Crimson Desert studio Pearl Abyss doesn’t do things by halves; it’s demonstrated how it’s the literal embodiment of the phrase “go big or go home” in the video game industry. After a stupidly large base game and an absurd amount of post-launch patches, the developer is delivering its biggest update yet in the Charting the Unknown expansion.
A fresh overview trailer teases what to expect from the big DLC, covering everything from the new story quests to extra features. Check it out above.
On a top level, the stories of the three main characters continue in the expansion, with more missions for Cliff, Damiane, and Oongka. You can look forward to “an ominous presence in the desert and a dangerous political conflict to a journey beyond time, and an ancient secret beneath the waves”.
Pearl Abyss is pitching ocean exploration as one of Charting the Unknown’s biggest base game enhancements. Where before you’d have to fly over the sea, you can now sail the waves on a boat or go underwater for exploration purposes.
Pirates taking over an island seems to be the story backdrop for the new feature, so once you’ve got the Greymane Camp set up, you can start building your ship and customise it. You can explore the islands you encounter, and leave some of your comrades there to establish new outposts and strongholds.
You can also do battle with enemy ships!
Then, once you have a diving suit, you can explore the ocean floor and discover forgotten ruins containing treasure and secrets. There are vessels you can build to travel underwater, or, as the trailer demonstrates, you can simply hold onto a whale’s fin to get around.
Back at your home base, you can now romance certain characters and get married to them. Having installed the DLC, you’ll have better control of your external strongholds, with the ability to manage comrades and dictate what goods they sell. You can turn them into distinct businesses and improve their reputation with the people of the open world.
Furthermore, you can customise your home by placing items and pieces on the walls and in its interiors. The trailer shows your bed being moved about, as well as the walls to make rooms bigger. Should you claim a castle, you can customise that too.
This ridiculously big Crimson Desert expansion launches for PS5 on 29th October 2026, priced at £19.99 / $24.99. Will you return to the game? Let us know in the comments below.
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