Pearl Abyss puts a ship in Crimson Desert's first DLC, live 15 October at 22:00 UTC

Crimson Desert is getting its first DLC, and it is called Charting the Unknown. Pearl Abyss's press release puts the worldwide launch at 22:00 UTC on 15 October 2026 [2]. The Korean-language notice on the game's own site gives the same moment as 07:00 on Friday 16 October, KST and JST [1]. Both refer to one point in time.

Crimson Desert is an open-world action adventure set on the continent of Pywel, following Kliff of the Greymane. The base game, Crimson Desert Enhanced, came out on 19 March 2026 and sells for 79,800 won on the Korean Steam store [4]. Prices and chart positions in this article were checked on 18 September 2026.

The ship and what is under it

The press release says players can take command of their own ship, sail out across the ocean to explore uncharted islands, and find out what lies past the coastlines they already know. Below the surface there are underwater treasures, sunken ruins and hidden mysteries waiting [2].

There is more to fight, too. New threats turn up on land and at sea, bringing what the release calls formidable foes and dangerous challenges [2].

The housing mode has been reworked. Players can build and decorate a home to their own taste, and they can rent and manage facilities to grow their fortune [2].

Four story strands run across Pywel alongside all of that: an ominous presence in the desert, a dangerous political conflict, a journey beyond time, and an ancient secret beneath the waves [2].

Four stores take pre-orders, and one does not

Pre-orders opened in stages from 15:00 UTC on 3 September, starting with the PlayStation Store, then Steam and the Epic Games Store, with the Microsoft Store following at 21:00 UTC the same day. The DLC is not offered on the Mac App Store, and Pearl Abyss says it will announce a Mac release separately if one is decided [1]. The pre-order bonus is a Charter's Diving Set for Kliff and Oongka plus a Charter's Light Diving Set for Damiane [1].

On the Korean Steam store, Crimson Desert Enhanced: Charting the Unknown is listed at 27,800 won. The store page prints 15 October as the release date, and Korean appears in the list of languages with full voice support [3].

One line in the notice deserves attention. After a review of content and age-rating requirements, sales and access will be restricted in some regions. Pre-orders end in those regions, and anyone who already pre-ordered can request a refund through their platform, with some platforms processing refunds automatically under their own policies. The notice does not say which regions are affected [1].

Where the base game sits on Steam right now

A check of Valve's most-played list on 18 September put Crimson Desert Enhanced at number 86. The previous week's position on the same row is 73, and the peak concurrent player count listed there is 24,919 [5].

That leaves a little under a month before the DLC opens. What neither the notice nor the press release explains is how far a ship can be upgraded, or what renting and running a facility actually costs. Anyone weighing up the 27,800 won can wait for those answers first.

Sources

[1] Pearl Abyss. Charting the Unknown: DLC Pre-Orders Opening Soon. Official notice, posted 3 September 2026, 14:00 UTC.

[2] Pearl Abyss. Pearl Abyss Announces Crimson Desert Enhanced: Charting the Unknown DLC. Press release, 3 September 2026.

[3] Valve. Crimson Desert Enhanced: Charting the Unknown Steam store page (appid 5001840). Korean store, checked 18 September 2026.

[4] Valve. Crimson Desert Enhanced Steam store page (appid 3321460). Korean store, checked 18 September 2026.

[5] Valve. ISteamChartsService most-played games API. Queried 18 September 2026.