Loading...
Loading...
Headgear Visibility
May 8, 2026 at 07:20 AM
Applied Title Case to body headings
Headgear Visibility is a display option added to Crimson Desert in Patch 1.02.00, released on April 4, 2026. It lets players control whether their character's equipped helmet is rendered on screen, independent of the gear's actual equip state. The headgear continues to provide its full defense, resistance, and any set bonuses while being hidden from view, so the toggle is purely cosmetic and has no gameplay impact.
The setting applies globally to all three playable characters: Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka. Whichever option is chosen carries over whenever you swap control between them, so there is currently no per-character override. It is a single global toggle rather than three individual ones.
Open the main menu and navigate to:
Others > Settings > Language and Gameplay > Headgear Visibility
The option appears in the same panel as language selection, accessibility options, and other general gameplay toggles introduced in patch 1.02.00. Changes apply immediately after selection without requiring a restart or zone transition.
Headgear Visibility offers four discrete settings, each pulled directly from the official Pearl Abyss patch notice.
Setting | Behavior | Best For |
|---|---|---|
Always Show | The equipped helmet is rendered at all times: exploration, combat, dialogue, and every cutscene. This is the default and matches the launch behavior of the game. | Players who want their gear's visual identity to remain consistent with its stat profile. |
Show in Combat | The helmet is rendered only while the character is in an active combat state. Outside of combat the headgear is hidden and the character's face is visible. | Players who want gameplay immersion during fights but their character's face during exploration and cinematics. |
Hide in Cutscenes | The helmet is rendered during normal gameplay, including combat and exploration, but is automatically hidden whenever the game enters a story cutscene. Once the cutscene ends and control returns, the headgear reappears. | Players who want full armor for gameplay but Kliff's face during major story moments. |
Always Hide | The headgear is never rendered in any situation. The character appears bareheaded at all times. Stats and set bonuses from the equipped helmet still apply normally. | Players who want a transmog-to-nothing look or who want to show off custom hairstyles and facial features. |
Pearl Abyss added Headgear Visibility in direct response to one of the most consistent community requests after the game's March 2026 launch. Steam, the official Discord, and Reddit all surfaced complaints that story cutscenes played with Kliff's face entirely concealed beneath whatever helmet the player had equipped, undercutting the emotional weight of dialogue and major story beats.
The 1.02.00 patch notes added the feature with the following text: a Headgear Visibility option in Settings, Language and Gameplay, with options Always Show, Show in Combat, Hide in Cutscenes, and Always Hide. Pearl Abyss also confirmed in the same notice that a similar option for hiding weapons displayed on the character's back is planned for a future update.
The setting is a single global toggle. It applies equally to Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka. You cannot set different visibility modes for different playable characters.
Hiding the headgear is purely cosmetic. Defense, elemental resistances, enchantment effects, and any set bonuses from the hidden piece remain fully active. There are no stat drawbacks for choosing Always Hide.
The toggle controls the helmet slot only. It does not hide other gear pieces such as armor, gloves, cloaks, or weapons.
A weapon visibility toggle is planned but not yet implemented as of patch 1.02.00.
NPC and enemy headgear is unaffected. The setting only applies to the three playable characters.
Changes take effect immediately and persist across sessions without needing a restart.
If you enjoy min-maxing but dislike seeing a bulky helmet during conversations, Hide in Cutscenes is the most balanced choice. You keep combat immersion while the story still lands properly.
Show in Combat gives you a clean silhouette for screenshots and exploration but a fully armored look the moment a fight breaks out.
Always Hide turns every helmet into a stat stick, which is useful if you want custom hairstyles and facial features from character customization to remain visible.
Swap between options freely. Because the setting is purely visual, there is no penalty for changing it mid-playthrough or even mid-quest.
Armor, Character Customization, Kliff, Damiane, Oongka, Patch 1.02.00.
A recent patch extended the existing Headgear Visibility toggle with a sibling option for weapons. You can now hide the weapons stowed on your character's back, both melee and ranged, without unequipping them. The setting lives in the in-game menu under Settings, then the Others tab, then Language and Gameplay.
Melee weapons can be toggled as a single group or set per individual loadout slot, so you can keep one signature weapon visible (handy for screenshot or thumbnail framing of items like the Darkbringer) while hiding the rest. For ranged weapons such as bows, you have two states: always show, or only appear when actively in use. The "only when used" option is the cleanest setting for ranged loadouts, since a bow that pops into existence the instant you nock an arrow looks more natural than one that floats permanently behind your shoulder.
Combined with the existing headgear hide toggle and individual cloak hood interactions, this gives a much fuller silhouette control suite without forcing you to constantly swap gear at a campfire.
