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Another Journey
March 14, 2026 at 01:01 PM
Added 6 internal cross-links
"Another Journey" was the tentative name for a planned multiplayer mode in Crimson Desert, described by Pearl Abyss in interviews during 2020 and 2021. The mode was deprioritized during the game's six-year development cycle as the studio shifted focus entirely to delivering a polished single-player experience. Crimson Desert launches on March 19, 2026 as a single-player-only game with no multiplayer, co-op, or online features.
Crimson Desert is a single-player game at launch. When asked directly about multiplayer in a February 2026 interview, Pearl Abyss Director of PR and Marketing Will Powers responded with a blunt "No." The game does not require a persistent internet connection for gameplay, though an internet connection may be needed for initial activation and updates.
During Pearl Abyss's Q4 2025 earnings call on February 12, 2026, executives stated that multiplayer and DLC could come post-launch "depending on market demand." The reported language included: "We will evaluate market response after launch to decide the path forward." DLC and multiplayer have "early concepts" but development is contingent on the game's sales performance. No timeline, roadmap, or specific features have been announced.
The BlackSpace Engine was built with networking capabilities, so the technical foundation for multiplayer already exists within the engine. Whether Pearl Abyss will activate these capabilities depends entirely on post-launch reception.
When Crimson Desert was first announced at G-STAR 2019, the game included both single-player and multiplayer components. Pearl Abyss described the multiplayer plans in detail during two interviews in late 2020 and early 2021.
In a December 2020 interview with MMO Culture, Pearl Abyss Co-Producers HwanKyoung Jung and SeongWoo Lee, along with Lead Combat Designer Hyoseok Chae, described multiplayer as organically connected to the single-player mode. Players could "switch between single and multiplayer play at any moment during the game without having to clear the single player storyline." Levels, items, and skills were planned to be shared between both modes.
In a January 2021 exclusive interview with MMO Culture, Pearl Abyss confirmed that "Another Journey" (explicitly labeled as a tentative name) would allow players to "create a separate character" and "customize the appearance of that character using Pearl Abyss' advanced customization system." The main story protagonist (then called "Macduff," now "Kliff Macduff") would retain his fixed appearance, while the multiplayer character would be fully customizable. Castle sieges and large-scale PvP battles were described as being in preparation.
The following features were described in 2020-2021 interviews. These plans predate the shift to single-player-only and may not reflect the current or future direction of the game.
Feature | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
Seamless mode switching | Switch between single-player and multiplayer at any time without completing the story first. | Not in launch version |
Custom character creation | Create a separate character with full appearance customization for multiplayer. | Not in launch version |
Shared progression | Levels, items, and skills carry over between single-player and multiplayer modes. | Not in launch version |
Castle sieges | Large-scale PvP battles for territory control. | Not in launch version |
Optional participation | Multiplayer was described as entirely optional with no multiplayer-exclusive content. | Not in launch version |
Date | Event |
|---|---|
November 2019 | Crimson Desert announced at G-STAR 2019 with both single-player and multiplayer components. |
December 2020 | Pearl Abyss interview describes seamless single/multiplayer switching, shared progression. |
January 2021 | Pearl Abyss confirms "Another Journey" tentative name, custom character creation, castle sieges in preparation. |
2023-2024 | Gamescom and The Game Awards reveals focus entirely on single-player content. No multiplayer mentioned in any trailer or presentation. |
January 2026 | Will Powers on the Dropped Frames podcast describes Crimson Desert as "a premium experience that you buy and enjoy, not something based on microtransactions." |
February 12, 2026 | Q4 2025 earnings call: Pearl Abyss states multiplayer and DLC possible "depending on market demand." |
February 26, 2026 | Will Powers responds with "No" when asked directly about multiplayer in a YouTube interview. |
March 19, 2026 | Crimson Desert launches as a single-player-only game. |
Crimson Desert was originally positioned as a prequel to Black Desert Online, the MMO also developed by Pearl Abyss. The studio has since repositioned Crimson Desert as "a different universe, different IP altogether." Will Powers described it as a "new IP" on the Dropped Frames podcast. However, Pearl Abyss has acknowledged there will be "homages and little Easter Eggs" for Black Desert players. A Black Desert Online NPC named Marni references "Delesyia," a Crimson Desert location, during the Deadeye class ascension questline, suggesting some shared lore elements remain.
Because Crimson Desert is developed by the team behind the MMO Black Desert Online, many players assume it will have online features at launch. Pearl Abyss has repeatedly clarified that Crimson Desert is a separate product with no MMO elements. Early marketing materials that referenced multiplayer features refer to plans from the 2019-2021 period that were subsequently deprioritized.
Several gaming websites and community discussions present "Another Journey" as a confirmed upcoming feature. Much of this content recycles the 2020-2021 information without noting it may be outdated. The only current official position is that multiplayer remains a possibility "depending on market demand" with no confirmed timeline or features.
