Crimson Desert: How to Unlock a Dragon

Crimson Desert features a vast open world, with plenty of exploration. It arguably has one of the biggest open world maps to date, and trekking across it can be pretty intimidating. Luckily, the game offers ways to traverse the world at a quicker pace, such as by riding horses, operating a mech, and even riding a ferocious dragon.

One of the best mounts in the game is the dragon, which allows players to fly high up in the air and cover a lot of ground quickly. It's also great at clearing enemy encampments as it deals a ton of damage to hordes through its fire-breathing attacks. However, the game doesn't explain how to unlock this mount.

If you are looking to ride across the map on a dragon, this guide is for you. Read on to learn how to unlock the dragon mount in Crimson Desert.

How to Unlock a Dragon in Crimson Desert

Unfortunately, players won't encounter their first dragon until Chapter 9 of Crimson Desert. Even then, you aren't allowed to tame it, and it doesn't become available as a mount until Chapter 11. In other words, the dragon is an endgame mount and meant for players who are about to beat the game.

There are two steps one must take to unlock the dragon in Crimson Desert. First, you must remove the spear from the flying dragon in Chapter 9 and then progress to Chapter 11's main quest called "Foreboding Shadow: Whispers in the Wind," where the dragon will come save you during the Golden Star boss fight. Both of these moments are part of the main story and are impossible to miss.

How to Use the Dragon in Crimson Desert

While the dragon is incredibly helpful in traversing the map at fast speeds, there are some restrictions you need to know about when it comes to this mount. For starters, the dragon has a cooldown of 50 real-life minutes, and it can only be summoned for 15 minutes at a time. I know, it's very frustrating that you can't have the dragon out for as long as you please.

After unlocking the dragon in Crimson Desert, you can summon it by holding down on the D-Pad and selecting it. Once summoned, you can use the dragon's Fireballs and Fire Breath attack by pressing R1 and R2, respectively. Keep in mind that both of these attacks cost stamina, so you'll have to keep an eye on the stamina bar.

Players can also dodge while on the dragon by pressing the Circle button, which causes the dragon to do a barrel-roll type move. This also costs stamina, but the good news is that the dragon replenishes stamina even while in the air.

If you'd like to land the dragon, all you have to do is make your way to the ground and press the land button, which is Square on PlayStation.

I recommend only using the dragon when you want to travel to a location that is super far out, and there are no fast-travel points nearby. I also recommend using the dragon to clear out an encampment if there are simply too many enemies for you to handle on your own. Since there is a cooldown for the dragon, I don't recommend using it unless it's absolutely necessary.