Crimson Desert
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Charting the Unknown arrives on Oct 29, 2026Crimson Desert's first DLC, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam and the Epic Games Store at 3 p.m. PT (22:00 UTC), Pearl Abyss's announced time

8Days19Hours26Minutes46Seconds

Side Activities and Minigames

Beyond the main story, Crimson Desert has faction quests, bounties, fishing, hunting, trading, Re-Blockade battles and minigames such as duels, arm wrestling, Duo, a claw machine, Pinball and Orb Roll, most of them added or reworked in free updates since launch on Mar 19, 2026.

Beyond the main story, Crimson Desert fills Pywel with faction quests, bounties, fishing, hunting, trading, battles to retake strongholds and minigames such as duels, arm wrestling, Duo, a claw machine, Pinball and Orb Roll. Digital Foundry's PS5 Pro deep dive describes a game that "almost sounds like a fake game": drifting a horse around fields, "stumbling into a giant circus performance", the "great bug wars between giant metallic insects and gun-toting soldiers", becoming "a wanted criminal" in a city and escaping off its castle wall. Many of these activities came, or were rebuilt, in free updates after launch, listed below with the patch that added each.

Beside a clear, shallow stream running between rocks and bright green grass, a man in dark armor with a round shield on his back holds a fishing rod, its line reaching into the water. Wooden buildings sit on a rocky ledge at left, and pine trees and a pale cliff rise behind under a cloudy sky.
A man with a round shield on his back casts a fishing line into a clear mountain stream lined with grass and pines, below wooden buildings on the rocks in an official Steam store screenshot of Crimson Desert. Pearl Abyss

Quick facts

Faction quests One questline per house or group, such as House Serkis, House Roberts and the Pailune Militia
Bounties Tie up outlaws and bring them to a Constabulary
Fishing Rods, fish traps (since 1.08.00) and a camp pond
Trading 133 new trading posts, royal trading posts and 7 wagon workshops (1.16.00, Aug 1, 2026)
Re-Blockade Retake liberated strongholds (1.05.00, May 2, 2026)
Claw machine The Laughing Marionette (1.06.00, May 11, 2026)
Pinball The inn near the Delesyian Institute (1.10.00, Jun 5, 2026)
Orb Roll The Great Gate of Urdavah (1.10.00)
Other minigames Duo, Arm Wrestling, Unarmed and All-Out Duels, Marksmanship and Archery Contests

Faction quests and side quests

Pywel's houses and groups each have their own questlines. Game Rant's quest list names House Serkis, House Celeste, House Roberts, the Pailune Militia, the Skoghorn Tribe, the Redfox Merchants and the Lords of Unclaimed Lands among them (Game Rant, Apr 1, 2026), and Pearl Abyss's patch notes name their missions, such as House Roberts' "Estate in Dismay". Some faction quests give a Refinement Token. Damiane and Oongka can take on side quests on their own once they join, and since 1.18.00 a Quests knowledge category records the ones you finish (notes). The main story is on Main Quests and Chapters.

Greeting the people you meet builds Trust, and merchants give discounts once it is high, according to TheGamer's tips.

Bounties and crime

Pywel's law notices what you do. Digital Foundry found that townsfolk first just "fall back and avoid your blade", but keep swinging and the guards come for you while the crowd heads for the exit "as a group" in a panic. Crimes put a bounty on Kliff; while you are wanted, the bank still serves you but you cannot deposit gold bars or update investment funds (1.03.00), and TheGamer says you pay off your own bounty at a church.

Bounty hunting works the other way. Take a bounty notice, catch the outlaw, tackle and tie them up, and deliver them to a Constabulary; since 1.04.00 a player whose own bounty is too high is arrested on arrival instead and there are more Constabularies in southern Hernand and in eastern, western and southern Demeniss (notes), and since 1.08.00 you can silence a tied-up outlaw (notes).

In tall golden grass among trees with red and orange leaves, a man in a dark coat with a round metal shield on his back and a sword in hand stands beside a tall wooden post. A sheet of paper with a drawn face is nailed to the post, and a round iron pot hangs from a beam above.
A swordsman with a round shield on his back stands by a wooden post with a paper notice pinned to it, among red and gold autumn trees, with a hanging iron pot in an official Steam store screenshot of Crimson Desert. Pearl Abyss

Fishing and hunting

Fishing takes a rod; on a controller you rotate the right stick to reel in. Pearl Abyss has kept improving it: a guide on screen while you wait and higher selling prices for fish (1.06.00); fish traps that catch fish (1.08.00); and fixes for fishing in the ocean and for extra-large catches such as the Striped Marlin. Since 1.08.00 a pond at the Greymane Camp keeps the fish you release, where they breed, with room for one legendary fish. Caught fish can be eaten or cooked (see Cooking and Crafting).

Hunting is part of life in Pywel too, and catching its legendary animals gives extra rewards (1.01.00). A bird pet with the Hunter's Sigil (1.13.00) fetches prey for you; see Pets.

Trading

Trading means buying goods in one place and selling them where they fetch more. Pearl Abyss's 2024 "50 Minutes of Early Gameplay", a pre-release build, shows Kliff at a roadside camp of tents, crates and wagons, talking with a man in yellow. Patch 1.16.00 on Aug 1, 2026 overhauled the system (notes):

  • 133 new trading posts appear as you progress certain quests, and posts hard to reach by wagon pay more.
  • Royal trading posts pay four times the price for trade goods, and a wagon no longer disappears after delivering there.
  • 7 wagon workshops across Pywel package and load goods as stops along the way.
  • 24 new kinds of high-value trade goods and 4 regular ones; prices fall when too many are sold in one place.
  • A "Trade" tab on the map shows posts, royal posts, workshops and wagon routes, with market prices and filters.

Pearl Abyss's June roadmap had promised to fix "non-combat content, such as trading and farming" (Jun 2, 2026).

Minigames

Pywel's towns have games to play, each from a patch:

  • Duo, a game played with NPCs in towns such as Tommaso; get caught cheating and you are sent to the Constabulary.
  • Arm Wrestling, its timing presses made easier in 1.00.03, and the Marksmanship and Archery Contests, made easier the same day (notes).
  • Duels, including Unarmed Duels and All-Out Duels, with foul rules adjusted in 1.11.00 and 1.12.00.
  • The claw machine at the Laughing Marionette, since 1.06.00: its capsules hold 12 kinds of lighting, a chair, a special headgear, Abyss Artifacts and Abyss Gears (notes).
  • Pinball at the inn near the Delesyian Institute, since 1.10.00, with a Marni Token Exchange for its tokens; 1.11.00 lowered its difficulty (notes).
  • Orb Roll at the Great Gate of Urdavah, since 1.10.00, whose prizes include a Material Box of Fortune, an Abyss Artifact, Artifact Chests, a golden apple, carpets and lights.

Re-Blockade

Strongholds you free in the story can be fought over again. In IGN's 13 minutes of gameplay a commander warns that "the enemy has seized our outposts and constructed watchtowers" and that Kliff will "need to use the cannons to clear your path". Re-Blockade, added in 1.05.00 on May 2, 2026 "to keep the sense of challenge alive" once regions were liberated, lets enemies retake them in Stable, Conflict and War states (notes). Since 1.08.00 it also happens at bandit camps and ruins, and 1.10.00 added Battle and Reconstruct stages and rewards of contribution, provisions and trade goods for liberating a stronghold. Its partner from the same patch, fighting bosses again, is on Boss Rematch.

In Charting the Unknown

The DLC adds business. Its reveal trailer shows a dock seen from above as an item is placed, then a menu listing people, and a man at work at an open-air counter by the sea; the Steam page says you will "rent and manage a variety of facilities to earn your fortune", sail a ship to new islands and dive for underwater treasures. Charting the Unknown comes out on Oct 29, 2026 at 22:00 UTC.

Photo mode and the video contest

Photo mode freezes Pywel for a still image. Digital Foundry walked down to the shore "to check out the water and take in the view" and "was ready to capture the scene". Pearl Abyss added a photo mode shortcut in 1.08.00, camera tilt in 2.01.00 and "Precise Movement" in 2.03.00 (notes).

Players' own videos had a contest: "Beyond the Abyss: Community Challenge" took short (under a minute) and long (1 to 3 minutes) videos of in-game footage from Jun 12 to Jul 12, 2026, and the winners, named on Aug 3, won a trip to Pearl Abyss's headquarters in Korea (Steam news).

Frequently asked questions

How do you fish in Crimson Desert? In Crimson Desert you cast a fishing rod into water and reel the fish in (on a controller, by rotating the right stick); since patch 1.08.00 fish traps also catch fish, and a pond at the Greymane camp keeps the fish you release.

Where is the claw machine in Crimson Desert? Crimson Desert's claw machine is at the Laughing Marionette, added in patch 1.06.00 on May 11, 2026; its prizes include lighting, a chair, a special headgear, Abyss Artifacts and Abyss Gears.

Where is the pinball in Crimson Desert? Crimson Desert's Pinball machine is at the inn near the Delesyian Institute, added in patch 1.10.00 on Jun 5, 2026, and its tokens go to the Marni Token Exchange.

How do bounties work in Crimson Desert? In Crimson Desert you take a bounty notice, tackle and tie up the outlaw, and deliver them to a Constabulary; your own bounty from crimes is paid off at a church, according to TheGamer.

How does trading work in Crimson Desert? In Crimson Desert you buy trade goods at one trading post and sell them where they pay more; patch 1.16.00 (Aug 1, 2026) added 133 trading posts, royal trading posts that pay four times the price, 7 wagon workshops and a Trade tab on the map.

What minigames are in Crimson Desert? Crimson Desert's minigames include Duo, Arm Wrestling, Unarmed and All-Out Duels, Marksmanship and Archery Contests, a claw machine (since 1.06.00), Pinball and Orb Roll (since 1.10.00).

Is there arm wrestling in Crimson Desert? Yes. Crimson Desert has an Arm Wrestling minigame, whose timing presses Pearl Abyss made easier in patch 1.00.03 on Mar 23, 2026.

Sources

Moments

Crimson Desert on PlayStation 5 Pro - The Digital Foundry Deep Dive

Digital Foundry

  1. Beyond the main story, Crimson Desert fills Pywel with faction quests, bounties, fishing, hunting, trading, battles to…
  2. Pywel's law notices what you do. Digital Foundry found that townsfolk first just "fall back and avoid your blade", but…
  3. Photo mode freezes Pywel for a still image. Digital Foundry walked down to the shore "to check out the water and take…

50 Minutes of Early Gameplay | Crimson Desert

Crimson Desert

  1. Trading means buying goods in one place and selling them where they fetch more. Pearl Abyss's 2024 "50 Minutes of…

Crimson Desert - 13 Minutes of Gameplay

IGN

  1. Strongholds you free in the story can be fought over again. In IGN's 13 minutes of gameplay a commander warns that…

Crimson Desert Enhanced: Charting the Unknown | Official DLC Reveal Trailer

Crimson Desert

  1. The DLC adds business. Its reveal trailer shows a dock seen from above as an item is placed, then a menu listing…

Photos

In tall golden grass among trees with red and orange leaves, a man in a dark coat with a round metal shield on his back and a sword in hand stands beside a tall wooden post. A sheet of paper with a drawn face is nailed to the post, and a round iron pot hangs from a beam above.Beside a clear, shallow stream running between rocks and bright green grass, a man in dark armor with a round shield on his back holds a fishing rod, its line reaching into the water. Wooden buildings sit on a rocky ledge at left, and pine trees and a pale cliff rise behind under a cloudy sky.

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See also

Last updated Oct 21, 2026 by the Vi.ki team. Page text CC BY-SA 4.0.

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