The developer of upcoming open-world action fantasy game Crimson Desert has responded to reports indicating it had turned down an offer of PlayStation 5 exclusivity from Sony.
Alleged details coming out of South Korean developer Pearl Abyss’ investor relations session dated September 26, reported on by a South Korean financial blogger who subsequently translated their article into English, deleted that translation, then published a retraction, included discussions with Sony about the potential for an exclusive publishing partnership, similar to that seen with Shift Up’s Stellar Blade.
Pearl Abyss reportedly said that if it had accepted Sony’s offer, which allegedly included Sony's “marketing power and various unique incentives,” Crimson Desert would have been exclusive to PS5 for a year, with no release on Xbox and with PC distribution rights also belonging to Sony.
However, Pearl Abyss reportedly turned the offer down after running the numbers on expected sales and the revenue share structure it would have had in place with Sony, instead opting to self-publish. Pearl Abyss allegedly determined that it would be better off taking a bigger piece of the revenue pie by self-publishing Crimson Desert, than it would be had it partnered with Sony to share revenue with the PlayStation maker.
Crimson Desert – Open world exploration and questing screenshots
IGN's Twenty Questions – Guess the game!
IGN's Twenty Questions – Guess the game!
To start:…try asking a question that can be answered with a "Yes" or "No".000/250
Pearl Abyss is best known for the long-running multi-platform MMORPG Black Desert Online, which it already self-publishes across PC and console. The single-player Crimson Desert is set for release at some point in 2025 simultaneously on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S.
In a statement issued to Eurogamer, Pearl Abyss responded to the reports in vague terms, acknowledging discussions with publishing partners had taken place but failing to address this alleged Sony exclusivity deal offer directly.
"In our last quarter earnings call, which is publicly available, we revealed that we would publish Crimson Desert independently,” Pearl Abyss said. “We of course honor and appreciate our business partners who we are constantly in touch with about our progress and plans, and we are discussing various forms of collaboration with them.
"Additionally, we have not announced any release date yet, so any articles about the topic are only speculation at this point. We look forward to showcasing a playable Crimson Desert build to media this week in Paris and to the public at G-Star in November."
Both Sony and Microsoft are on the hunt for video games coming out of South Korea and China after a number of hits from developers based in those countries. Genshin Impact, from HoYoverse, has proved a massive success on PlayStation (it launches on Xbox next month), and, more recently, Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong broke sales records after it launched on PC and PS5.
Microsoft has gone on the record to insist Black Myth: Wukong's delay on Xbox has nothing to do with “platform limitations,” suggesting a deal with Sony has blocked the game’s launch on its consoles for now.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has partnered with Leenzee Games' Wuchang: Fallen Feathers to bring the promising Soulslike to Xbox Series X and S as a day-one Game Pass launch.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.