Crimson Desert, the massive open-world action RPG from Pearl Abyss, is still roughly a month out, but the details continue to flow in. And while some still think there’s a catch, marketing director Will Powers has at least confirmed that there won’t be a cash shop for cosmetics.
“This is a premium game. You buy one time, and there I don’t want to say that there’s zero microtransactions – because there are pre-order bonuses that we have – but anything that’s announced and coming at launch is strictly cosmetic,” said Powers on the latest Dropped Frames Podcast.
When asked if there would be a cash shop in-game, he replied, “No, I can say that. There is no cosmetic cash shop. This is made to be a premium experience that you buy, and you enjoy the world and not something for microtransactions.”
It may seem like a strange thing to clarify, but Pearl Abyss is known for its extensive monetization in Black Desert. With Crimson Desert starting as a prequel before spinning off into its own thing, it wouldn’t be surprising if it carried over some of those traits. That it doesn’t is a relief, but “at launch” is worth paying attention to.
Powers previously said that the development team would consider adding more content post-launch if there was a demand. It’s entirely possible then that it provides optional cosmetic-only DLC alongside any potential new features, bosses, quests, playable characters, etc. Of course, time will tell, but it wouldn’t be a first for the industry, much less for games in this price bracket.
Crimson Desert launches on March 19th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. For more details on how you can turn Kliff into a petty criminal, head here.
