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Charting the Unknown - Version 5 vs Version 6
Oct 31, 2026, 04:41 AM
Updated for the October 29 launch: past-tense lead, patch 2.04.00 and storefront details, Mac App Store availability, Saudi Arabia approval, shipped content for every pillar with ship prices and two castles, base-game changes, hotfix summary, save warning, review aggregate and two images
Oct 31, 2026, 11:36 AM
Clarify expansion classification and ocean additions.
1-Charting the Unknown, sold in full as Crimson Desert Enhanced: Charting the Unknown, is the first paid expansion for Crimson Desert. It launched on October 29, 2026 at 22:00 UTC, priced at $24.99 (USD), together with the free base-game patch 2.04.00. Pearl Abyss opened pre-orders on September 3, 2026 and originally set release for October 15, 2026; on September 30, 2026 the studio moved the release back two weeks, saying it needed additional development time to deliver a more polished and stable experience. It sits on top of the free Crimson Desert Enhanced update that every owner received with version 2.00.00, and it is the first content in the game that has to be bought separately. It adds a new quest for each playable character, an ocean storyline with ships and islands, diving, and a broad set of life and combat features, all detailed below.1+Charting the Unknown, sold in full as Crimson Desert Enhanced: Charting the Unknown, is the first paid expansion for Crimson Desert. It launched on October 29, 2026 at 22:00 UTC, priced at $24.99 (USD), together with the free base-game patch 2.04.00. Pearl Abyss opened pre-orders on September 3, 2026 and originally set release for October 15, 2026; on September 30, 2026 the studio moved the release back two weeks, saying it needed additional development time to deliver a more polished and stable experience. It sits on top of the free Crimson Desert Enhanced update that every owner received with version 2.00.00, and it is the first paid gameplay expansion. It adds a new quest for each playable character, an ocean storyline with ships and islands, diving, and a broad set of life and combat features, all detailed below.22At a Glance55FieldDetailFull titleCrimson Desert Enhanced: Charting the UnknownTypePaid expansion, the first DLC for the gamePrice$24.99 (USD), 27,800 won in KoreaRelease dateLaunched October 29, 2026 at 22:00 UTC, which is October 30 in Korea and Japan (moved from October 15 on September 30, 2026)Launch patch2.04.00 on October 29, 2026, followed on October 30 by an all-platforms hotfix and 2.04.02Pre-orders openedSeptember 3, 2026, in two wavesPre-order bonusCharter's Diving Set for Kliff and Oongka, Charter's Light Diving Set for DamianeRequiresThe base game updated to the latest version; keep the base game and the expansion on matching, current versionsPlatformsSteam (PC and Mac), PlayStation, Xbox (Xbox Series X|S, plus Xbox on PC through Xbox Play Anywhere), Epic Games Store and the Mac App StoreMac App StoreSold there from launch through the Buy DLC menu on the title screen, reversing the pre-launch statement that it would not be available there at launchLanguages15 supported languages on the Steam listing, the same as the base gameRegional availabilityWithheld from certain markets and regions that are not named on any first-party surface as of October 31, 2026; approved in Saudi Arabia on October 30, 2026, with platform dates to followSteam user reviewsMostly Positive, with 71% of 471 reviews positive as of October 31, 2026Age ratingRating Pending on the expansion listing before launch; the base game is rated Mature6+FieldDetailFull titleCrimson Desert Enhanced: Charting the UnknownTypeFirst paid gameplay expansionPrice$24.99 (USD), 27,800 won in KoreaRelease dateLaunched October 29, 2026 at 22:00 UTC, which is October 30 in Korea and Japan (moved from October 15 on September 30, 2026)Launch patch2.04.00 on October 29, 2026, followed on October 30 by an all-platforms hotfix and 2.04.02Pre-orders openedSeptember 3, 2026, in two wavesPre-order bonusCharter's Diving Set for Kliff and Oongka, Charter's Light Diving Set for DamianeRequiresThe base game updated to the latest version; keep the base game and the expansion on matching, current versionsPlatformsSteam (PC and Mac), PlayStation, Xbox (Xbox Series X|S, plus Xbox on PC through Xbox Play Anywhere), Epic Games Store and the Mac App StoreMac App StoreSold there from launch through the Buy DLC menu on the title screen, reversing the pre-launch statement that it would not be available there at launchLanguages15 supported languages on the Steam listing, the same as the base gameRegional availabilityWithheld from certain markets and regions that are not named on any first-party surface as of October 31, 2026; approved in Saudi Arabia on October 30, 2026, with platform dates to followSteam user reviewsMostly Positive, with 71% of 471 reviews positive as of October 31, 2026Age ratingRating Pending on the expansion listing before launch; the base game is rated Mature77Regional Release Times88The expansion unlocked worldwide at a single moment. The rows below are that same instant read on three local clocks, which is why Pearl Abyss's Korean announcements give October 30 as the release day while the English pages say October 29. These times replaced the original October 15 schedule, which the studio withdrew on September 30, 2026.1010RegionUnlock TimeEuropeOctober 29, 2026 at 22:00 UTC, which is 23:00 CET the same dayNorth AmericaOctober 29, 2026 at 15:00 PT, which is 18:00 ETAsiaOctober 30, 2026 at 07:00 KST and JST1212What Shipped1313Charting the Unknown launched with base-game patch 2.04.00 and delivered the four pillars Pearl Abyss had previewed: new stories, ocean exploration, a richer life in Pywel, and new threats. The October 20 feature overview had already set out the access conditions; the launch notes confirmed them and added the detail below. Several systems also changed the base game for every player, which the Base-Game Changes in 2.04.00 section summarizes.1515The Journey Continues1717Before launch, Pearl Abyss described four story threads: an ominous presence in the desert, a dangerous political conflict, a journey beyond time, and an ancient secret beneath the waves. Patch 2.04.00 added one new individual quest each for Kliff, Oongka and Damiane, started from the Journal after completing the main-story finale Journey's End.1919CharacterNew QuestHow to StartKliffBeyond the MarginsOpen the Journal after completing Journey's EndOongkaForged ResolveOpen the Journal after completing Journey's EndDamianeFrom the AshesOpen the Journal after completing Journey's End2121The patch notes separately name a Damiane quest called "Politician" as the requirement for Flame Knight's Castle. How "Politician" relates to "From the Ashes" has not been documented as of October 31, 2026.2222Ocean Exploration2424The expansion extends the map past Pywel's shores. Before it launched, the base game's water content was limited to swimming and fishing, with no player-controlled vessel. The ocean storyline is the faction quest A Wider World, which begins after completing the main-story quest "Howling Hill" and expanding the Greymane Camp above a certain level; the exact level is not published as of October 31, 2026. The quest is listed in the top row of the Journal and starts in Pailune. Its first sub-quest, "A Call from Beyond the Horizon", is a shipbuilding dispatch, and the next, "Where the Wind Blows", teaches ship handling. Community guides report that the ship unlock comes after Scattered Embers and Grounds of the Sunrise, through Luke's Request and the "Expanding the Camp" steps under "Gathered Will". "Footsteps in Unfamiliar Lands" is another quest in the same ocean chain.25+The expansion adds ships, ocean exploration and maritime trading alongside swimming and fishing. The ocean storyline is the faction quest A Wider World, which begins after completing the main-story quest "Howling Hill" and expanding the Greymane Camp above a certain level; the exact level is not published as of October 31, 2026. The quest is listed in the top row of the Journal and starts in Pailune. Its first sub-quest, "A Call from Beyond the Horizon", is a shipbuilding dispatch, and the next, "Where the Wind Blows", teaches ship handling. Community guides report that the ship unlock comes after Scattered Embers and Grounds of the Sunrise, through Luke's Request and the "Expanding the Camp" steps under "Gathered Will". "Footsteps in Unfamiliar Lands" is another quest in the same ocean chain.2626Ships2828Ships are a new mount type. A ship can be built by sending comrades on a shipbuilding dispatch mission at a port, or bought from the fleetmasters located throughout Pywel (the October 20 overview called this a Fleet Office manager). Ship parts, including the figurehead at the bow, the stern and the sails, are sold by fleetmasters in Demeniss and Delesyia. Ships carry cannons and crews, and can be used for maritime trading with newly added trade goods. Purchase prices are paid in camp funds; building through dispatch costs fewer funds but more materials.3030VesselPurchase Price (Camp Funds)Rowboat2,000Small ship40,000Medium ship1,200,000Large ship6,000,0003232Islands, Treasure Maps and Relics3333Several uncharted islands can be pioneered by taking on new missions. Player reports agree that the first island most players reach is Auronui. At launch its pioneering dispatch commonly stalled at 100%. Patch 2.04.02 added a notification in the menu on the right that lets a pioneering mission start directly when you enter an area available for pioneering, but its notes did not say the 100% stall was fixed. The expansion also adds multiple treasure maps that lead to hidden treasures across the world, and a Relic Collector NPC who exchanges relics found through exploration for various items. The Relic Collector's location and trade list are not published as of October 31, 2026.3535Diving3737Diving is open to Kliff, Oongka and Damiane with no prerequisite. A breath gauge governs time underwater, and a higher maximum breath means longer dives. Maximum breath rises by refining your diving suit, food items temporarily restore breath, and new equipment lets the A.T.A.G. operate underwater. Below the surface are underwater treasures, sunken ruins and new creatures.3939The expansion also adds underwater mounts. Depending on the type, they are either subdued or fed to raise their Trust, and once Trust is high enough they can be registered as mounts. Sharks are among them. The map now marks whether a mount or pet can be summoned in mid-air, on land or underwater.4141A Richer Life in Pywel4343This pillar covers housing, property, festivals and relationships. Facility management is a new income channel alongside the existing dispatch missions and wagon trading.4545Upgraded Housing4747The upgraded housing mode becomes available after setting up the camp at Howling Hill and completing Luke's Request, one of the Greymane faction quests under Grounds of the Sunrise. Home Decoration > Layout > Free Construction lets you design the layout yourself and place walls, windows and other structural elements. New placeable objects arrived in the same patch, including paths, trees, flowerbeds, cat watchtowers and puppy cushions. See Personal Housing for the base housing system.4949Castles5151Patch 2.04.00 added two castles that can be claimed and decorated. The October 20 feature overview had said three castles would be claimable; no third castle has been named as of October 31, 2026.5353CastleHow to ObtainDrakesfall CastleComplete the main-story finale Journey's End and liberate the strongholdFlame Knight's CastleComplete Damiane's quest "Politician" and liberate the stronghold5555Castle courtyards and interiors can be decorated with unique objects and furnishings. The exterior is fixed, and castle upgrades unlock in stages through dispatch missions. Strongholds owned by the Greymanes now appear in light blue on the map.5656Management Facilities5858Liberated strongholds can be rented and run as a restaurant, sawmill, smithy or tailor's shop; examples include a restaurant in Vellua and a smithy at Zargan Tankworks. A Facilities tab on the map shows management information. You assign equipment and comrades, decide which goods to sell, and grow each location's Recognition level, which rises as the facility operates and unlocks better recipes and items. Facilities keep running while you are away, special guests may visit, and completing management content earns rewards. Patch 2.04.02 fixed earnings that rose abnormally in certain situations. Income figures and rent costs are not published as of October 31, 2026. See Management Facilities for the full guide.6060Camp Festivals and Honorary Greymanes6262A new mission lets you hold festivals at camp. For a limited time, NPCs whose trust has reached a certain level visit the camp, and interacting with them there builds trust faster. Some visitors can be hired as Honorary Greymanes, who can be sent on dispatch missions like other comrades, although some features may be unavailable to them.6464Romance and Marriage6666The expansion adds an additional trust level on top of the base game's NPC Trust System. Selecting Interact > Flirt starts raising it, and Flirt followed by Gift or Chat continues it; each interaction type can raise it once per day. At 100 you can propose. Flirting with an NPC as one character lowers that NPC's trust with the other two characters. Some NPCs need special conditions, and each witch requires completing her sanctum quest: the four witches with sanctum questlines, Elowen, Bari, Lyselia and Areciel, become romance options afterwards (see Witches of Pywel). Whether an NPC can be romanced shows in their interaction menu. Oongka and Damiane themselves are not romance options.6868After marriage you can change your spouse's appearance at barber shops, the spouse's icon appears on the world map and minimap, you can travel together, and your spouse may give you gifts. Breaking up is possible, but doing so comes at a cost that is not detailed as of October 31, 2026. Patch 2.04.00 also added 17 residences, built through dispatch missions; the residence you designate becomes your spouse's home, and the map shows whether Kliff, Oongka or Damiane owns each one. Residence locations are not published as of October 31, 2026. These features are separate from the base game's earlier relationship systems; see Romance and Marriage for the full guide.7070Banker's Dice7272Banker's Dice is a new minigame playable in Demeniss and Delesyia. Its rules are not published in the patch notes as of October 31, 2026.7474New Threats7676Pearl Abyss promised formidable foes across land and sea and called them the fiercest battles in the game so far. Patch 2.04.00 added several powerful new bosses, some of which can be fought again using Memory Fragments. Enemies named in the post-launch fixes include Leviakan, sea serpents and pirates; no other new boss names have been confirmed by Pearl Abyss as of October 31, 2026. See Bosses for the roster.7878New equipment arrived alongside the bosses, including armor, weapons, mount and pet equipment, Abyss Gear and more.8181Garden of Trials8383The Garden of Trials is a boss-rush challenge that unlocks after Journey's End. It contains 10 groups of previously encountered bosses fought one after another. You can enter alone or with up to three characters (Kliff, Oongka and Damiane) in an order you choose; if a character falls, the next one continues the battle. Food cannot be used for recovery, and completing each group enhances one of your existing skills. It is located near the Axiom Archive in the Abyss, reached past the Axiom Archive's main building after a White Raven cutscene points the way. Players in English and Korean communities report that clearing all ten groups awards a two-handed Lumen sword; Pearl Abyss has not confirmed the reward as of October 31, 2026.8585Base-Game Changes in 2.04.008787The launch patch also changed the base game for every player, whether or not they own the expansion. The main additions are listed below; the patch's own page has the complete fix list.8989AreaChangeNPC interactionNew interaction UI with Chat and Gift; Chat shares your Knowledge with NPCs to earn trust; new books teach residents' preferences; the cooldown before an interaction can raise trust again is now displayedInsectsA dedicated insect storage box, plus three new legendary insects and sighting reportsBarber shopsAdded to major cities and usable regardless of campGreymane outfitsOutfits can be changed at the Comrade Dispatch Tent for camp resourcesCombat toolsLife-skill tools usable in combat: Frying Pan, Ladle, Frying Pan Lid, Jar Lid and Kitchen KnifeHousing objectsPaths, trees, flowerbeds, cat watchtowers (sold by a new Cat Watchtower Merchant) and puppy cushionsWagonsWagons can be equipped, with new wagon-exclusive equipment and a new wainwright in the port areaInventoryLarger maximum item stack sizes overallGraphicsUpscaling and Frame Generation can be selected separatelyMapTrade routes always shown, a larger zoom-out, region status colors (Blockaded red, Reconstructing light red, Incident yellow, Uncharted grey), fog clearance that varies by mount, Greymane strongholds in light blue, and summon-location indicators for mid-air, land and underwaterBalanceGolden Apple Hedgehog spawn rate reduced; the "Efficiency" Abyss Gear now reduces materials consumed when crafting by a percentage instead of giving a chance to save one materialAnimationsImproved Counter animation and effects; faster startup for Oongka's Scatter Shot and Damiane's Shield Toss9191Post-Launch Fixes9292An all-platforms hotfix on October 30, 2026 kept the displayed version at 2.04.00 while fixing certain Ascend skills, Damiane's Shield Toss being usable repeatedly underwater, the ship cannon and boarding cameras, plants appearing through housing, misaligned housing placement when the monitor and in-game resolutions differ, and Kliff respawning in an inaccessible desert area. It also let Glowing Seeds be used in combat and let "Footsteps in Unfamiliar Lands" start from its starting location.9494Patch 2.04.02 followed on October 30, 2026 with fixes for a spouse or comrade following you into water, a spouse misbehaving in combat, pirates teleporting when falling into water, Leviakan freezing, sea serpents not attacking, NPCs stuck in restrooms, stationary ships, missing ship crews, missing quest and challenge rewards, crashes, abnormally rising management-facility earnings, waterfalls, Oongka turning invisible, an AMD driver 26.10.1 graphics issue, lantern interactions while diving, and catching fire while boarding or riding a ship. No version 2.04.01 has been published as of October 31, 2026.9696Unlock Requirements9898ContentRequirement or AccessKliff, Oongka and Damiane questsComplete the main-story finale Journey's End, then start each quest from the JournalOcean quest A Wider WorldComplete the main-story quest "Howling Hill" and expand the Greymane Camp above a certain level (level not published as of October 31, 2026). Separate from the three character quests.DivingAvailable to all three characters with no prerequisite. Breath limits time underwater; refining the diving suit and some food items extend it.ShipsProgress the ocean questline after setting up the camp at Howling Hill. Build through a port shipbuilding dispatch or buy from a fleetmaster.Upgraded housingSet up the Howling Hill camp and complete Luke's Request under the Grounds of the Sunrise Greymane faction quest, then open Home Decoration > Layout > Free Construction.CastlesDrakesfall Castle: complete Journey's End and liberate the stronghold. Flame Knight's Castle: complete Damiane's quest "Politician" and liberate the stronghold.Management FacilitiesSet up the Greymane Camp and complete the faction quest that liberates the relevant region, then rent the stronghold through the map's Facilities tab.Camp FestivalsComplete the festival mission at camp; visitors are NPCs whose trust has reached a certain level.Romance and MarriageRaise the additional trust level to 100 through Flirt, Gift and Chat, then propose. Witches require their sanctum quest first.Garden of TrialsComplete Journey's End, then travel to the garden near the Axiom Archive in the Abyss.100100The October 20 feature overview had announced three claimable castles without naming them; the launch notes list two. As of the October 30, 2026 update to the Known Issues list, Greymane faction quests cannot be progressed while playing as Damiane or Oongka, which matters here because the ocean, housing and facility unlocks run through Greymane faction quests.101101Preload, Launch Patch and Save Compatibility103103PS5 pre-download opened 24 hours before the expansion unlocked; other platforms downloaded the expansion at unlock. The October 28 release notice did not give the concurrent base-game patch a version number; it shipped as 2.04.00 at the same moment. Steam (Mac) and Mac App Store players needed a one-time download of the full-size game package for that patch because of technical adjustments to the Mac build.105105Two cautions apply after launch. Save files created while the expansion is installed cannot be loaded, or used for cross-save, in a game version that does not include it. Pearl Abyss also asks players to always update both the base game and the expansion to the latest version before playing, and the Known Issues list includes a crash when the two versions do not match.107107Pre-Order Bonus109109Pre-ordering granted Charter's Diving Set for Kliff and Oongka, and Charter's Light Diving Set for Damiane.111111ItemCharactersCharter's Diving SetKliff and OongkaCharter's Light Diving SetDamiane113113As of October 31, 2026, Pearl Abyss has not stated whether the diving sets carry a stat line or are cosmetic only, and has not said whether they will be sold separately after release. Bonus items on this game are redeemed through the in-game Add-ons menu; see Pre-Order and Edition Content for the redemption path used by earlier bonuses. On Xbox, the Known Issues list notes that pre-order and Drops rewards may not display in Add-ons and cannot yet be claimed.114114Platform Availability116116StorefrontStatusPlayStation StoreReleased October 29, 2026Microsoft Store (Xbox)Released October 29, 2026, on Xbox Series X|S and on PC through Xbox Play AnywhereSteam (PC and Mac)Released October 29, 2026Epic Games StoreReleased October 29, 2026NVIDIA GeForce NOWListed as a pre-order destination on the expansion page before launchMac App StoreAvailable from launch through the Buy DLC menu on the title screen; the Mac App Store build of patch 2.04.00 was listed as arriving laterSaudi ArabiaApproved by GMEDIA on October 30, 2026; sales preparations under way, with platform dates to followOther withheld markets and regionsNot for sale; pre-orders were closed and refunded118118Pre-orders opened in two waves on September 3, 2026: the PlayStation Store first at 15:00 UTC, then Steam, the Epic Games Store and the Microsoft Store at 21:00 UTC. The expansion was announced the same day during a State of Play showcase, with a new trailer. See Platform Comparison for how the base game runs on each system.119119Following a review of content and age rating requirements, Pearl Abyss withheld Charting the Unknown from certain markets and regions before launch and closed pre-orders placed there. Depending on the storefront, refunds were processed automatically or had to be requested through that platform's standard refund process. The affected markets and regions are not named on any first-party surface as of October 31, 2026, so this page does not list any. On October 30, 2026 Pearl Abyss announced that the expansion had received official approval in Saudi Arabia from GMEDIA and that preparations were under way to sell it on digital platforms there, with availability details for each platform to follow. Before launch the expansion's listing carried an ESRB Rating Pending badge while the base game is rated ESRB Mature.121121Before launch Pearl Abyss also said the expansion would not be on the Mac App Store at launch and promised a separate announcement if that changed. The October 29 launch notice reversed this: the expansion is also available on the Mac App Store, bought from the Buy DLC menu on the game's title screen, although the Mac App Store update could arrive slightly later than on other platforms. See macOS Version for the Mac details.123123The Korean Steam store lists the expansion at 27,800 won. A 10% discount for existing owners on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S only has been reported in Korean press coverage, but it does not appear in any official notice as of October 31, 2026, so treat it as unconfirmed.125125Reception127127Steam user reviews for the expansion opened at 78% positive across 261 reviews on October 30, 2026, and stood at Mostly Positive, with 71% of 471 reviews positive, as of October 31, 2026. No critic reviews of the expansion have been published as of October 31, 2026.129129Background131131For the first five months after the March 19, 2026 launch, Pearl Abyss would only say that downloadable content was possible depending on how the game sold. At its second-quarter earnings briefing on August 12, 2026 the studio confirmed a paid DLC was in development for a 2026 release, with pricing, content and timing to follow in the third quarter. Those details arrived on September 3, 2026 with the pre-order announcement. Free patches have continued in parallel rather than being replaced; see Patch Notes and Post-Launch Content.133133See Also135135DLC for the full monetization and edition pictureCrimson Desert Enhanced for the free 2.00.00 update this expansion builds onEditions for the Standard, Deluxe and Collector's tiersPost-Launch Plans for the studio's stated content strategyTwitch Drops for the launch-window reward campaignEndgame Activities for other post-story content