Pearl Abyss has addressed early criticism around Crimson Desert, with CEO Heo Jin-young admitting that the game’s story did not meet expectations while confirming the studio has started early work on a possible Nintendo Switch 2 version.
Yonhap News Agency reports that Heo Jin-young spoke during a recent shareholders’ meeting at the company’s headquarters in Gwacheon, where he acknowledged user concerns and outlined the studio’s current priorities.
Heo said he understands the disappointment around the narrative and noted that the team tried to improve it late in development. He added that the studio ultimately focused on strengthening gameplay, which he described as its core strength.
“I sympathize to some extent with the disappointment users feel regarding the story. I think it would have been nice if we could have done a better job with it. The production team tried to make up for the shortcomings in the remaining time, but ultimately, we focused on strengthening the gameplay, which is what we do best”
That focus on “strengthening the gameplay” now shapes how Pearl Abyss plans future updates.
Switch 2 version under research, multiplayer unlikely
The CEO also confirmed that the team has started research and development for a potential Switch 2 version. He noted that the hardware has lower specifications, so the team may need to compromise on certain aspects.
At the same time, multiplayer plans appear to be on hold. The team explored it internally but found that current hardware limits would require sacrifices in graphics quality. There are also no immediate plans for official mod support, even though the team sees value in it.
Crimson Desert has already sold three million copies in four days. Pearl Abyss expects that number to reach five million soon, while also hinting that its next project, DokeV, is not far off.
