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Crimson Desert supports 14 languages for interface text and subtitles, with full human voice acting confirmed in at least three core languages (Korean, English, and Chinese) and the Steam store listing additional audio languages. Pearl Abyss confirmed that all voice acting in the game is performed by human actors. Will Powers, Pearl Abyss's Director of Marketing, stated: "All of our voice acting is by humans." This commitment extends across all supported audio languages, with no AI-generated voices anywhere in the game.
The following languages are supported for interface menus, subtitles, and (where indicated) full voice dubbing, based on the Steam store page listing. Note: Will Powers confirmed Korean, English, and Chinese as core audio languages in a Dropped Frames podcast interview; the additional audio languages shown below are from the Steam store page and may reflect a more recent update, but have not been individually confirmed by Pearl Abyss.
Language | Interface | Subtitles | Full Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
English | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Korean | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Simplified Chinese | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Traditional Chinese | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Japanese | Yes | Yes | Yes |
German | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Spanish (Spain) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Spanish (Latin America) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Brazilian Portuguese | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Russian | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Polish | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Turkish | Yes | Yes | Yes |
French | Yes | Yes | No |
Italian | Yes | Yes | No |
French and Italian have full interface and subtitle localization but no voice dubbing. Players using these languages will hear one of the dubbed audio tracks (English, Korean, or another available language) with French or Italian subtitles displayed.
Will Powers confirmed the core voice acting languages in an interview on the Dropped Frames podcast: "There is voice acting in the game across multiple languages. Korean, English, Chinese, I think right now... but 13 different text localization." He noted that the count may be higher and directed players to the Steam store page for the full list.
Voice acting covers "all mainline NPC" dialogue, including story characters, quest givers, and important side characters. Powers was careful not to claim 100% coverage, noting that some minor NPCs may have limited or no spoken dialogue. The English voice cast was revealed on February 25, 2026, through a "Behind the Voices" video at a fan-fest event, featuring actors like Alec Newman (Kliff), Rebecca Hanssen (Damiane), Stewart Scudamore (Oongka), Peter Bramhill (Yann), Emily Barber (Naira), and Alastair Parker (Myurdin).
Pearl Abyss has explicitly confirmed that Crimson Desert uses no AI-generated voice acting. Every spoken line in every supported audio language was recorded by human actors in a traditional studio setting. This commitment was highlighted in multiple press interviews and the Behind the Voices video. In an industry increasingly exploring AI voice synthesis, Pearl Abyss chose to invest in full human performance across all audio languages.
Players can independently select their text language and audio language from the options menu. This means any combination is possible: English voice acting with Japanese subtitles, Korean audio with German text, or any other pairing of the supported options. Language settings can be changed at any time without restarting the game.
Will Powers described the localization effort as "a massive undertaking" given the game's scale: "It is a massive undertaking to localize a project like this just because of the sheer breadth of it... It's a huge undertaking that takes a long time." The game's development history notes that the August 2025 delay from Late 2025 to Q1 2026 was partially attributed to voice-over work and localization processes.
Localization covers all in-game text: menus, HUD elements, item descriptions, quest logs, dialogue subtitles, tutorial prompts, and loading screen tips. The Knowledge System codex entries, which track hundreds of discoveries across Pywel, are fully translated in all 14 supported languages.
Physical copies purchased outside the Asia region do not include Traditional Chinese or Simplified Chinese language support. Digital purchases through Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation Store, or Xbox Store include all languages regardless of purchase region. Players who want Chinese language support should purchase the digital version or an Asian-region physical copy.
The Steam store page dropdown lists additional languages beyond the 14 confirmed for full interface and subtitle support. These include Thai, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Greek, Indonesian, Hungarian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Finnish, Swedish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. The level of support for these languages (whether they cover the full interface or only partial elements) has not been officially clarified by Pearl Abyss as of the pre-launch period.
