Crimson Desert, Black Desert Online's Successor, Turns Down PS5 Exclusivity Deal

Pearl Abyss, the developer behind the highly anticipated action-adventure game Crimson Desert, has reportedly rejected a Sony offer to make the game a PlayStation exclusive.

Sony's Exclusivity Bid for Crimson Desert Rejected: Pearl Abyss Prioritizes Independent Publishing

Crimson Desert: Release Date and Platforms Still Unconfirmed

Pearl Abyss remains committed to self-publishing Crimson Desert, as stated in their recent earnings call and confirmed to Eurogamer: "In our last quarter earnings call...we revealed that we would publish Crimson Desert independently. We...appreciate our business partners...and are discussing various forms of collaboration with them."

The developer will showcase a playable build of Crimson Desert to media this week in Paris and to the public at G-Star in November. They also clarified that any release date information circulating is purely speculation, stating: "We have not announced any release date yet...We look forward to showcasing a playable Crimson Desert build..."

According to a September investor meeting, Sony attempted to secure Crimson Desert as a PS5 exclusive, potentially delaying or preventing its release on Xbox. However, Pearl Abyss opted for self-publishing, believing it to be the more profitable approach.

While a definitive platform list and release date remain unannounced, Crimson Desert is expected to launch on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox sometime around Q2 2025.