Crimson Desert delayed to 2026

Pearl Abyss has delayed Crimson Desert  to 2026, announced in the company's second quarter earnings call. The open-world action-adventure game was previously given a Q4 2025 release window.

Extra time needed for launch preparation is cited as the main reason for the delay, with longer-than-expected timelines for voiceovers and console certification mentioned. Thanks to Gematsu for the heads-up and the transcription from the earnings call.

Crimson Desert is set to release for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam). In case you missed it, you can check out my hands-on impressions from Summer Game Fest, where I found myself getting used to controls inspired by fighting games.

Before the Q&A session, I would like to first share an update on the development status and release schedule of Crimson Desert, which many of you have been curious about. Currently, Crimson Desert has been in the process of voice-overs, while also carrying out tasks such as console certification in preparation for its release. In the case of marketing, we plan to participate in Gamescom and PAX West this August to showcase our open-world build. And in September, we will join the Tokyo Game Show to strengthen our marketing efforts in the Japanese market.

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. We are grateful for your continued interest in our company, and we will do our utmost to deliver an even better experience going forward.