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Overview

Unarmed combat and wrestling is one of the most distinctive elements of Crimson Desert's combat system. Rather than being a separate weapon type that players must equip, bare-handed strikes, kicks, and grapples are always available and can be chained fluidly into any combo alongside weapon attacks. Pearl Abyss has described the system as one where "attacks flow naturally between weapon strikes, bare-hand combat, kicks, and grapples, allowing players to build highly customizable combo chains."

The wrestling system draws heavily from professional wrestling, featuring moves like RKOs, chokeslams, suplexes, and the Giant Swing. Pearl Abyss has cited Samurai Shodown, Final Fight, and King of Fighters as combat inspirations, describing Crimson Desert as "a brawler with some fighting game influences" rather than a traditional action RPG.

How the System Works

Unarmed combat is not a weapon slot that players equip. Instead, bare-handed strikes, kicks, and grapples exist as an always-available combat layer that can be woven into any weapon combo. Kliff can swing a sword, transition into a kick, grab an enemy for a suplex, and follow up with another weapon strike in a single unbroken sequence.

Bare hands have their own damage stat, suggesting the possibility of upgrading bare-knuckle fighting independently of weapon upgrades. This opens the door for dedicated unarmed builds.

Grapple Controls

Grapples are activated by pressing two face buttons simultaneously (Circle + Triangle on PlayStation). The resulting move changes based on directional input:

Kick System

The Triangle button (on PlayStation) is a dedicated, context-sensitive kick button. The type of kick changes based on Kliff's movement state:

Pearl Abyss has confirmed that Taekwondo kicks were motion-captured from actual martial artists.

Confirmed Wrestling Moves

The following wrestling and grapple moves have been confirmed through official trailers and hands-on preview events:

Force Palm

The Force Palm is an additional hand-based ability activated by pressing the right stick (R3). It draws from a separate Spirit meter rather than the stamina pool. The Force Palm has multiple applications:

• Fires a wave of energy from the palm that shoves enemies back

• Can be aimed at the ground to launch Kliff into the air for aerial combos

• Is a mid-air boost for extending aerial time

• Is a guard-breaking low punch against blocking enemies

• Can be elementally enhanced through the Axiom Bracelet

Axiom Bracelet and Elemental Infusion

The Axiom Bracelet is a piece of magical equipment that enables elemental infusions for both weapon and unarmed attacks. It provides three elemental types:

Both weapon strikes and bare-handed attacks can be infused with these elements, allowing for unarmed builds that combine wrestling moves with elemental effects.

Combo Flow

The core combat loop encourages mixing all attack types together. Typical combo patterns described in previews include:

• Parry with sword and shield, switch to spear follow-up, kick, then grapple slam

• Sprinting grab into neckbreaker, followed by an R1 sword stab

• Light and heavy weapon attacks into a dive kick, then transition into a suplex or chokeslam

• Perfect dodge into counter-attack, flowing into a grapple finisher

• Shield bash into a super jump, transitioning into an aerial grapple or dive attack

Skill Tree

Unarmed combat skills are spread across the skill tree's blue branch (Stamina) and green branch (Spirit). Skills are unlocked using Abyss Artifacts found through exploration, combat, and quests. Some abilities can also be learned through observation: watching an NPC or enemy perform a move allows the player to learn it without spending an artifact. For example, Force Palm is learned by observing a story sequence rather than unlocking it manually.

Unarmed Combat Skills (Blue Branch)

The Unarmed Combat skill has a maximum of 5 ranks. Each rank upgrade unlocks additional combo moves and techniques.

Kick Skills (Blue Branch)

Grappling Skills (Blue Branch)

The Grappling skill has a maximum of 5 ranks. Higher ranks unlock additional grab types and follow-up attacks.

Force Palm Skills (Green Branch)

The Force Palm skill has a maximum of 5 ranks. It uses Spirit rather than Stamina and provides a versatile energy-based unarmed attack with multiple follow-up options.

Oongka's Fist Combat

Oongka also has access to unarmed combat through his Fists weapon type. Unlike Kliff's deeply integrated wrestling system, Oongka's fists serve as a dedicated weapon type alongside his War Hammer, Great Axe, and ranged options. His bare-handed strikes have fast recovery between hits, making them ideal for aggressive rushdown against fast-moving opponents. Oongka can still use grappling moves like his signature Body Slam, which has a wider impact zone than Kliff's version due to his greater size and strength.

Skill Learning Through Observation

Some unarmed abilities can only be learned by watching NPCs or enemies perform them during gameplay. When an enemy executes a specific move, the player may receive a prompt to observe and learn it. Force Palm, for instance, is learned through an observation sequence during the story rather than by spending an Abyss Artifact. This mimicry system rewards exploration and attention to combat encounters, as unique moves can be permanently added to the player's repertoire by simply watching them in action.

Recommended Builds

For players interested in focusing on unarmed combat, the Iron Fist Monk build pairs the unarmed skill tree with the Axiom Bracelet to create a dedicated hand-to-hand playstyle. This build prioritizes Force Palm upgrades and elemental imbues to deal consistent damage without relying on traditional weapons. Early game skill guides suggest prioritizing stamina and basic combat skills first, then investing in grapple and Force Palm upgrades in the mid-game once the player has a comfortable health and stamina pool.

Limitations Against Bosses

Wrestling moves are not universally effective. Grapples and throws work against humanoid-sized enemies but are ineffective against very large creatures and bosses:

The Cassius Morten boss fight specifically has a finishing grapple sequence that requires players to chain specific button inputs. If the sequence is entered incorrectly, Kliff gets staggered and takes significant damage, making the grapple mechanic a high-risk, high-reward element of the encounter.

Environmental Interactions

The grapple system extends beyond enemy-to-enemy interactions. Confirmed environmental grapple mechanics include:

• Grappling enemies off their mounts and commandeering the mount for yourself

• Grabbing environmental objects like stakes or banners from the ground to use as improvised weapons

• Kicking enemies off cliffs or into hazards with the standing kick

• Throwing grappled enemies into other enemies, using them as projectiles

Journalist Impressions

The unarmed combat system has been one of the most discussed aspects of Crimson Desert across preview coverage:

• Shacknews: "You get to RKO someone whenever you want" and the system "rewards you for mastering its systems" and "dares you to experiment."

• PCGamesN: "When it clicks it feels like nothing else." Initially found controls complex but ultimately rewarding.

• Windows Central: "I can Chokeslam and Angle Slam enemies in this game? Sign me up now." Called it "so rare to see a fantasy RPG fully embrace a wrestling playstyle."

• GamingTrend: "Blew me away" with combat quality. Found judo throws and grapples rewarding.

• TechRadar: Praised combat depth but noted that many moves require pressing two to three buttons simultaneously.

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