Pywel

Pywel is the continent where Crimson Desert takes place. It stretches from snow-blasted mountains and green highlands to arid deserts and steampunk industrial zones, all connected without a single loading screen.

Map scale

During the New Game+ Showcase in January 2026, producer Will Powers said the playable area is "at least twice as big as the open world, the playable area, of Skyrim" and "larger than the map of Red Dead Redemption 2." He followed this up by noting that "size doesn't really matter if there's nothing to do," stressing that the team focused on density of content rather than raw acreage.

The entire continent is fully seamless. No loading screens between regions, cities, interiors, or even the floating Abyss islands high above the surface. You can walk, ride, climb, glide, or fly from any point to any other point without interruption.

The five regions

Pywel is divided into five regions, each functioning as its own country with distinct environments, cultures, and factions. Will Powers described them as reflecting "the variety of our reality, in which some countries feel much more futuristic than others." The main story takes players progressively through each region, though the open world allows exploration in any order.

Pailune

Pailune is the northernmost region of the continent and the homeland of the Greymanes, once unified under the great leader Gian. With Gian's death, the region has been plunged into chaos as the surviving Greymanes fight to uphold his will against the Black Bear forces who seek to destroy his legacy. Your journey begins here, reuniting the scattered Greymanes to rebuild the faction and reclaim your homeland. The landscape features green highlands, rugged terrain, and open grasslands where wild horses roam.

Hernand

Hernand is both a region and a major city, home to medieval architecture with towering castles and fortifications. Its streets are populated by a mix of fantasy races including giants and antlered elf-like beings.

Key locations include Hernand Castle, where Kliff infiltrates using Hernandian Banquet Attire to access the Abyss. The Reed Devil terrorizes the citizens as the bogeyman called 'The Devil of the Reed Fields.' The surrounding countryside has forests and rivers, making it strong territory for logging and fishing.

Demeniss

Demeniss is the political and military center of Pywel. The region's king has fallen into a coma, creating a power vacuum that rival factions are racing to fill. Will Powers described Demeniss as the region where geopolitical tensions run highest. Players encounter large-scale battles, fortress sieges, and factional intrigue here.

Delesyia

Delesyia breaks from the rest of Pywel entirely. Will Powers described it on Save State Plus: "They've really adopted technology. So they have mechs, they have flying robots. This is not your typical fantasy. This is almost leaning a little bit more towards steampunk when you're in this region."

Dwarven engineers have created combat mechs armed with machine guns, rockets, and EMP pulses. Flying battle robots patrol the skies. The architecture looks nothing like the rest of the continent. Delesyia appears fourth in the narrative sequence, placing its technology in the mid-to-late game. See the Delesyia article for details.

The Crimson Desert

The Crimson Desert is the titular region: a vast expanse of crimson sands across the southern portion of the continent. Red-orange sand and towering rock formations contrast sharply with the frozen north and green heartlands. This arid wasteland is outlaw territory, far from the law and order of the central regions, and is believed to hold the continent's deepest secrets.

Beyond the surface: the Abyss Islands

High above Pywel float the Abyss Islands, accessed through portals unlocked with mysterious Abyss Artifacts. These floating landmasses sit among the clouds and represent some of the game's most challenging content. Fragments of the Abyss are falling to the lands below, scattering dangerous power across Pywel. Dark forces seek to exploit these fragments, and restoring the Abyss's broken balance is central to the story.

Biome diversity

The five regions create dramatic environmental variety:

• Green highlands and grasslands Rolling fields in Pailune and parts of Hernand where wild horses graze and farms dot the landscape

• Dense forests Thick woodlands in Hernand providing lumber and shelter for wildlife

• Frozen peaks Snow-covered mountains in northern Pywel with inhospitably cold conditions

• Arid desert The Crimson Desert's red sands, towering rock formations, and punishing heat

• Medieval cities Hernand's castles and fortifications, Demeniss's military strongholds

• Industrial zones Delesyia's steampunk architecture, workshops, and mechanical infrastructure

Traversal

Getting around Pywel involves multiple travel modes that unlock as the game progresses:

• On foot Walking, running, climbing cliff faces, swimming

• Horseback The primary travel method. Wild horses can be tamed or purchased. A horse sliding mechanic lets you power-slide around corners.

• Crow Wings A gliding ability that lets Kliff soar across distances from high points

• Mechs Pilotable combat mechs in Delesyia, usable for both traversal and combat

• Dragon riding Shown in trailer footage, allowing flight above the continent

• Fast travel Traces of the Abyss discovered during exploration unlock fast travel points

Technology

Pywel's technology level is primarily medieval, but new advancements are pushing into a new age. Pistols, cannons, and hand-mounted cannons have been invented, and players can use these firearms alongside traditional weapons. Alchemy allows practitioners to imbue weapons with additional abilities. The technological gap between regions is stark: Delesyia has combat mechs while Pailune still relies on swords and shields. This variance creates political tension explored through faction quests.

Factions and territory

Many of Pywel's quests revolve around factions, houses, and organizations. Some are grand: reclaiming fortresses, defeating formidable foes, shifting the balance of power. Others are quieter, asking you to help residents with everyday problems. Faction reputation determines how regions react to the player. At a war state with a faction, their guards attack on sight. Building relationships through quests and story progression opens regions up.

Knowledge and discovery

Pywel is full of knowledge waiting to be found. Information about inhabitants, wildlife, skills, items, and history can be acquired by talking to NPCs, exploring new areas, reading books, and observing from afar. Knowledge entries provide clues for quests, open paths to new skills, and reveal hidden opportunities.

Life across Pywel

Beyond combat and questing, Pywel has a full set of life skills: farming, fishing, logging, mining, ranching, cooking, alchemy, and smithing. You can fish in rivers, tend crops, carry pigs to pens, stir ingredients at camp cauldrons, mine ore from rock faces. None are mandatory, but all provide tangible benefits. The Greymane Camp serves as a living hub that grows as you invest resources into its construction.