Crimson Desert MMORPG is a brand new IP from Black Desert developer

Black Desert Online developer Pearl Abyss has unveiled the Crimson Desert MMORPG, its recently announced game. Still shrouded in secrecy until today, there was a lot of speculation regarding its direction. Was it a sequel to Black Desert, a prequel, or a whole new property?

The Crimson Desert trailer introducing the main characters and story helps us make sense of it all. Crimson Desert is no sequel to Black Desert; it is, in fact, a whole new IP.

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However, it's not as clear-cut as it sounds. Crimson Desert was originally a region within Black Desert, and it's even the name of a Black Desert private server. Pearl Abyss has revealed that Crimson Desert started development as a prequel to Black Desert, but the plan was changed along the way, as an entirely new storyline and characters were created.

Crimson Desert is now its own MMORPG, despite the obvious roots. The trailer feels like a mix between Black Desert and the gritty events of Game of Thrones. Main character Macduff, the leader of a small mercenary group, even looks like a rugged Jon Snow. The events take place within the continent of Pywel, where you must survive, no matter what it takes.

The main distinguishing element between Crimson Desert and Black Desert is how the former is more story-driven, featuring both single player content and online multiplayer. The Crimson Desert MMORPG features actual in-game footage, so it is looking pretty amazing.

Crimson Desert is being produced by Jason Jung, former director of RYL Online. The first beta test for PC and consoles is coming in 2020.

It will be interesting to see how Pearl Abyss plans to market a game that will be generally perceived as similar to Black Desert. Will it cannibalize the player base of the current MMORPG, or do you think both games will seamlessly coexist?