Crimson Desert’s Steam comeback is getting hard to ignore
After two weeks, Pearl Abyss's open-world RPG had climbed to Very Positive on Steam and remained the top-selling new release on the platform.
Crimson Desert has kept building momentum on Steam, where it is now the best-selling new game after two weeks and has moved up to a Very Positive user rating as more players warm up to it.
Pearl Abyss launched the open-world RPG on March 19, and the first wave of feedback was rougher than its critical reception. Steam reviews initially leaned mixed, with players pointing to the story and controls as the main problem areas. Since then, the studio has kept pushing updates, and that steady patch work appears to have changed the conversation around the game.
Steam’s public charts now show Crimson Desert as the second best-selling game on the platform behind Counter-Strike 2 and the top-selling new release. Its review score has also climbed to 85% positive across nearly 40,000 user reviews, which is a sharp rebound from launch week.
The turnaround matters because launch criticism was not limited to combat feel. Players also took issue with the game’s mounts and the AI art controversy that followed shortly after release. Pearl Abyss addressed those problems while continuing to tune controls, and the current Steam numbers suggest those efforts are landing with a bigger share of the audience.
For now, Crimson Desert looks like a game that has won enough people back to keep climbing. Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram.
Crimson Desert
Developed by Pearl Abyss
Crimson Desert is an open-world action-adventure game set in the beautiful yet brutal continent of Pywel. Embark on a journey as the Greymane Kliff and restore what has been lost. Explore uncharted lands, fight against threats that stand in your way, and discover the wonders the world has in store.
- Genre: Adventure
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Mac
- Modes: Single player
- Release: 2026-03-19
- Publisher: Pearl Abyss
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Age Rating:
USK 18 / CLASS_IND 18 / ESRB M / PEGI 18 / ACB MA 15+ / CERO Z / GRAC 18+
- IGDB Rating: 98.6/100
