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Pearl Abyss's Crimson Desert sells 2 million copies on day of release

Published: 22 Mar. 2026, 17:07

Pearl Abyss' new game Crimson Desert surpassed 2 million copies in sales on the day of its release. [PEARL ABYSS]

Pearl Abyss, a Korean game developer, sold more than 2 million copies of its new game Crimson Desert on its release on Friday, marking the first time a Korean packaged game has sold 2 million copies on the day of release.

Crimson Desert drew early success, recording a peak of around 240,000 concurrent users on the global game distribution platform Steam on Friday, according to the publisher on Sunday.

Pearl Abyss spent over seven years developing the action-adventure title. The sales pace outstrips previous successful Korean package games — Lies of P by Neowiz reached 1 million copies in one month, and Stellar Blade by Shift Up did so in three days. It also stands up well against global blockbuster titles. Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem, released last month, sold 5 million copies within five days.

“It is even more noteworthy because the achievement comes from a new intellectual property [IP], not a sequel based on an established IP,” an industry official said.

The early momentum was driven in part by global recognition and expectations built by Pearl Abyss’s previous title, Black Desert. The game generated 63 billion won ($42 million) in the fourth quarter of last year, remaining a key revenue source more than eight years after its release. The company also drew attention by showcasing visually striking gameplay created using hundreds of action cameras for motion capture.

Crimson Desert surpassed 3 million wishlists on Steam even before its release. A day before launch, it ranked No. 1 on Steam’s global top sellers chart.

Players praised the game’s flashy action and impactful combat, but criticism followed regarding its storyline and PC controls. Despite its strong initial sales, the share of positive reviews on Steam stood at 61 percent shortly after release. Pearl Abyss’s stock, which had risen more than 70 percent since December on anticipation for the game, fell by more than 30 percent between Thursday and Friday.

“The evaluation overseas is gradually improving,” a company official said. “We will listen closely to diverse feedback and make improvements quickly.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM MIN-JEONG [[email protected]]