Is Crimson Desert an MMORPG, Single-Player, or Online Co-op Game?

Many eyes are laid upon Pearl Abyss' next game, the highly anticipated Crimson Desert. Revealed to the world alongside the studio's other upcoming games, DokeV and Plan 8, it is developed using a proprietary next-generation game engine. The latest trailer amazed with its photo-realistic environments, but combat was the true showstopper, with wrestling and Taekwondo moves resulting in visually stunning fights. Most players assumed that this could be Black Desert Online, but better; however, there are many doubts lingering right now concerning the actual structure of the game, and one question stands tall: Is Crimson Desert an MMORPG, a single-player experience, or an online co-op game?

Is Crimson Desert a True MMORPG Experience?

Pearl Abyss envisioned Crimson Desert as an MMORPG, but as development progressed, it has shifted gears entirely. Now, the focus of the game isn't the MMO aspect – Crimson Desert is officially described as an open world action-adventure game with a single-player campaign driven by its narrative. The change of focus was due to the creators' desire to better express their stories, to deliver a more engaging narrative and combat.

This doesn't mean that Crimson Desert is strictly a single-player game. Will Crimson Desert be multiplayer, I hear you ask? It does come with an integrated multiplayer mode that while remaining independent from the solo gameplay, it ends up being organically connected to the single-player adventure. Confused?

While the full details are yet to be disclosed, let's take Genshin Impact for comparison since it seems that it may feature a similar system. Ideally, you venture in the world of Crimson Desert by yourself, taking on the role of Macduff, the protagonist of the game. However, there may be instances where you can get the help of a few players, just as it happens with Genshin Impact's open world and domains. Let's call it online co-op, because that's the label that seems the most suited for what Pearl Abyss has in store for Crimson Desert.

This online co-op mode is probably tied to what Pearl Abyss is calling the “Another Journey” mode. The name may change in the meantime, but the format of it won't – this can be played anytime, even if you haven't reached the end of the single-player mode.

So, one thing we can say for sure from this Black Desert prequel turned standalone game: Crimson Desert isn't an MMO, it is an online cooperative game that you can play solo if you so wish.

The Crimson Desert release date is set for Winter 2021 on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Series S.