Crimson Desert is fixing its biggest long-term problem, and that's just the start of a packed new roadmap

I'm sad I haven't had even more time to dig into Crimson Desert, but also a little thankful. Pearl Abyss keeps rolling out new features and improvements, and it's just dropped a rough two-month roadmap of the biggest upgrades coming to the open-world game. The team's latest Crimson Desert update includes "a preview of some of the new features and content currently in development, shaped by your feedback, including a variety of content for those looking for more ways to enjoy the game and those who want to further challenge themselves."

This isn't a fully structured Crimson Desert roadmap in the traditional sense, as there are no specific dates on each of the inclusions, but they're all planned to arrive by June. Right up at the top is a fix for an issue that's becoming increasingly prevalent as more people reach the late game - a relative absence of enemies across the world thanks to Kliff and the Greymanes' continued efforts. Peace might be welcome, but it turns out that it isn't as much fun. Hostile remnants will seize the opportunity to reclaim liberated locations, giving you more reasons to keep fighting, and you'll also be able to engage in specific boss rematches if you want to test yourself against any particular foe.

The gradual smoothing out of the challenge curve has left some players feeling slightly unsatisfied, while others are still struggling. Difficulty settings will help counteract that, with straightforward "easy, normal, and hard" options to choose between. Pearl Abyss also teases that it's "working on new combat-focused content," so hopefully that means even more encounters that can put your endgame builds through their paces. To help them shine, secondary protagonists Damiane and Oongka will be getting some powerful new skills "comparable to Force Palm and Axiom Force."

Plenty of quality-of-live updates are on the cards as well. Rather than just continuing to expand the one storage box in camp, specialized options are being introduced. There will be a wardrobe for all clothing and armor, and separate locations for food, gatherables (for tempering and crafting), and collections (this includes quest items, recipes, and other assorted trinkets). You'll also be able to prepare meals using ingredients that are in storage.

As mentioned during the patch notes from last week, Pearl Abyss will be following up on the 'hide helmet' toggle with the ability to hide weapons and equipment while they're being carried on your back. There are a range of new outfits coming, and "certain outfits that can only be sold or donated will be updated so that they can also be worn." If you've had your eye on some gear that you couldn't use, you could be in luck. We'll also be getting more mounts and pets, along with dedicated armor sets for non-horse options.

Controls are still under investigation, and Pearl Abyss is continuing to review player feedback. It's planning "customization options for certain controller inputs," and will "expand the range of configurable keys for keyboard and mouse." It's also working on an option to adjust the minimum font size, although notes that it will take some time to optimize this feature across all 14 supported languages.

Rounding out the planned updates are continued improvements to features such as "the map, inventory, and housing." Finally, the developer is "working on enhancing the realism of distant backgrounds so you can enjoy Pywel's landscapes in greater depth." Honestly, I've already been resoundingly impressed by what's on offer here, but a little extra detail won't go amiss, providing the team is able to implement it without a performance hit.

Pearl Abyss says we can expect these additions to roll out gradually across the course of April, May, and June. It also cautions that, because these features are in development, some details may change slightly in their final incarnations. I definitely won't have seen everything Pywel has to offer by that point, no matter how hard I try, so Crimson Desert is certainly a game I'll continue to sink into for a long stretch of 2026.