The CEO of Pearl Abyss, Heo Jin-young, has addressed the disappointment of the game's story and players' dissatisfaction with it. The fantasy RPG, Crimson Desert, was part of the Black Desert Online universe and was released as a standalone game. Despite its mixed debut, the game has sold more than three million units within its first week and could be a top-five seller through the first six months of 2026. Despite this, Pearl Abyss is focused on improving the core game first with patches before potentially considering potential DLC or expansions.