The developers of Crimson Desert have commented on the monetization of the open-world role-playing game: Is there a shop and microtransactions like in Black Desert?
How is Crimson Desert monetized? The new open-world adventure RPG from Pearl Abyss is set to be released on March 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, MacOS, GeForce Now, and PC. The developers are offering various editions for purchase, with the physical collector’s edition likely already sold out. The standard and deluxe versions are priced at €69.99 and €89.99, respectively.
It is also clear: If Crimson Desert becomes a success, there could be paid DLCs and expansions for the game after launch.
For a long time, there was a big question mark regarding further monetization. The MMORPG Black Desert, also from Pearl Abyss, relies on an in-game shop, seasons, and real money currency in addition to the purchase price.
Will Powers, Director of Marketing for Crimson Desert, has shed light on this in the podcast “Dropped Frames”. When asked if there will be a cosmetic cash shop, he stated:
No, I can definitely say that. There is no cosmetic cash shop. The [game] was made to be a premium experience that you buy and then enjoy the world, and not for microtransactions.
Will Powers in the Podcast “Dropped Frames”
Therefore, anyone who buys the game has access to all the contents of the respective version and does not have to expect additional expenses for shop, battle pass, or other monetization mechanics. You can catch the nearly 3-hour long talk on YouTube.
“That sounds wild”
How does the community react to this? With every piece of information and every video, our impression is that many players’ anticipation for Crimson Desert is growing. That there will be no further monetization besides the purchase price only intensifies this anticipation.
- _soulkey writes on Reddit: “At a price of €80, anything else would have been an insult.”
- ElRetardoGiganto tries to calm himself on Reddit: “Stop raising my hopes so high. I haven’t been this excited about a game in a long time!”
- Maleficent-Tip-9654 jokes on Reddit: “What do you mean, we buy a game and get full access? That sounds wild.”
- coffee_nights expresses skepticism on Reddit: “Don’t forget that it’s Pearl Abyss, which only means there won’t be a cash shop for now. Anyone who has been playing Black Desert for years knows how unpleasant the situation can become.”
How does MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz evaluate this? I was also a bit skeptical, due to my experiences with Black Desert. So I am glad that Pearl Abyss aims for a monetization model more like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 instead of Where Winds Meet.
So: Buy once, then just enjoy (hopefully it will be good), and maybe invest some money in one or two DLCs later. This fits much better with the single-player and story focus of Crimson Desert. My anticipation definitely grows every day more – and that also has to do with Black Desert: Because of an MMORPG, Crimson Desert is the game I am most looking forward to in 2026
