Black Desert Connection
Crimson Desert originated as a prequel to Black Desert Online but evolved into a standalone title. Shared characters include Hexe Marie, Shakatu, and Alustin. The two games share the BlackSpace Engine lineage but Pearl Abyss has sent mixed signals on whether they occupy the same universe.
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Overview
Crimson Desert and Black Desert Online are both developed by Pearl Abyssa South Korean studio. Crimson Desert began development as a prequel to Black Desert Online, set in the same universe. During developmentPearl Abyss pivoted the project into a standalone single-player action-adventure title with its own worldloreand characters. The degree to which the two games remain connected is a point of ongoing debate: Pearl Abyss has made statements that appear to both confirm and deny a shared universe, and several characters from Black Desert Online appear in Crimson Desert as bosses and NPCs.
Development Origins
When Crimson Desert was first announced at G-Star 2019, Pearl Abyss presented it as an MMO prequel to Black Desert Online set on the continent of Pywel. The initial concept explored the world's history before the events of Black Desert Online. During the following years, the development team gradually reimagined the project as a single-player experience. The pivot to single-player required significant rework. Pearl Abyss scrapped much of the multiplayer infrastructure and rebuilt the game around narrative-driven, single-player design. By the time of the Gamescom 2023 show, Crimson Desert was firmly positioned as a standalone title with no direct narrative connection to Black Desert Online.
Universe Status: Shared or Separate?
Pearl Abyss has sent mixed signals about whether the two games occupy the same fictional universe. Some official statements say the games exist in a shared universe but tell separate stories. Others describe them as separate universes entirely. The practical effect is that Crimson Desert is designed to be fully understood without any knowledge of Black Desert Online, but players familiar with BDO will notice familiar names, characters, and thematic parallels.
Community framings of the relationship vary. Some describe the two games as occupying the same universe but telling separate stories; others describe them as separate universes that share a developer and a creative DNA but no canonical continuity. The comparison most often drawn is to game series whose entries share a thematic and stylistic family without binding narrative ties.
The safest way to characterize the relationship: Crimson Desert and Black Desert Online share a developer, an engine lineage, and several characters, but they tell completely independent stories. No knowledge of either game is required to enjoy the other.
Shared Characters
Despite the narrative separation, several characters appear in both games.
Character | In Black Desert Online | |
|---|---|---|
A legendary witch first introduced in BDO's original 2014 PC launch. Known as "the deadliest witch in history," she was nearly burned alive as a child by her village. Her lore is tied to Hexe Sanctuary, a zone in BDO's Calphade region. She has appeared as a boss in BDO events like the Dark Rift. | A mandatory boss fought in the Smoking Lands. Commands crow magic, shadow manipulation, and summoned Urn Soldiers. Whether she is the same Hexe Marie from BDO lore or a different version is intentionally left ambiguous by Pearl Abyss. | |
A goblin tycoon and town founder in the Varnia region. A prominent trader and namesake of a desert town. | A goblin merchant NPC encountered during exploration. Provides trading services to Kliff. | |
An alchemist NPC who appears in BDO's main questlines. | An alchemist and keeper of the Library of Providencea mystical interdimensional realm. Plays a major role in Crimson Desert's overarching narrative. |
Black Desert Online lore enthusiasts have also noted that a character named Marni references "Delesyia" in BDO, which is one of the five regions of Pywel in Crimson Desert. Whether this is a deliberate cross-game reference or a coincidence has not been confirmed by Pearl Abyss.
Shared Elements
Element | Black Desert Online | |
|---|---|---|
Engine | Proprietary Pearl Abyss engine | BlackSpace Engine (evolved directly from the BDO engine with years of R&D in lighting, physics, and streaming) |
Combat feel | Action-orientedcombo-based combat | Fighting-game-inspired combat with combosgrapples, and weapon switching |
Fishingcookingalchemygatheringprocessinghorse taming | Fishingcookingalchemygatheringmininglogginghorse taming | |
Wild horse taming mini-game | Wild horse taming mini-game with varied breeds and horse drifting | |
Genre | MMORPG with PvP, guilds, and social systems | Single-player open-world action-adventure RPG |
Pre-Order Crossover Content
Pre-ordering Crimson Desert unlocked exclusive crossover content for Black Desert Online, available from March 20, 2026 (the day after Crimson Desert's launch). The crossover items are cosmetic and serve as promotional tie-ins between the two games. This represents a marketing connection rather than a lore connection; the crossover items do not imply shared narrative continuity.
Technical Lineage
The BlackSpace Engine that powers Crimson Desert evolved directly from the engine Pearl Abyss built for Black Desert Online. The BDO engine was already known for its real-time character rendering and large-scale open-world environments. For Crimson Desert, Pearl Abyss invested years of research and development to upgrade capabilities in lighting (ray-traced global illumination, stochastic path tracing), physics simulation (cloth, hairwaterenvironmental destruction), and open-world streaming. While the technical foundation is shared, the BlackSpace Engine represents a generational leap over the BDO engine.
Future
Pearl Abyss has indicated that post-launch content for Crimson Desert is contingent on commercial reception. If multiplayer modes are eventually added via the Another Journey update, they would be specific to Crimson Desert. There are no plans for cross-game multiplayer or shared servers with Black Desert Online.