Crimson Desert Will Have No Microtransactions, Pearl Abyss Says
With its release drawing closer, Crimson Desert continues to position itself as one of the most anticipated premium RPGs in recent years. Developed by Pearl Abyss, the studio best known for long-running online titles, the game marks a major shift in direction toward a fully offline, single-player experience. Naturally, that shift raised concerns among players about monetization, especially given the studio’s MMO background. Pearl Abyss has now moved to clear the air once and for all.
Speaking on the itmeJP podcast, Will Powers, Pearl Abyss’ Director of Marketing, confirmed that Crimson Desert will not feature a cash shop or any form of in-game microtransactions. According to him, the only downloadable items planned at launch are limited to preorder bonuses, and nothing more. The core philosophy behind the project, he explained, is simple: Crimson Desert is designed as a buy-once, play-complete premium RPG, free from the usual worries of paid boosts, premium currencies, or item shops.
Powers also addressed questions around downloadable content directly. While he did not rule out the possibility of DLC entirely in the long term, he emphasized that no additional paid content has been announced at this stage. More importantly, any future expansions would follow a traditional premium model rather than fragmenting the experience. The base game, as promised, will stand fully on its own, with all progression systems, combat upgrades, and powerful gear earned purely through gameplay, exploration, and story progression.
This commitment is especially notable given Pearl Abyss’ history with live-service design. Crimson Desert began its life in 2019 as a project initially linked to the world of Black Desert, but development later pivoted toward a focused single-player RPG. That decision allowed the team to channel its cutting-edge engine, large-scale world design, and cinematic combat systems into a handcrafted narrative experience rather than an endlessly monetized online ecosystem.
Set in the vast continent of Pywell, the story follows Macduff, a hardened mercenary drawn into political turmoil, brutal warfare, and haunting memories from his past. The world itself is designed to be reactive and dense, encouraging players to engage with quests, large-scale battles, and environmental storytelling rather than menu-driven systems. Pearl Abyss has repeatedly stressed that this sense of immersion would be undermined by intrusive monetization, which is why the game is deliberately built without a cash shop from the ground up.
Crimson Desert is scheduled to launch on March 20 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Preorders are already available, with bonus items such as the Khaled Shield included depending on the edition. For players fatigued by aggressive monetization models, this announcement reinforces Crimson Desert’s identity as a throwback to premium RPG design, where skill, time, and curiosity matter far more than how much you spend after checkout.
