next week, but as it stands right now, Crimson Desert definitely will get some attention if it doesn’t get pushed further into 2026.

While the delay may anger some fans who have been waiting a long time to play this game, we all should end up with an overall better final product once everything is said and done. Until then, definitely stay tuned for our impressions on the game in the weeks ahead.

Are any of you planning on checking out Crimson Desert? Are you disappointed that it got delayed to next year? Let us know your thoughts on this and more in the comments section.