Crimson Desert developer Pearl Abyss has confirmed a Switch 2 version of the game will be released, and given a rough timeframe for it, and said it sees “significant potential” for multiplayer in the single-player open-world fantasy game.
Pearl Abyss’s comments came in an Earnings Letter discussing its Q2 2026 financial results (via Resetera). These noted a further 2.11 million sales of the game – Crimson Desert had sold 5 million copies in June – and laid out plans for the future.
The first matter for the future regards a release on Switch 2, which we’d been told earlier this year was being investigated. “We are striving to make Crimson Desert available across as many platforms as possible,” the company said in a Q&A section of its letter, though it has no “immediate plans” for a mobile port.
“However, platform expansion is not merely a straightforward port; the key requirement is ensuring that the game’s graphics, combat action, and seamless open-world experience are fully preserved on each target device,” the company said.
“In the case of Switch 2, while optimisation is required, the game is currently playable at a foundational level, and technical evaluations are underway to ensure performance optimisation and compliance with our quality standards. While it is difficult to confirm a definitive launch schedule at this time, we are working toward a release targeted for the first half of 2027.”
“Given Crimson Desert’s dynamic action combat and expansive open-world structure, there is significant potential for expansion into multiplayer modes” -Pearl Abyss
The second matter involves “multiplayer expansion plans”, alongside which the company mentioned “live service operation models” and said needed “extensive research”.
“Given Crimson Desert’s dynamic action combat and expansive open-world structure, there is significant potential for expansion into multiplayer modes,” Pearl Abyss remarked. “However, integrating multiplayer functionality is far more complex than simply adding a new game mode; it represents a major technical initiative that requires comprehensive evaluation of server architecture, game balance, cross-platform stability, and live service operation models.
“Accordingly, we are currently conducting extensive research from both technical and gameplay perspectives. Our overarching goal is to extend how users engage with the Crimson Desert IP over the long term, and we will share further details through our official channels as our plans materialise.”
Pearl Abyss also outlined plans for Crimson Desert to grow into a franchise, with the game serving as a “core flagship IP” for the company. “Accordingly, while we remain open to various possibilities—including add-on content, platform expansion, and sequel titles—our immediate development priority is centered on Crimson Desert DLCs and our next pipeline,” the company said.
The first of those DLCs is currently in development, “with the goal of delivering a new gameplay experience”, we’re told, and it’s targeting a release within this year. Further details are expected during this current financial quarter. “Please note,” the company added, “that plans regarding the total number of DLCs and their release cadence have not yet been finalised, as our primary focus is on ensuring the quality and successful execution of the first DLC.”
Broadly, Pearl Abyss said it sees “substantial potential” to expand Crimson Desert and its world, characters and regions, and will “extend its product lifecycle through a steady stream of content updates”. Indeed, the game had enjoyed a string of sizable updates since the game was released in March, addressing a long list of issues affecting the game but also adding new pets, mini-games, and skills. The company even pledged to alter the story. A new trailer charted the many changes that have come to the game.
Crimson Desert is an open-world fantasy role-playing game so large it more closely resembles an MMO than a single-player game – MMOs being what Pearl Abyss had been used to making before it. We found it visually impressive and vast in our Crimson Desert review, but asked: “What good is it without much character, texture or charm?”
