ALBAWABA - One of the most anticipated games of the year, Pearl Abyss's Crimson Desert, has been delayed to Q1 2026. This may not come as a surprise to many fans, as the developers are incorporating numerous game mechanics into the title, making it a very ambitious and unique project.
According to Gematsu, Pearl Abyss, which is best known for its Korean action MMORPG Black Desert Online, revealed in a conference call:
"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."
The developer apologized for not meeting the "fourth quarter launch schedule," adding that the delay is necessary for the Crimson Desert's success.
Pearl Abyss added, "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 delayed to 2026
Crimson Desert was first revealed in 2020 and has been reportedly in development since 2018. While it was first unveiled as an MMORPG, the developers confirmed that the game will be a single-player, story-driven title with RPG elements.
The upcoming game seems "too good to be true" to many gamers for its ambitious combat, which incorporates mechanics from several games in the same genre, with the unusual addition of wrestling and grappling moves.
In reference to a recent gameplay trailer, the hype around the game hasn't died down, with the video posted on YouTube garnering over 3.8 million views.
A fan wrote under the trailer, "I literally thought of The Witcher 3, Assassins Creed, Monster Hunter, KCD, Dragon's Dogma, Dark Souls, and more others from watching trailers for this game... I really hope this comes out well. This might have the most interactive world and gameplay variety in all RPG games I've ever seen."
Another added, "It's going to go down in history as a masterpiece."
