Crimson Desert Delayed to Q1 2026, Pearl Abyss Confirms

Pearl Abyss has delayed the open-world action-adventure game Crimson Desert, previously scheduled for late 2025, to Q1 2026.

See Pearl Abyss’ statement from their Q2 2025 earnings teleconference (via Gematsu):

“Before the Q&A session, I’d like to share an update on Crimson Desert’s development status and release schedule – which many of you have been curious about.

Currently, Crimson Desert is undergoing voice-over work while also completing tasks like console certification for its release. For marketing, we plan to present our open-world version at Gamescom and PAX West in August. In September, we’ll attend Tokyo Game Show to boost marketing efforts for the Japanese market.

The launch of Crimson Desert, our first large-scale AAA console game, has inevitably been delayed by one quarter from the previously announced schedule. This results from longer-than-expected lead times involving schedule coordination and collaborations with multiple partners for offline distribution, voice-overs, console certification, and other launch preparations. We sincerely apologize for failing to meet the Q4 release window originally promised. Please understand this strategic decision aims to ensure significant large-scale success.

The release date is internally confirmed for Q1 2026. However, given the schedule change, we’ll announce the date at a more suitable time based on business considerations rather than during next week’s Gamescom. We thank you for your continued interest in our company and will strive to deliver an even better experience going forward.”

Crimson Desert will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam.