A new Crimson Desert update just fixed its empty world problem, and added two legendary pets

A huge new Crimson Desert update has just solved probably the biggest frustration for long-term players. Once you're past the slow, awkward on-ramp, Crimson Desert opens up into one of the most stunning and freeform open-world games I've played in years, and the combat systems let you get up to some ludicrous shenanigans. There's just one problem: by the time you have access to your full toolkit, you'll likely have cleared out most of the big stronghold battles and boss fights that you might want to use them in. Fortunately, Pearl Abyss is continuing to respond to player demand.

The new Crimson Desert patch notes for update 1.05 are here, and the biggest features are the 'rematch' and 're-blockade' options, both of which Pearl Abyss promises to "continuously improve through future patches." The first part lets you re-fight any boss you've already defeated, simply by returning to the site where you first challenged them. Pull out your lantern and use it to activate the Memory Fragment at that spot, and you'll be ready to go. These can also be seen on both the world map and minimap, and you can even jump to their location from the bosses tab of the knowledge menu if you aren't sure where to find them.

The boss rematch feature starts with 69 possible opponents, and there are two ways to approach the fight. 'Reminisce' brings them back exactly the way they were when you first found them, which is great if you want to see how far you've come (or get revenge on a foe that caused you trouble earlier in your playthrough). 'Resonate' will scale their stats up to match your current progression for a more fair fight, providing that you are higher than their original level. In either mode, consumables used during the rematch will be restored once the battle ends, but you won't get any bonus loot - although Pearl Abyss says this might change in the future.

Re-blockade, meanwhile, is an option you can freely adjust in the gameplay tab of the settings menu. There's a set chance for a stronghold to repopulate with enemies after a loading screen occurs (such as when starting the game, or sleeping in a bed). This can be adjusted between three frequencies: the default is 'Conflict,' but you can turn it up to happen more often with 'War,' or disable it altogether in 'Stable' mode.

For now, the re-blockade feature affects 23 forts and quarries across the world of Pywel, and there are 13 possible factions that can show up to cause trouble at them. Pearl Abyss says it intends to gradually increase both the number of factions and the range of targeted strongholds "in the near future," and will also adjust the enemies that can show up during a re-blockade "to pose a much greater threat." We already got difficulty settings last week, so this is another way to put your skills with Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka to the test.

Following the introduction of bird pets, there are now two legendary animals to look out for, the Iron Eagle and Hyacinth Macaw. The former will require you to first awaken it by making your way to Hawkstone Ruins and activating the device at 5am. Additionally, you can now carry, lower, and pet both goose and duck pets, and there's a new creature to discover, the Mountain God Boar. You'll also be able to buy a new set of boots at Bari's shop, but only after obtaining the Ring of Lightning from a specific enemy.

The rest of the patch notes are filled with a long list of bug fixes and smaller improvements, but there are a few more key changes to pick out. The Vault skill has been made more consistent. Crop harvesting at camp will now consistently offer a minimum harvest of two regardless of fertilizer and water supply. The highlight effect when dyeing items should make it clearer which parts are affected. Several puzzle hints have been made more visible, Mission Dispatch will now automatically cancel any that can't be sustained, and the Abyss Nexus at Zargan Tankworks has been moved to the top of the cliff.

Crimson Desert update 1.05 is out now. I'm almost thankful that a busy schedule has kept me from seeing everything Pywel has to offer, because it just keeps getting better and better. Pearl Abyss still has a wide range of other features on its list of improvements it's aiming to roll out by June, and given the level of support so far, I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't stop there.