Crimson Desert is a vast, complex game that raises questions. Therefore, the two MeinMMO editors Karsten Scholz and Alexander Mehrwald take the time to answer your questions around the launch!
Friday, 20.03.2026
2:55 PM
As the question front remains very quiet, we will close the ticker for today. If you need assistance later, feel free to check our packed guide section on Crimson Desert. You can also leave any questions that come up in the comment section. We wish you continued enjoyment in Crimson Desert!
2:06 PM
At the Gray Mane camp, there is another question mark to solve besides the hidden fast travel. The guide for that just came out and is still fresh: Crimson Desert: Dragon’s Chamber – here’s how you solve the riddle at the camp
1:13 PM
Here are some of the currently active streamers where you can secure the Twitch Drops from Crimson Desert:
12:58 PM
Watch Tip: On the Twitch channel of GameStar, you can currently see live gameplay from Crimson Desert.
12:48 PM
By the way, have you already mastered the first real puzzle in the Abyss? It was, at the preview events and at the start of the review phase, the first frustrating bottleneck where we also asked ourselves for what felt like an eternity: What am I supposed to do here?
To help you out, we have already prepared a guide for the puzzle in text and video form: Abyss in Balance – How to Solve the Sphere Puzzle
12:42 PM
Currently, Crimson Desert has a mixed 57 percent positive reviews on Steam. Interestingly, many of the negative reports come from players who have only briefly checked out the game. If you filter by reviews that were given after 4 or more hours of gameplay, the ratings are significantly more positive:
11:59 AM
Don’t forget that you can secure the first Twitch Drops for Crimson Desert starting today! All the info here: Twitch Drops for Crimson Desert – Which ones are available and how to get them
10:53 AM
Bad news for anyone with an Intel ARC graphics card in their computer: Crimson Desert won’t run for you if you have the wrong graphics card, this was previously undisclosed by the developers
09:51 AM
Interested in a feel-good story from the Crimson Desert community? Here you go: A woman surprises her partner for the release of Crimson Desert and the whole community wants to marry her
09:00 AM
We have now prepared a jam-packed guide section for Crimson Desert for you. Feel free to check it out if you want to make your start in the open-world adventure easier.
08:15 AM
And another question from Instagram: “Are the boss fights really that hard if you are more of a casual player?”
Some of the bosses are indeed quite tough because they are very aggressive, there is limited space to dodge, and you have to survive multiple phases. However, the developers have already toned down some boss fights that certain testers struggled with. More balancing adjustments will certainly follow.
Colleague Alex also adds: “I would say it depends on what kind of games you usually play and where your strengths lie. The difficulty is relatively high, which is partly due to the often clunky controls and vague hitboxes.
I myself am not the best Soulslike player, for example, but I usually learn movesets quite quickly. Still, I struggled with many bosses, which cost me some truly frustrating tries.
Now here comes the BUT: There are many ways to make it all easier (we already have a guide on that) and many bosses have tricks that, once discovered, make them significantly easier.
So I would say that even casuals, who are mainly interested in the game because of the open world, can definitely have a really good time with Crimson Desert, and especially then, the victories over the bosses feel even more rewarding, I think.”
08:06 AM
The first questions are coming in on Instagram: “Do you think a 3070 will be enough? I only see comparisons with 5070 or 5080. 60 frames constant are possible with that?”
Colleague Anna is actually using the 3070 in Crimson Desert. She says: “I’ve already been able to play for a few hours and without changing the settings much, everything ran quite well. It’s currently set to 2560X1440 and all settings are on ‘Cinematic’ (that’s the highest setting). But I will take another look at everything and probably lower some settings here and there. However, it is wonderfully playable.”
07:58 AM
You may have already seen it: Crimson Desert starts with strong player numbers on Steam, but many buyers are criticizing it: Nearly 240,000 players are trying out Crimson Desert at launch, many stumble over cliffs’ legs and the technology
06:58 AM
We wish you a wonderful release day for Crimson Desert! Our Q&A ticker is opening again. If you have questions about the game, drop them in the comments. We will provide the answers throughout the afternoon. Also, feel free to tell us how your first hours in Pywel have gone!
Thursday, 19.03.2026
3:34 PM
The first ticker tag with built-in Q&A about Crimson Desert has come to an end. Thank you for your many questions! Tonight at 11:00 PM, you can finally explore Pywel, we wish you a great time!
Right in time for the launch, the first guides will go live here on MeinMMO to help you get started with the complex action-adventure. More guides will follow tomorrow morning.
Speaking of which: Starting tomorrow morning, we will also be here to answer your questions about Crimson Desert. We will also be able to provide you with concrete tips, advice, and solutions for the game. So feel free to drop by if anything is unclear. With that said: See you tomorrow!
3:25 PM
Just before today’s ticker close, we received a question on Instagram: “What’s behind the allegation that it feels soulless and ’empty’ when walking through the Open World and encountering NPCs?”
My colleague Alex has a clear opinion on this: “I absolutely disagree. Pywel has long been an Open World that is not like that at all. Something is happening around every corner, the places feel alive and change throughout the story. My highlight was, for example, when a festival took place in a city and performers were everywhere in the city or doing shows. Or changing guests in the taverns, doing all sorts of things or dancing. You can talk to just about every NPC, and often you can learn recipes or little hints for the environment. The areas between the towns are also filled with wildlife, bandits, and more – and it doesn’t feel cluttered, but really like wilderness.”
I want to especially praise the fauna of Pywel at this point. There’s movement everywhere. Deer are hopping through the underbrush, lizards are climbing along the mountain slopes. Snails are sliming up the trees. There are hundreds of animal species on the continent. And all can be hunted or captured to be used in some way. That’s wild.
1:48 PM
And then someone wants to know on Instagram whether the story is really as bad as it is said to be?
In terms of presentation (stylishly staged in-game sequences, full voice acting, riding with an NPC through the world and discussing current and upcoming events), Crimson Desert noticeably emulates blockbusters like Red Dead Redemption 2.
The camaraderie of the Graymane Clan and the construction of the camp also resemble RDR2. However, Crimson Desert cannot reach the quality of its model; mainly because the main character is too shallow and unresponsive, and the conflicts between the various factions are ultimately too generic.
However, Crimson Desert tries to convey a beautiful message through the story (strength comes primarily from helping others and approaching life with a certain humility). And: I personally like the rough interactions of the Graymane and many of the quests and stories surrounding the clan.
Additionally, many of the small and large stories in the game succeed in positively underpinning the daily lives of the residents, the conflicts of the factions, and the interactions in the world. This gives the world itself more meaning. It allows me to immerse myself in the world more easily.
Here is Alex’s additional perspective: “It depends on what is important to you, I would say. If you want emotional, profound characters with whom you can build a personal connection, then in my opinion it is not the right fit. But if you simply want a world you can immerse yourself in or enjoy Black Desert, you can certainly find something in the story, as long as it is not too important for you to follow every detail.”
1:34 PM
Also asked on Instagram: “Preferably on PC or PS5 Pro?” We asked Benedikt from the tech team, and you can read his answer below:
“If you have a high-end PC or a system that meets the recommended requirements, definitely PC. Here you can get more out of it: higher image quality, more fine-tuning, and especially higher frame rates. On the PS5 Pro, you’re capped. If needed, you can also turn off ray tracing on PC for more FPS.
The PS5 Pro is the recommendation if you just want to play and don’t care about framerate and technology: Here, according to testers, you get an optimized and very good version of the game, so you can’t go wrong. The game is still supposed to look damn good.
Otherwise, my tip would be: On which platform do you prefer to play? The PC is more exciting in the long run if you want to use modifications from the Steam Workshop (if that should ever be possible – see our article on mod support) and you can choose between mouse+keyboard or controller. On the console, you’re more restricted; mods are generally harder to come by.”
A small addition from me (Karsten): I was able to play Crimson Desert at a resolution of 2560X1440 and on Ultra (second highest level) on a system with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8 Core with 32 GB RAM and a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti without noticeable dips in the refresh rate.
1:29 PM
On Instagram, some questions have come up again. The first question: “Better controller or keyboard/mouse?”
So far, we at MeinMMOs have consistently played with the controller, and that worked well enough after a certain adjustment period. Short test rounds with keyboard and mouse were less enjoyable, partly due to Kliff’s rather sluggish responses.
However, during the GameStar talk, there were colleagues who got along well with the keyboard and mouse and did not have some control issues – keyword: double-mapped keys on the controller. But then one also has to live with the fact that some functions are on hard-to-reach keys like “U”.
Alex briefly adds his own perspective: “You can tell that the control is very geared towards the controller. It is also noticeably more enjoyable than with mouse and keyboard because the required finger gymnastics do not lead to as many frustrating moments. However, the control is clunky with both and requires that you get a bit into it.”
1:09 PM
Myself (Karsten) was just in the detailed test talk on the Twitch channel of GameStar. There we extensively discussed strengths and weaknesses in a large group and also revealed one or two tips. If you have some time and would like to catch up with the group, tune in!
12:52 PM
Another question slipped in under my review of Crimson Desert. thisthatvariousthings wants to know: “I have seen several reviews now, what is there actually to discover in the open world? Other than more of the same in an even larger world?”
In all regions of Pywel, you can discover among other things:
- New factions, quest givers, tasks on bulletin boards, missions for the grey manes NPCs
- Fast travel points, Abyss puzzles, sealed Abyss artifacts
- Enemy camps, camps, and fortifications that can be cleared from enemies to pacify the surrounding region
- More opportunities/bases for the trade of goods (with a horse-drawn carriage, prices vary from place to place)
- Countless points of interest with optional bosses, puzzles, secrets (for example, a castle full of spiders and a complex machine that can be brought back to life)
This sounds somewhat like more of the same, but it often doesn’t feel that way, as you still unlock new features and systems even after dozens of hours that come into play in the open world tasks (for example, in puzzles and quests). Unique features like the controllable mech are not everywhere, but are firmly tied to certain regions of the game world.
I hope these explanations could answer your question. 🙂
12:40 PM
Geroniax has a question about the playable companions of Kliff: “Can you have the other two playable characters as companions in the open world? So far, I have read various things about this. And if yes, is it more of a Skyrim, Dragons Dogma, or more like a Dragon Age system behind it?”
You can approach them and tell them to follow you. Then they will follow you and fight by your side. However, there is no form of interaction, so no dialogues between the companions and Kliff, and you cannot give them any commands. Moreover, they are not allowed to assist Kliff in certain content, especially with regard to the main story.
Additionally, the two of them are occasionally on their own quests and are unavailable for a certain period of time. Currently, for example, I am in a story progression that does not allow me to switch to Damiane (to control her) or activate her as a companion.
10:30 AM
The first reviews on Metacritic have already come in. Currently, Crimson Desert holds a solid rating of an average of 78 out of 100 points. What critics like and what is controversial, you can read in our article: Reviews of Crimson Desert are in – This is what the reviews say on Metacritic
09:04 AM
Although Crimson Desert is not a service game, but a pure single-player experience without additional monetization aside from the purchase price, even a major release today likely cannot avoid: Twitch Drops!
Starting tomorrow, March 20, 2026, you can secure the first in-game rewards on Twitch. You can find all the information here: Twitch Drops for Crimson Desert – What they are and how you can get them
08:47 AM
In between, a little anecdote from the testing phase: When we received access and got started, inventory management was immediately one of the first points of criticism that stood out. Kliff started with 20 slots. More could be earned through the side quests of many residents (usually +3 inventory slots per quest).
However, there is incredibly much to collect in Pywel. Just the many different types of meat and fish can clog any inventory of this size immediately.
Many testers complained about this in the official Discord, and the developers reacted: From 20 slots, it became 50. You can now buy extra inventory slots from merchants, and when you complete certain milestones (like unlocking other playable characters), more slots are available.
Through these measures, at least for me, the size of the inventory was no longer a topic during the test.
08:25 AM
A further question reaches us via Instagram: “Should you change the controller layout on PC?”
It is not possible through the official input options of the game. There, you can only adjust the key bindings for mouse and keyboard as well as options like camera acceleration, camera axis inversion, or vibration intensity.
Due to the multiple assignments of many buttons, I would also refrain from changing the controller layout via any third-party tools. Here is a screenshot from the options:
08:11 AM
And another question on Instagram: “Is that good game running on the Steam Deck, Guys?”
Well: Officially, Crimson Desert is (still) not verified for the Steam Deck. During our testing phase, it did not start at all in either normal or desktop mode. Whether the game will be playable on the Steam Deck at release or later, we unfortunately do not know. However, due to the moderate system requirements, this is certainly possible.
08:01 AM
On Instagram, we have started receiving the first questions about Crimson Desert – thank you for that! A reader wants to know if Crimson Desert becomes monotonous over time, like in Assassin’s Creed.
I only felt this way in short time windows. For example, when I did several bounty quests in a row (because they always play out the same), the fortresses are so heavily guarded that it takes at least 30 minutes to reclaim them, or when you spend a long time at the campfire cooking intricate healing food.
Overall, Crimson Desert offers so much variety and such a beautiful, diverse, and atmospheric game world (full of things to discover) that no round in Pywel has felt like the previous ones.
07:40 AM
The fantastic colleagues from GameStar and GamePro have also been able to extensively test Crimson Desert over the past two weeks. Feel free to check out their articles:
- GameStar’s review of Crimson Desert (requires GameStar PLUS)
- GamePro’s review of Crimson Desert
06:46 AM
If you are looking for something to read this morning, I can recommend my report from 2 weeks with Crimson Desert:
A great basis for possible questions. 😉
06:42 AM
A wonderful release day of Crimson Desert! We welcome you to today’s launch ticker, which we would like to connect with at least 2 days of Q&A sessions.
Today we will answer all your questions about the quality of Crimson Desert and our personal gaming experiences with the review version. Tomorrow we can also give you concrete assistance if you get stuck somewhere in the first hours or if something is unclear.
If you want to know something, just drop your questions in the comments!
When does it start? You can already ask your questions about Crimson Desert here in the comment section, but over the coming days, we will keep bringing this article back up for you. We will provide the answers as soon as the embargo dates are exceeded:
- On March 18, 2026, at 11:00 PM, the embargo for reviews lifts, the entire Thursday we can therefore answer your questions about the strengths and weaknesses of Crimson Desert or our personal experiences with the game.
- On March 19, 2026, at 11:00 PM, the embargo for guides lifts, on Friday, we will also be available to assist you if you should get stuck in the first hours of Crimson Desert or if something is unclear.
So we will take the time on Thursday and Friday to answer your questions throughout the day – like a ticker – from morning (at the latest by 10 AM) until the afternoon (until about 3:30 PM). If many questions remain unanswered late on Friday, we will extend the Q&A session into the following week.
Important: During the Q&A sessions, we will not answer questions that relate to specific events in the story. We do not want to place spoilers in the way of players for whom the plot is important.
Who answers your questions? The two MeinMMO editors Karsten Scholz and Alexander Mehrwald have been able to play Crimson Desert for quite some time. They provide the perspective of MMORPG veterans who have invested countless hours in WoW, Final Fantasy XIV, Guild Wars 2, and other genre representatives.
However, Alex and Karsten also feel at home in open-world adventures, single-player RPGs, and action-adventures for many years. Accordingly, they often found themselves comparing Crimson Desert to Red Dead Redemption 2, Dragon’s Dogma 2, or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild while playing.
What do I need to know about Crimson Desert? The new action-adventure from Pearl Abyss (Black Desert) will be released on March 19, 2026, at 11:00 PM for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox), Mac, and GeForce NOW. You can expect an old-school single-player experience without multiplayer or service fuss, which you buy once to have full access to all content. You can learn more here: Crimson Desert will be released on Thursday – everything important in 3 minutes
