Crimson Desert Gets New Patch as Players Report Major Bugs Before DLC Launch

Pearl Abyss continues updating Crimson Desert as its major Charting the Unknown expansion approaches its October release date.

Pearl Abyss appears to be working on Crimson Desert behind the scenes as the game nears the release of its big planned DLC, Charting the Unknown. There are recent updates in SteamDB that imply construction is underway, and the expansion itself was updated a few days before its scheduled release on October 15.

The next expansion is bringing a lot of new stuff to the game, including marine stuff, castles, and real estate-related features. Pearl Abyss has not shared all the details on these upgrades, but previous updates have targeted improvements to features that may become more relevant as players spend more time delving and decorating indoors.

A recent update brought cross-save functionality for Mac, as well as fixes for a number of bugs with quests, housing, combat, visuals, and advancement. One of the fixes was for a problem that prevented NPC belongings from appearing when shined on with a lamp. Pearl Abyss also fixed a problem where accommodation would not be accessible after raising the banner at Howling Hill Camp when the inventory was full.

Other fixes include problems with the Thornbriar Fortress liberation, trade goods disappearing after loading certain saves, and a missing letter that might halt quest progression. The patch also addressed problems with chaining the Descending Force Bomb after the Aerial Force Bomb and instances where UI text would jitter unexpectedly.

One crucial fix was for crashes that could happen when starting a new game with DLSS frame generation enabled. Pearl Abyss also cleaned up the visual clutter showing up on armor indoors, which can become more apparent as players spend more time inside their castles and other estates.

Pearl Abyss seems to be working on a big expansion for Crimson Desert, judging by the most recent patches.

The studio has previously enhanced interior illumination, and the latest armor-related tweak suggests that visual presentation inside these areas is still a goal. The patch also resolved an issue with a crow cloth blindfold that appeared odd. There’s a public patch note for 2.02, but the community has put up a list of all known bugs.

The list focused on gameplay, world exploration, controls, UI, visuals, mounts, performance, and other systems, offering players a detailed look at issues they’d like Pearl Abyss to improve in future releases. Players of Crimson Desert have compiled a long list of bugs that will need to be fixed in future updates.

Bugs mentioned include being unable to do an aerial swing mid-flight and some gear and restoration operations not working. Royal Trading has also been the source of confusion, as the availability appears to be inconsistent. The community notes that the behavior might have changed after version 2.0, rather than being a glitch.

Some interface and control problems have been reported. Vendor stock shown on the map is not always navigable with a gamepad, and certain vendors may not have resupply timers. The first arrow shot can also be misfired. Loading saves can cause repeated Outlaws notice false messages about the liberation of a camp.

The community study also found confusion in the dispatch and research information. Some of the dispatch awards are not explained effectively, some of the research activities do not show progress percentages, and the interface may continue to show silver even after camp monies are used to start research. Newbies often find these contradictions especially baffling.

There are still issues about the visual aspects. Certain camera transitions could lead to graphical problems, and equipped-weapon settings can occasionally result in a bow appearing after flying or getting out of bed. Some combinations of clothing/jewelry/headpieces/armor may create sight issues.

There are still some visual issues observed with armor, maps, mounts, and exploration.

There are known challenges of map exploration itself. Strongboxes may not be displayed correctly on the minimap. Rare gatherables may not appear as obtained. Certain trade routes may be displayed on the main map but not on the minimap. More importantly, the community has found a bug where various mounts are unavailable depending on the order locations are completed.

Possible mounts include the rose horn deer, boar, swift wolf, and raptor. Performance is still a concern for some users, especially on the base PS5. While the community report mentions speed issues and crashes after version 2.0, it also mentions instances of unexpected changes in lighting behavior. “There’s still a desire for a larger optimization update, but it might be more relevant as we get closer to the expansion.

The community has also questioned the explanation of some newly introduced systems. From what I can tell, the new system seems to work differently for Royal Trading, with various spawn locations for Royal Trading wagons and limits on how many places can be active at a time. But more testing and clarification are needed to determine the exact behavior.

Some gamers are not happy with the release of Crimson Desert's Middle East expansion.

But terrible news for several localities too. The report states that the expansion Crimson Desert has been canceled in several regions and that the players in the Middle East are the most affected. Pearl Abyss said it will stop accepting pre-orders in some regions and that refunds would either be automatic or require users to go through the standard refund process on its platform.

It speculates that the relationship or romance-related elements in the game are tied to the geographical situations, yet Pearl Abyss has not confirmed this and should be seen as speculation rather than a proven cause. Meanwhile, Una is getting renewed attention, whose wrestling-focused combat style can radically change boss encounters in Crimson Desert.

The upcoming DLC can also bring the game’s playable characters together more often in the story, providing players the option to experiment more with different combat methods. The score has ignited a debate regarding its effect on the game's awards hopes; however, the game's world-building, visual direction, and gameplay are strong compliments, while also noting complaints about its story and latter sections.

There’s also some debate about the game’s chances of winning Game of the Year, with a reported metascore of 77. With Charting the Unknown’s arrival, Pearl Abyss still has time to resolve some of the community’s concerns. The recent patches show continued production work, and the huge community problem list gives the studio different areas that could potentially be addressed in future releases.