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How Long to Beat Crimson Desert - Version 4 vs Version 5
Apr 3, 2026, 08:11 AM
Accuracy fix: Fix main story time: 60-80 → 50-80 hours
Apr 27, 2026, 04:57 PM
Cleaned punctuation and AI-style phrasing (2026-04-27)
11How Long to Beat Crimson Desert22Crimson Desert is a large open-world action RPG with a sprawling main story and hundreds of hours of side content. The time it takes to beat the game depends heavily on how much optional content you engage with.44Playtime Estimates66PlaystyleEstimated HoursWhat's IncludedMain Story Only50 to 80 hoursCompleting the Prologue, 12 main chapters, and Epilogue with minimal detours.Main Story + Side Content100 to 180 hoursMain story plus side quests, exploration, faction quests, cooking, crafting, and moderate boss hunting.Completionist150+ hoursEverything: all quests, all achievements/trophies, all bosses, all collectibles, and full map exploration.88Why the Range Is So Wide99The wide range in estimates reflects the game's design. Crimson Desert does not scale enemy difficulty to your level, so players who skip side content will encounter much steeper difficulty spikes during the main story. Most players naturally end up engaging with a significant amount of side content just to stay strong enough for later chapters.1111Additionally, some chapters lack fast travel points along the main quest path, forcing you to go off the beaten trail just to activate teleporters. This naturally adds exploration time even for players trying to focus exclusively on the story.1313Content Scale1515The world of Pywel is packed with content:1717Content TypeAmountMain Story Quest Steps168Total Quests (including side content)430+Bosses76NPCs467Territories573Factions110Mounts291919Chapter Structure2020The main story spans a Prologue, 12 chapters, and an Epilogue. For a detailed breakdown of each chapter, see the Game Progress Route guide. Here is a summary of the chapter titles:21+The main story spans a Prologue, 12 chapters, and an Epilogue. For a detailed breakdown of each chapter, see the Game Progress Route guide. This summary lists the chapter titles:2222ChapterTitlePrologueDead of NightChapter 1The First EncounterChapter 2Golden GreedChapter 3Howling HillChapter 4The Price of KnowledgeChapter 5Guest UnbiddenChapter 6Cracks in the ShieldChapter 7HomecomingChapter 8Blood CoronationChapter 9The Sage of the DesertChapter 10CounterattackChapter 11Truth and RealityChapter 12The AbyssEpilogueJourney's End2424Chapter 9 (The Sage of the Desert) is the longest chapter, with six arcs: The Calling, Shattered Ties, Thinning Blade, Six Statues and the Beast, Veiled Witch, and Enlightenment.2525Estimated Time per Section2727These estimates assume a balanced playthrough that mixes main story progression with moderate side content and exploration:2929SectionEstimated HoursPrologue1 to 2Chapters 1 to 310 to 15Chapters 4 to 615 to 25Chapters 7 to 920 to 30Chapters 10 to 1210 to 15Epilogue2 to 33131Tips for Faster Completion3232Follow the orange markers on your map to stay on the main quest path.Activate Abyss Nexus fast travel points as soon as you find them to reduce backtracking.Sell loot frequently to afford better equipment, which speeds up combat encounters.Use cooking to prepare healing meals before boss fights so you do not have to retry as often.Skip optional content only if you are confident your gear and skills can handle the upcoming story missions.3434Tips for a Thorough Playthrough3636Take your time between chapters to explore each region thoroughly.Complete Request quests and faction quests for additional story context and strong equipment rewards.Build NPC trust with merchants to unlock trade agreements that centralize shopping at your camp.Hunt optional bosses for high-tier equipment drops.Check the Beginner's Guide and Game Progress Route for recommended progression strategies.3838Comparison to Other Open-World RPGs4040GameMain StoryCompletionistCrimson Desert50 to 80 hours150+ hoursElden Ring50 to 60 hours130+ hoursThe Witcher 350 to 70 hours170+ hoursRed Dead Redemption 250 to 60 hours170+ hoursZelda: Tears of the Kingdom50 to 60 hours150+ hours4242Crimson Desert sits comfortably among the largest open-world RPGs in terms of content volume. Its main story is on the longer end, and the completionist route provides well over 150 hours of gameplay.
