Crimson Desert

Version 1.18.00, released August 15, 2026, adds a Quests knowledge category with eight subcategories to the in-game knowledge system. The research system has been updated so that camp funds replace silvers as the currency for research actions. The Lock-on Camera has been expanded from a single mode to three options: Manual, Semi-auto, and Auto. Horse gear can now also be equipped directly at the stable.

Combat in Crimson Desert is built around fluid combo chains that blend weapon strikes, bare-hand attacks, kicks, grapples, slides, dodges, and counters into seamless sequences. Perfectly timed guards and dodges open counter opportunities, and each weapon class brings distinct tactical options: greatswords, longswords paired with shields, spears, ranged weapons, rapiers, dual blades, and war hammers. Elemental effects including burn, freeze, and stun layer additional depth onto encounters, and horseback combat extends the system to mounted sequences. Large-scale boss battles, including fights against dragons, represent the most demanding encounters in the game.

Three mercenaries are playable across the story. Kliff, the protagonist and Greymane faction leader, is the most versatile fighter, wielding multiple weapon types and possessing the Axiom Bracelet, which grants supernatural combat abilities. Damiane specializes in speed and precision, using rapiers and dual blades to chain dodges and counterattacks. Oongka focuses on raw power, using war hammers and bare-fisted strikes to break enemy defenses.

The Artifact System drives character progression. Abyss fragments, gathered from quests, boss victories, and exploration, unlock stat increases and extend combo chains. Some advanced techniques can only be learned by observing them in the world first, encouraging thorough exploration.

Pywel is the game's continent, seamlessly connected and divided into five regions: Hernand, Pailune, Demeniss, Delesyia, and the Crimson Desert region. The Greymanes hail from Pailune in the north, and Kliff's story begins there after the faction's peace collapses. As the narrative expands, the conflict ties back to the Abyss, a mysterious realm growing imbalanced and sending fragments into Pywel that some factions exploit for power.

Beyond combat, Pywel supports fishing, cooking, crafting, hunting, and mining. The open world's five regions can be explored in any order, with hidden locations and rare equipment rewarding thorough play.