Developed by Pearl Abyss, the studio behind Black Desert Online, Crimson Desert naturally carries over elements rooted in MMO design.
Originally envisioned as a prequel tied to Black Desert Online, the project has since transformed into a massive single-player open-world action adventure. That shift has allowed the game to retain the scale and systemic depth of an MMO while delivering a more focused, story-driven experience — one that has captured the attention not just of fans, but of fellow developers as well.
A battle from Crimson Desert/Pearl Abyss
One of those developers is Matt Firor of The Elder Scrolls Online, who has been particularly impressed by what Crimson Desert is trying to achieve. Speaking with MinnMax, Firor described the game as “fantastic,” noting that its approach to blending MMO-scale systems into a single-player experience feels both innovative and long overdue.
“For those game developers listening, or people who want to be game developers, the online tech side of MMOs is never discussed and it should be, because it’s usually the hardest part of the project,” Firor said.
That “hardest part” is something Pearl Abyss has, in a sense, circumvented by focusing on a single-player structure. As Firor put it, “Being able to make a single-player MMO is almost like cheating to me. Why didn’t anyone think of this before?”
He also highlighted how the game embraces a more old-school design philosophy. Rather than guiding players every step of the way, Crimson Desert encourages discovery through experimentation. Firor admitted that even after dozens of hours, he still finds himself learning new things, often without fully understanding the systems at play.
“It reminds me a lot of the old days of gaming,” he said. “There’s not a lot of handholding, and no one really knows what’s going on. You just figure it out yourself.”
That lack of handholding is part of what makes the experience so compelling for him. Even deep into his playtime, Firor says he’s still uncovering new mechanics and possibilities, reinforcing the sense that Crimson Desert is less about following a set path and more about forging your own.
“I don’t know what the hell I’m doing in the game,” Firor added. “It doesn’t handhold you at all. I’ve played dozens of hours at this point, and I’m still like, ‘Oh, I can do that. I can do that’”.
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