Crimson Desert is the new open-world RPG from the creators of Black Desert, releasing on March 19, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series, MacOS, GeForce Now, and PC. MeinMMO presents the three playable characters and their unique traits.
Kliff Macduff is the main character of Crimson Desert. He is the one who sets out to find the survivors of his Gray Mane clan after the attack of the black bears. The fighter, who visually resembles Jon Snow from the series Game of Thrones, appeared for a long time as the only playable character in the official trailers.
Since the end of January 2026, we have known that there will be three playable characters in total in Crimson Desert. Below, we introduce you to the trio and their special characteristics and reveal – based on the gameplay shown so far – who might suit you.
The Playable Characters in Crimson Desert
The following three fighters can be controlled through the world of Pywel in Crimson Desert – they possess different combat styles, weapons, and skills:
- Kliff Macduff: We already know the main character of the game from the first trailers. Kliff is armed with a sword, shield, and bow. He also has “wrestling” moves and can cast elemental spells thanks to a magical bracelet.
- Damiane: The fighter mainly uses a two-handed claymore in the current trailers, but is still agile and relies on precise dodging in combat. From a distance, she can also deal damage, using either a handy pistol, a musket, or casting spells. Additionally, she protects herself with a small hand shield and can switch to a faster rapier.
- Oongka: The muscle-bound character wields a gigantic axe, spinning through enemies, and has an explosive cannon on his wrist. He can also grab his foes and slam them to the ground, causing massive damage. Oongka loves to blow things up as well.
Note that according to the developers, we will earn the characters Damiane and Oongka while Kliff’s story unfolds. Each player starts with Kliff, gradually unlocking additional playable characters, and can switch between them at the push of a button – similar to, for example, in GTA 5.
Attention: The developers mention that with the alternative fighters, you can explore the open world and play many quests outside the main storyline. However, the contents of the main story are supposed to be Cliff-exclusive.
The new info is: Once you have chosen a fighter, the others can accompany you on your adventure through the open world and fight by your side. This reportedly only does not work in certain boss fights and sequences of the main story.
What there is not: A co-op mode where you can control the 3 fighters together with your friends.
On tiktok.com, there is a short clip from the developers about the 2 new playable characters:
Which Character Suits Me?
In general, you should enjoy action-packed melee fights against larger groups of enemies, where you have a variety of options and powerful attacks at your disposal. In Crimson Desert, there is, for example, no character who is particularly defensive, hiding behind a large shield and simply blocking most attacks.
Similarly, you won’t find a pure ranged fighter who only combats enemies from a safe distance. Nevertheless, Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka seem to differ enough at first glance to cater to different tastes.
- Oongka reminds one of the giant from Black Desert, who also enters battle with a large axe and whirls around enemy groups. In the MMORPG, this character belongs to the beginner-friendly classes, relying on easy-to-learn attack combos and still taking down enemies in droves. Anyone who prefers a simple, somewhat brutish playstyle will likely enjoy Oongka.
- Although Damiane also relies on a hefty two-handed weapon, she appears much more agile in combat than Oongka, constantly dodging and regularly mixing in her pistol or musket for additional damage. She could be the glass cannon of the trio, capable of dealing very high damage but also taking more hits. This would make Damiane the perfect choice for experienced players.
- Kliff is the all-rounder of the team. In the trailers, he usually combines attacks with a sword, shield, and bow with wrestling moves, throws, jump attacks, and elemental spells. However, there are also scenes where he uses a spear, a pitchfork, or two one-handed weapons to deal damage. This suggests he has the widest selection of weapons. This flexibility is perfect if you want to be best equipped for any situation.
The developers emphasize that at first, you only have a small selection of skills for your character. Many additional options, weapons, and skills are learned throughout the adventure. This motivates you to gradually get to know the character’s arsenal.
Note that so far, we have only been able to play Kliff in preview versions. Once we have also had the chance to try out Damiane and Oongka in practice, we will update the article.
What kind of game is Crimson Desert? Unlike Black Desert, the current game from developer Pearl Abyss, Crimson Desert will be a purely single-player experience but is expected to shine with comparable strengths – such as stunning graphics and a brutal combat system.
The previous trailers shine not only with great visuals and dynamic combat in the open world (including wrestling moves, destructible siege machines, and mounted combat), but they also showcase activities like fishing, balloon rides, flute playing, arm wrestling, parkour climbing, taming mounts, and much more.
The setting (the harsh continent of Pywel) and the characters of Crimson Desert strongly remind one of Westeros from Game of Thrones with their Western style. The main character Kliff resembles a certain Jon Snow. You can even ride dragons, just like the Targaryens.
