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Hot Air Balloon - Version 12 vs Version 13
Apr 25, 2026, 02:03 AM
Added Patch 1.04 Update section covering permanent summonable mount status, cooldown, directional controls, fully upgraded altitude/Abyss tier, and the workshop near the Pororin Research Institute
Apr 27, 2026, 04:45 PM
Cleaned punctuation and AI-style phrasing (2026-04-27)
11Overview22The hot air balloon is one of several aerial traversal methods in Crimson Desert. It provides slow, scenic travel that lets players survey the landscape and spot points of interest from above. Unlike the rapid Crow's Wing glider or the speed of late-game dragon mountsthe balloon emphasizes a leisurely pace suited to sightseeing, scouting, and reaching specific destinations: most notably the floating islands of the Abyss. It is one of 29 confirmed mount and vehicle types in the game.44Controls and operation66Gameplay footage has shown Kliff stepping into the balloon's basket and firing the burner to ascend. The burner is the primary control mechanism: activating it heats the air inside the envelope and causes the balloon to rise. Releasing the burner allows the balloon to slowly descend. Horizontal movement appears to be limited compared to free-flying mounts like the dragon, consistent with how real hot air balloons depend on wind currents rather than powered steering.88The balloon was first shown in official Gamescom trailers and has appeared in subsequent gameplay breakdowns from outlets including preview coverage, The Escapist, and. Whether the balloon can be piloted freely at any time in the open world or is only available at specific story points and fixed locations has not been definitively confirmed. Given the Abyss's importance to the main narrative, the balloon likely serves both as a story-progression tool and an exploration vehicle.1010Connection to the Abyss1212The hot air balloon's primary purpose is reaching the floating islands of the Abyss. The Abyss is a mysterious realm of floating landmasses high above Pyweltied to the game's larger narrative. Fragments of the Abyss are raining down onto the world below, and investigating them is central to the second major storyline. The floating islands are large enough to feature castles and other structures visible from a distance.1414Once on the floating islands, players can use a manipulation tool (compared by previews to Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Ultrahand) to align fragments and solve environmental puzzles. The balloon serves as the bridge between the grounded open world and the supernatural Abyss realm, making it both a traversal tool and a story-progression mechanic. Abyss Fragments and Abyss Gear found on these islands feed into the game's core progression system.15+Once on the floating islands, players can use a manipulation tool (compared by previews to Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Ultrahand) to align fragments and solve environmental puzzles. The balloon is the bridge between the grounded open world and the supernatural Abyss realm, making it both a traversal tool and a story-progression mechanic. Abyss Fragments and Abyss Gear found on these islands feed into the game's core progression system.1616Skydiving1818Players can skydive from the hot air balloon. Gameplay trailers have shown Kliff leaping from the basket at altitude and free-falling toward the ground below. During a skydive, the Crow's Wing glider can be deployed to transition into controlled flightcreating a seamless chain: balloon ascent, free-fallglidingand landing. This chain also works in reverse after exploring an Abyss island; players can leap off the edge of a floating island and glide back down to the surface of Pywel.2020Scouting and sightseeing2222Beyond reaching the Abyss, the balloon functions as a scouting platform. Rising above the landscape reveals terrain features, settlement locationsand points of interest that are hidden at ground level. Players looking for undiscovered Traces of the Abyss fast travel pointshidden chestsor secret areas can use the balloon's altitude to survey a wide area before descending to investigate. The slow pace and panoramic view make it the most effective tool for getting an overview of unfamiliar territory.2424Aerial traversal comparison2626The hot air balloon is one of several ways to travel through the air in Crimson Desert. Each method has a different speed, level of control, and purpose.2828MethodSpeedControlPrimary UseHot Air BalloonSlowVertical (burner); limited horizontalReaching the Abyss floating islands, scouting, sightseeingCrow's WingModerateFull directional glidingDescending from heights, crossing gaps, safe landings. Available early in the main story.Dragon MountFastFull free flightLate-game powered flight anywhere across Pywel. Fastest aerial option.JetpackFastPowered vertical and horizontalRevealed in the launch trailer. Details pending.SkydivingVery fastDownward free-fallRapid descent from cliffs, balloons, or Abyss islands. Transitions into Crow's Wing.3030Crimson Desert's traversal system is designed so that different aerial modes flow into one another. A player can fly in a balloon, skydive out, deploy the Crow's Wing glider, and land directly on a moving horse. See Exploration and Traversal for the full traversal system overview.3131Wagon in the Skies Prerequisite3333The Hot Air Balloon (referred to in-game as the Cloudcart) is not a freely available traversal tool; it is locked behind a specific House Grace mission called Wagon in the Skieswhich itself sits deep inside the long house chain that rewards the Greedy Lightningblade at the Ruined Chapel.3535Unlock Order3737House Celeste opening loop (three Outlaws of Hernand bounties plus the Solumen branch).House Roberts through Border from the Sky.House Circus, House Alfonso, and the Celeste Silk-Spun Citadel boss.House Felix through Shackle Breaking Hammer.Beggars' Alliance through Plague Over the Wall.House Grace Driftton and Pollen Aerry quests, then Wagon in the Skies for the balloon itself.3939Noon Launch Window4141Wagon in the Skies only progresses at in-game noon. If the quest marker refuses to activate when the player arrives at the launch area, rest at the nearby bonfire or campfire and skip time forward to 12:00 PM. The mission will then auto-start and the Cloudcart will lift off as a cutscene sequence that hands controls back to the player mid-flight.4343After Wagon in the Skies completes, the balloon becomes a persistent traversal option from the launch point, and the chain pushes on to Owner of Glenn Bright Manorwhich opens the Kharonso Troll Alliance and its Sleeping Heart mission.4545Patch 1.04 Update4747Patch 1.04 reworked the Hot Air Balloon (referred to in-game as the Cloud Cart) from a single-use consumable into a permanent summonable mount. Once the crafting mission at the workshop is complete, the balloon can be called back into the world from the mount quick slot at any time rather than being consumed on each use. This aligns the balloon with other persistent mounts in the game and removes the earlier requirement to re-craft it for every trip.4949Summon Cooldown5151Each summon is gated by a long cooldown. After the player calls down the balloon and either lands it or dismisses it, the ability cannot be used again for an extended period. The cooldown is meant to keep the balloon from trivializing long-distance travel, since ground mounts and the Crow's Wing glider remain the intended options for short and medium hops. Plan each summon for a meaningful traversal goal (scouting a new region, slipping into the Abyss, or reaching a specific altitude-locked point) rather than treating the balloon as a replacement for ordinary mounts.5353Directional Controls5555Directional inputs now register on the balloon. In earlier builds the balloon could only ascend and descend as the burner heated or cooled the envelope, with horizontal position drifting passively. Post-patch, pushing forward, back, left, or right on the movement stick produces slow horizontal travel in that direction while the burner controls remain responsible for altitude.5757Horizontal speed is intentionally slow. The balloon is still not a substitute for the dragon or any other free-flying mount when crossing the map; it is fast enough, however, to nudge the basket over a specific cliff edge, center the player above a target landing zone, or follow an airborne landmark as it drifts. Combined with vertical control, the new inputs make precision drops from altitude far easier than before.5959Fully Upgraded Version6161The end-tier balloon is unlocked by completing the full slate of research missions at the Pororin Research Institute. With every research mission finished, the balloon gains two major properties that are not available on the base version:6363Indefinite altitude - The upgraded balloon no longer loses lift when the burner is idle. Once the player reaches a chosen height, the balloon holds that altitude for as long as the player remains on board, freeing the player from constantly feeding the burner to stay aloft.Abyss ingress without teleport - The upgraded balloon can carry the player directly into the Abyss, crossing the normal altitude ceiling without triggering the loading transition or teleport animation that other methods rely on. This allows seamless approaches to floating islands and, with the cooldown respected, repeated manual trips between the surface of Pywel and the Abyss layer.6565See Research Institutes for the full list of missions and the order in which they unlock upgrades. The balloon tier is tied to progress at the institute rather than to the main story chain, so players who want the altitude-holding version should finish the research track before planning extended Abyss traversal runs.6767Crafting Workshop6969The balloon is crafted at the Cloud Cart workshop inside the Ember Wind workshop area, which sits close to the Pororin Research Institute. The workshop is a small cluster of buildings a short ride from the institute's fast-travel point. A new constabulary opened nearby in patch 1.04 as well, so bounty handoffs for regional targets can now be done near the workshop rather than at distant city jails, making the area a useful hub whenever the player visits to repair, summon, or reconfigure the balloon.7171Tier Comparison7373TierHow to UnlockAltitude BehaviorAbyss AccessNotesBase Cloud CartComplete the Cloud Cart crafting mission at the workshop near the Pororin Research Institute.Rises while burner is lit, slowly descends when idle.Reaches the Abyss only via scripted story triggers.Permanent summonable mount with a long cooldown between summons. Directional controls for slow horizontal travel.Upgraded Cloud CartComplete every research mission at the Research Institutes track (Pororin).Maintains altitude indefinitely, no burner upkeep needed.Flies into the Abyss directly, no teleport cutscene.Inherits all base-tier properties (summonable, cooldown, directional controls).7575Tips7676Because the balloon is now a persistent summonable, the Cloud Cart workshop is best treated as a one-time unlock stop rather than a recurring crafting trip. Once the crafting mission is complete, the workshop only needs revisiting if the player wants to reroll cosmetic options or check on a companion dispatched there.Schedule summons around the cooldown. Landing on a floating island, disembarking to explore, and then leaping off with the Crow's Wing glider avoids a second summon and keeps the cooldown in reserve for the next trip.The directional controls are slow on purpose. For serious map crossings, use a ground mount or the dragon and reserve the balloon for altitude-sensitive tasks such as surveying, scouting new fast-travel points, or entering the Abyss layer.Prioritize the Research Institutes track if the Abyss is a focus of your playthrough. The upgraded balloon makes repeated Abyss excursions far less reliant on story gates and scripted launch points, and the indefinite-altitude property turns long photography or scouting sessions into a hands-free activity.
