Overview
Version 1.00.02 is the day-one patch for Crimson Desert, released alongside the game's launch on March 19, 2026. Developed by Pearl Abyss, the update weighs approximately 3.1 GB and addresses a wide range of issues identified during the review period prior to release. The patch covers quest fixes, skill improvements, boss fight balance adjustments, NPC and dialogue polish, UI corrections, localization fixes, and performance optimizations across both PC and console platforms.
Pearl Abyss recommended that all players download the patch before starting the game for the best experience. Several changes were made in direct response to feedback from reviewers, most notably the addition of an Abyss Gear tutorial quest and adjustments to boss encounters that were considered overly punishing.
Platform Rollout
The patch rolled out on different schedules depending on the platform. Steam (PC) received the full Version 1.00.02 update at launch on March 19, 2026. PlayStation 5 received the update in two parts: Patch 1.00.01 was available first, followed by Patch 1.00.02 on March 20, 2026 at 1:00 UTC. The second part delivered additional features including faster cutscene fast-forwarding and the Tenebrum boss fight checkpoint improvement. Xbox received the patch at a later date (exact timing was not specified in the official announcement). Epic Games Store and Mac App Store versions were confirmed to follow at a later time.
Platform | Availability |
|---|---|
Steam (PC) | Available at launch (March 19, 2026) |
PlayStation 5 | March 20, 2026 at 1:00 UTC (rolled out in two parts: 1.00.01 first, then 1.00.02) |
Xbox Series X|S | Available at a later date |
Epic Games Store | Available at a later date |
Mac App Store | Available at a later date |
Quest Changes
A tutorial quest has been added at the start of Chapter 3 to help players learn more about Abyss Gears. This was one of the most requested changes, as reviewers widely noted that the Abyss Gear system was poorly explained during the main story.
Fixed an issue where certain quests would not progress properly.
Skill Changes
Several character-specific skill improvements were introduced, adding new combo finishers and follow-up attacks to expand combat options:
Character | Change |
|---|---|
Added a finishing blow to Kliff's Flurry of Blows, increasing the skill's damage output and combo potential. | |
Added a follow-up skill to Damiane's greatsword stab and uppercut, extending the combo chain. | |
Added a follow-up attack to Oongka's dual-wield stab, providing a new offensive option. |
Improved the usability of the Watch and Learn skill-learning feature, making it easier to observe and acquire abilities from enemies and bosses.
Improved the Skills menu so that skill names and descriptions are now separated by weapon type, making it easier to find specific abilities.
Updated descriptions and added new demonstration videos for certain skills.
Boss Fight Changes
Multiple boss encounters received balance adjustments and bug fixes. Pearl Abyss specifically targeted fights that reviewers and early players found frustrating or unfair:
Boss / Encounter | Change |
|---|---|
Combat balance adjusted with reduced damage and attack frequency. | |
Bear Enemy | Instant-kill damage removed entirely. Overall damage output reduced and rebalanced. |
Tenebrum (Chapter 4) | Dying during the boss fight no longer forces players to replay the preceding puzzle section. A checkpoint was added before the fight itself. |
Walker-Type Monsters | Improved combat behavior and animations for more consistent encounters. |
General Boss Fixes | Bosses can no longer attack players who are in the middle of a revive animation. |
General Boss Fixes | Corrected abnormal movement and fight progression issues across multiple bosses. |
Content and Gameplay
Improved usability for Housing mode, addressing interaction and placement issues.
Fixed issues where certain content did not function as intended.
Recently viewed cutscenes can now be fast-forwarded more quickly, improving overall pacing. (Note: full cutscene skipping was not added in this patch.)
Adjusted QTE difficulty when captured by enemies to gradually increase based on the number of times captured, rather than being uniformly difficult from the start.
Removed the bear's instant-kill damage and adjusted its overall damage output.
Resolved a display bug where the Greymane comrade count showed lower than the actual number, or some comrades sometimes did not appear on the list.
NPC and Dialogue
Improved the dialogue, voice, and reactions of some NPCs to feel more natural and better fit their situations.
Fixed an issue where voice dialogue and subtitles did not match when greeting NPCs.
Corrected abnormal NPC and animal interaction issues.
Various improvements and fixes to animations, movements, lip-sync, visual clipping, visual effects, and voice acting for NPCs and animals.
Localization
Fixed various localization errors and improved localization quality across all supported languages.
UI Fixes
Fixed UI-related issues, including problems with text display, functionality, and sound effects across various menus and interface elements.
Performance and Stability
Applied various performance and stability optimizations across PC and console platforms. Resolved several crash issues that could occur during specific gameplay scenarios.
Known Issues
Pearl Abyss published a separate 'Crimson Desert Known Issues' notice alongside the patch notes, documenting bugs and problems that remain unresolved in Version 1.00.02. The known issues list was last updated on March 22, 2026, and includes the following:
Category | Issue |
|---|---|
Performance | In certain situations, the Abyss can be seen from the world below, resulting in slight drops in frame rate. |
Quest | During the 'Deferred Advance' quest, retrying or abandoning the Ultimate Weapon fight when Blackstar's Health is depleted causes Blackstar's Health to not fully recover. |
Gameplay | Attempting to steal fruit at the back of a stall results in the character becoming unresponsive to controls. |
Gameplay | When receiving damage while holding a tree, the character can become stuck to the tree. |
Gregor, the Halberd of Carnage: if surrounding objects are destroyed at the same time the character dies, the character cannot revive and progress. | |
Under certain conditions, applied settings are not saved after restoring settings. | |
Quest | While progressing through some quests, the next objective is not automatically tracked. |
Graphics | When using FSR4 upscaling, an issue occurs in rainy environments where rain disappears, or the screen becomes blurry or distorted. |
Platform | The game cannot be launched properly on Xbox ROG Ally and Xbox PC. |
Platform | Xbox: the fishing reel-in function does not work properly when the 'Invert Right Stick Y-Axis' setting is enabled. |
Some players are unable to claim Steam pre-order bonus and deluxe pack items. (Under investigation) | |
Some Collector's Edition Ultimate Pack purchasers are unable to claim their items. (Under investigation) | |
Stability | PlayStation 5: using the Map menu sometimes results in crashes. |
Players experiencing these issues are directed to Pearl Abyss support and the official Known Issues notice for the latest status updates.
Community Reception
The day-one patch was generally well-received by players, particularly the addition of the Abyss Gear tutorial and the Tenebrum checkpoint fix. The removal of the bear's instant-kill damage addressed a frequent point of frustration noted in pre-release reviews. However, some players noted that the patch did not include a full cutscene skip option, only faster fast-forwarding for previously viewed scenes. The game launched with 'Mixed' user reviews on Steam, with the patch helping to address several of the most commonly reported complaints.
Subsequent Patches
Four days after launch, Pearl Abyss released Patch 1.00.03 on March 23, 2026. This follow-up update addressed several issues that remained after the Day One patch, including the PS5 Map menu crash, DualSense controller vibration on Windows, and the overall difficulty curve. The patch also introduced Private Storage (240 slots), new keyboard shortcuts ([I] for Inventory, [K] for Skills, [J] for Journal, [M] for Map), and a significant change to Bismuth Ore mining that removed the electrical attack requirement. Combat was rebalanced with reduced enemy and boss Health and Attack values, and Arm Wrestling QTE difficulty was lowered. For the full list of changes, see the Patch Notes page.