Crimson Desert is a smash hit for developer Pearl Abyss, which has now won praise from the Prime Minister of South Korea.
The single-player, open world action adventure game sold 5 million copies in less than a month — the quickest time to hit the sales milestone in Korean console game history.
Crimson Desert has already been praised by game developers — including the director of The Witcher 3 — but it has now caught the attention of an even higher office.
In a tweet published this week, South Korea prime minister Kim Min-seok heaped praise upon Crimson Desert and its developer Pearl Abyss, pointing to the fact that the game was created in-house using Pearl Abyss’ own technology as opposed to a western game engine, and incorporated Korean elements like taekwondo and Korean cuisine.
Anyone who’s played Crimson Desert will know just how important cooking food is to your success, especially during boss fights! But the food does have a distinctly Korean flavor to it, and many of the recipes result in food that looks inspired by Korean hot pot dishes (I can’t be the only one who craves Korean food after spending time cooking in-game!).
Kim Min-seok said Crimson Desert had opened a “new chapter in K-content,” and that its success “serves as a crucial turning point, demonstrating that the domestic game industry can expand and leap forward across diverse platforms, including consoles.”
South Korean developers, which are known for their enormously popular mobile and online-focused PC games, have in recent years enjoyed significant success branching out onto consoles with single-player adventure games. Shift Up’s Stellar Blade, which released exclusively on PlayStation 5, is a high-profile example, as is Neowiz’s successful soulslike Lies of P.
But Crimson Desert has sold faster than them all. Here’s Kim Min-seok’s statement, published on his X / Twitter account:
“I sincerely congratulate the success of Crimson Desert, which has elevated the status of the South Korean gaming industry on the global stage.
“The living game world, crafted entirely with their own technology from start to finish, graphics akin to photorealism, and proactive communication has captured the hearts of players worldwide. By naturally weaving in Korean elements such as Taekwondo and Korean cuisine, they have opened a new chapter for K-content.
“This accomplishment serves as a crucial turning point, demonstrating that the domestic game industry can expand and leap forward across diverse platforms, including consoles.
“The government will take responsibility and provide active support. We will create an environment where K-games can shine as a pillar of K-content.”
In December, the CEO of Shift Up, Hyung-tae Kim, received the Presidential Commendation at the Korean Content Awards for his work in the games industry. Perhaps Pearl Abyss CEO Heo Jin-young can expect something similar at the end of this year.
Crimson Desert just got its biggest patch yet. It made significant improvements to the game, including the addition of difficulty settings, new storage improvements, and new pets. If you’re just getting into the game, we recommend you take a look at our guide to Things to Do First in Crimson Desert, plus Things Crimson Desert Doesn’t Tell You. We’ve also got a guide to the Best Early Weapons we recommend picking up, the Best Skills to Get First (including a handy explainer of the skills system), and 34 Essential Tips and Tricks to help you succeed in Pywel.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
