Crimson Desert Sells 2 Million Copies in One Day, Developer Vows Quick Improvements

Crimson Desert has achieved a remarkable milestone, selling 2 million copies within just 24 hours of its launch, despite receiving mixed reviews from both critics and players. Pearl Abyss's highly anticipated open-world action game debuted on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S on March 19, with the Korean developer announcing the impressive sales figure today.

In an official statement, Pearl Abyss expressed gratitude and acknowledged player feedback, pledging to act swiftly on improvements. "We are incredibly humbled to share that Crimson Desert has sold through 2 million copies worldwide," the statement reads. "Thank you so much to our fans, community, and everyone who has joined us in Pywel. We will listen closely to the wide range of feedback shared by the community and work to make improvements quickly, doing our utmost to make the journey ahead even more enjoyable for our players."

As reported by IGN, Crimson Desert launched strongly on Steam with nearly 250,000 concurrent players, but it currently holds a 'mixed' user review rating. Player criticisms often focus on the controls, described by some as clunky and overly complex, along with performance issues. For instance, PS5 users have been troubleshooting blurry visuals, a problem also noted in the PC version.

Pearl Abyss is likely eager to address these complaints promptly to boost its Steam review scores. This urgency comes amid financial pressures: IGN reported yesterday that the company's stock price dropped nearly 30% following critical reviews, and today it fell an additional 9.78%. According to Korean business reports, Pearl Abyss invested seven years and approximately 200 billion won (about $133 million) in developing Crimson Desert, making the sales announcement a potential catalyst for share price recovery.

For more on Crimson Desert, check out our coverage including patch notes for the day-one update, IGN's ongoing review, and an interview with Will Powers. We also offer a PC performance review and helpful guides such as 'Things to Do First in Crimson Desert,' 'Things Crimson Desert Doesn’t Tell You,' 'Best Early Weapons,' 'Best Skills to Get First,' and '34 Essential Tips and Tricks' to enhance your adventure in Pywel.