Crimson Desert Boss Explains Why the Game Can't Have Multiplayer Right Now

5 days ago 6

Published Mar 27, 2026, 2:15 PM EDT

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Positive reviews continue to pour in for Crimson Desert, the new single-player open-world adventure developed by Pearl Abyss, but the Greymane gaming community is holding out hope for a multiplayer mode.

Crimson Desert Review

Crimson Desert is a monumental achievement and nearly flawless in open world design.

At a recent shareholder meeting, Pearl Abyss CEO Heo Jin-Young addressed the possibility of Crimson Desert co-op, stating the development team has already attempted to implement it, but they discovered a problem related to hardware limitations.

Crimson Desert Multiplayer and Switch 2 Port Require Graphical Sacrifices

Crimson Desert Multiplayer and Switch 2 Port-1

Crimson Desert's rating continues to climb thanks to its satisfying combat, and endless exploration in a stunning open-world, but the beauty does come at a cost.

A game of this scale, with many complex features and breathtaking environments bustling with insects, animals, and enemies, requires some dependable hardware if you want it to run smoothly.

These hardware requirements have become a substantial speed bump in Pearl Abyss' attempt to introduce multiplayer, as CEO Heo Jin-Young recently stated, "The development team did attempt to implement multiplayer internally," he said. "But given current hardware limitations, there are clear graphical sacrifices required."

Hardware requirements have become a substantial speed bump in Pearl Abyss' attempt to introduce multiplayer

It remains unclear when or if Crimson Desert co-op will materialize, but Heo Jin-Young revealed Pearl Abyss is also working on a Switch 2 Port which shares the same hardware-related problem, "Compared to other consoles, the Switch still has lower specifications, so there are things we would have to give up. Internally, we have begun R&D with interest."

Crimson Desert currently has mostly positive reviews on Steam, and has a top critic average of 79 on OpenCritic, but some gamers have found issues with the story, and Heo Jin-Young says, "We also wish we could have done it better. The team tried to fill in the lacking parts within the remaining time, but ultimately we focused on strengthening the gameplay."

While Pearl Abyss has some troubleshooting to do in order to bring Crimson Desert to Switch 2, and allow players to explore Pywel with friends, it's also possible we might see DLC's or additional content down the road that would help strengthen the story.