Pearl Abyss says it plans to release major new titles every two to three years moving forward as the company shifts further toward large-scale AAA development following the success of Crimson Desert.
The company shared the update as part of its Q1 2026 earnings report, which was heavily centered around Crimson Desert’s launch performance and the broader future of Pearl Abyss’ publishing strategy.
According to the report, Crimson Desert quickly became one of the company’s biggest commercial successes. Pearl Abyss states that the game sold 2 million copies on launch day, reached 3 million within 4 days, 4 million within 12 days, and surpassed 5 million within 26 days.
The company described the title as having successfully established itself as an AAA global franchise despite being a completely new IP. Pearl Abyss also noted that it has already begun refining the game through post-launch patches and user feedback.
Financially, the launch dramatically boosted the company’s quarterly performance. Pearl Abyss reported operating revenue of KRW 328.5 billion for Q1 2026, representing 419.8% year-over-year growth and 382.4% quarter-over-quarter growth. Operating profit reached KRW 212.1 billion while net profit came in at KRW 170 billion.
Crimson Desert accounted for the majority of that performance. The game generated KRW 266.5 billion in revenue during the quarter, roughly 81% of the company’s total revenue, while Black Desert contributed KRW 61.6 billion.
Pearl Abyss also revealed that the strongest market for Crimson Desert was the West. Revenue breakdowns showed North America and Europe accounting for 81% of total sales, compared to 13% from Asia and 6% from Korea.
The report additionally confirms that DokeV and Plan 8 remain in development, though DokeV is currently receiving development priority while Plan 8 remains in the conceptual stage.
Pearl Abyss stated that its long-term goal is to establish a major new release cadence every two to three years, signaling a broader transition away from relying almost entirely on Black Desert as its primary revenue source.
The company also hinted at future expansion plans for Crimson Desert, stating that it is exploring ways to “broaden the game to the next level including DLC,” suggesting post-launch content support is already being considered.
For 2026 overall, Pearl Abyss forecasts total revenue between KRW 879 billion and KRW 975.4 billion, with Crimson Desert alone expected to generate KRW 644.1 billion to KRW 734.8 billion in revenue.
