Crimson Desert delays its release to early 2026

The highly anticipated open-world RPG from Pearl Abyss will no longer arrive in 2025.

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The end-of-year release calendar loses one of its most anticipated titles. Pearl Abyss has confirmed that Crimson Desert, its ambitious open-world action RPG, will not see the light of day by the end of 2025 as previously planned, but will instead be delayed until early 2026.

During the second quarter financial conference of 2025, the company explained that the project is currently in the final development phase, with tasks such as dubbing, console certification, and collaborations with multiple partners for physical distribution. Despite this progress, the studio has decided to postpone its release to ensure a more solid and better-prepared launch.

Pearl Abyss Aims for a Top-Notch Release

According to the developer itself, Crimson Desert is facing longer-than-expected processes, particularly in coordinating schedules with international partners, localization work, and certification for its release on all planned platforms. The delay is one quarter, so the new goal is to debut at some point in the first quarter of 2026.

Pearl Abyss will not announce the exact date at the upcoming Gamescom 2025, but has confirmed that the title will be present at both the German fair and PAX West and the Tokyo Game Show, where its open-world version will be showcased to the public. The company claims that this decision is strategic and aims to “ensure large-scale success” for its first major AAA console game.