Crimson Desert free combat update due ahead of DLC launch as players 'prove their true strength'

Pearl Abyss is gearing up to launch Crimson Desert’s first paid DLC, Charting The Unknown, on October 15.

Ahead of that date, though, players should expect a free update to arrive that introduces new combat challenges - that is, if Pearl Abyss is sticking to its previously published plan.

In June of this year, Pearl Abyss published its “Dev Update: June-September 2026 Preview”, detailing what was to come in the months ahead.

“We plan to roll these updates out gradually from June through September, and we're preparing them to be enjoyable both for those who have spent many hours in Pywel and for those who are just beginning their journey,” the team noted.

A number of the mentioned upgrades have indeed already arrived, namely the addition of cross-save and improvements to re-blockade and the game’s story.

It’s the “new combat content” section that is yet to surface though, promising “new combat-focused content” that will “allow players to prove their strength as a Greymane”.

At the time that the preview was published, it was simply noted that “more details will be shared in the future”.

Players are wondering whether the update will drop alongside Charting The Unknown

What’s perplexing is that October will be here in a matter of days, and yet, we’ve still not seen this update come to fruition.

“Did we ever get this, or is it still coming?” asked Reddit user Dapper_Ground_2745. “If not, what do you guys think it’ll be, and when do you think it drops?”

“Well, there was no update Friday, and they do update sometimes on Wednesday, so it is possible it drops on the 30th. But honestly, their focus is probably on the DLC, and maybe a free update to go along with it,” replied CeltAssassin15.

“Really hope at some point they get around to adding way more non-human enemies to the world. Really, my only complaint at this point is the lack of fantasy enemies to fight compared to the number of humans,” added RektYez.

The way the new combat content is teased makes it sound as if we’ll get some kind of challenge-based addition. This is merely speculative though.

Pearl Abyss has continually tweaked Crimson Desert’s combat with each patch, so maybe developers feel they’ve already ticked this box.

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Personally, I’m inclined to back the idea that maybe a free update will launch alongside the new paid DLC, but again, we’ll have to just sit tight and await confirmation from Pearl Abyss.

As for that Charting The Unknown DLC, it will retail for £19.99 / $24.99 and introduce a new storyline for Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka.

Pearl Abyss

Pearl Abyss hasn’t revealed much, but we know that it's set to be an island-based adventure, with underwater exploration and mounts being introduced, as well as a pilotable ship.

Players have also been told to expect deeper relationships with NPCs - stirring rumours of new romance options - plus expanded base-building options.

It looks set to be a hefty offering, which is surprising for a game that originally only launched this year. Crimson Desert wants its name in the GOTY race.