The update Black Desert Remastered has brought a surge of new players to the Asia MMO and prompted old players to take another look. After a rather moderate start in August, player numbers have risen again. What is the reason for this?
Players of Black Desert often complain about the state of the game. Pay2Win discussions flare up regularly. However, Black Desert Remastered seems to appeal to the majority of players. This is reflected in the numbers.
Old players are coming back
Number of returnees doubles: It is normal for a game to eventually lose steam. Players play something else and later return when new updates have expanded the game.
In the meantime, Kakao Games and Pearl Abyss have published the number of new and returning players:
- The number of returning players has doubled due to the Remastered version. 103.6% more old players, compared to the previous week, have come back
- New players also seem to have enjoyed the update. The number of these players has increased by 24.2% faster than in the comparison period
Black Desert Remastered has managed to bring some of the old players to check out the changes in the update. At the same time, new players have joined.
The developer worked long on Black Desert Remastered
Something big is coming: The publisher behind the game, Pearl Abyss, already published information about Black Desert Remastered in early 2017. Initial screenshots from the upcoming update surfaced. Players were told that they plan to refine the game’s graphics using YEBIS, a tool for graphic effects.
The first reactions from players to the graphic effects were rather reserved. They worried that this would lead to more frequent FPS drops. In their eyes, YEBIS was just an expensive Sweet FX. Sweet FX is a tool that allows players to improve the visual effects of their games.
Overall, Black Desert Remastered created a more positive atmosphere among players. And this has probably also reflected in the player numbers.
An orchestra records music: Then at the end of 2017, it became known that the music of the game would be recorded by several symphony orchestras. A German orchestra also worked on the remastered soundtrack.
The first reactions from players to the revised music varied. Some players appreciate the new soundtrack. It sounds more intense. However, a large portion of players play Black Desert without music. For them, a newly recorded soundtrack that they would never hear would be a waste of money.
Black Desert struggled a bit before Remastered
As successful as in late 2017: In the month before the release of Black Desert Remastered, the number of players decreased. From 13,250 players daily (July 31, 2018) to 10,547 players (August 15, 2018). The month prior to Black Desert Remastered was about as strong as November 2017. In addition to two new world bosses, there was mainly information about the mobile offshoot Black Desert Mobile. There was certainly room for improvement.
Release sparks player interest: However, with Black Desert Remastered, the number of daily players of the Steam version increased by about 3,000. Player feedback also turned out to be more positive than usual. Black Desert Remastered was praised by many players. Some even reported an improvement in performance on their old machines due to the update.
However, there was also criticism from some players:
- It was mainly pointed out that lens flares could not be turned off. Otherwise, the update would be great
- Some players did not like the new soundtrack
Overall, Black Desert Remastered created a more positive atmosphere among players. And this has probably also reflected in the player numbers.
