Featured Image Credit: Pearl Abyss
Topics: Crimson Desert
We’re just a week away from the highly anticipated release of Crimson Desert, and ahead of its launch, we have a few good options for which version we should buy.
Crimson Desert was announced by its developer and publisher, Pearl Abyss, in 2019, roughly a year after Bethesda announced The Elder Scrolls VI. Yet, while we have no official knowledge of when Bethesda’s RPG will arrive, gamers are hyped for the solid alternative next week.
What’s even more impressive is that Crimson Desert was originally going to be an online multiplayer RPG before it shifted into a single-player experience. Yet before this, and even though it was announced a year later, we’re still getting Crimson Desert before The Elder Scrolls VI.
However, despite the excitement that continues to build for Crimson Desert, it faces a strong chance of mass fan backlash after it was revealed that a controversial feature has been implemented into the game.
Firstly, Crimson Desert will be available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. So, those are your three platforms of choice.
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No, at the time of writing, Crimson Desert will not be available on either subscription service from Microsoft or Sony. That’s not to say it won't change in the future.
We've found an awesome Crimson Desert deal on Loaded (formerly CDKeys) that saves you 15% on the Crimson Desert base game, with a snazzy Khaled Shield as a pre-order bonus.
The cheapest option for Crimson Desert is its standard edition, which has an RRP of £54.99, which is a good £10 or £15 cheaper than most modern major AAA RPGs. With this standard edition, you also get bonus DLC.
The standard edition comes with the in-game gear, the Khaled Shield, across all platforms. However, on PlayStation 5, there is also the exclusive ‘Grotevant Plate Set’. This includes a plate helm, armour, gloves, boots and cloak. It’s a shame this isn't available on other platforms, but it is what it is.
The Crimson Desert Deluxe Edition has an RRP of £64.99, comes with even more digital goodies, and is still less than most AAA RPGs at launch. The Deluxe Edition includes the Kairos plate helm, armour, gloves, boots and cloak. As well as the Exclaire champron, barding, saddle and stirrups. It also includes the standard edition content (except the PS5 exclusive DLC on other platforms).
The Limited Edition Steelbook Edition comes with all the content mentioned above, as well as the steelbook, a letter from the developers, a Greymane Brooch Pin, three character photo cards, three patches and a map of Pywel (the game's main location).
Sadly, at the time of writing, it looks like this version is sold out right now. I can only find a Western version of this edition in the US, and it would have an RRP of $89.99.
Oh boy, this thing looks epic and would be a worthy addition to your collection even at the £239.99 RRP. Sadly, much like the steelbook edition, this also looks to be sold out pretty much everywhere right now.
If you were able to order this edition (without funding greedy resellers), it would bag you an awesome statue of the main character of the game, Kliff, fighting a dragon. This statue has dimensions of 17” long (gigiddy), 11” wide (gigiddy) and 10” tall.
It also includes an exclusive steelbook for this edition, all packaged in a snazzy box, as well as all the digital content mentioned above (again, except the PS5 exclusive DLC on other platforms).
Crimson Desert will be released on 19 March 2026. Keep a lookout for our review around the launch of the game.