Crimson Desert is shaping up to be one of the most promising open-world RPGs to launch in 2026. It is slated to launch on March 17 across PC, PlayStation and Xbox.  Based on what little has been shown, it is poised to be a game-of-the-year contender, and it has been hyped up as such, especially after numerous delays.

Will Powers, one of the game’s developers, sat down with @DroppedFrames and confirmed one piece of news that will undoubtedly put Crimson Desert in the good graces of many a gamer. The game will have zero microtransactions at launch—not even cosmetics do-overs that developers often use to squeeze out more cash from players.

Will calls Crimson Desert a “Premium Experience”, a statement we’ve heard earlier in an entirely different context from Randy Pitchford about Borderlands 4. Among other things, it will feature a vast, open world that rivals the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. But, if Starfield has taught us anything, a vast open world doesn’t necessarily translate to a stellar gameplay experience. 

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Anil Ganti – Senior Tech Writer – 2840 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2019

I’ve been an avid PC gamer since the age of 8. My passion for gaming eventually pushed me towards general tech, and I got my first writing gig at the age of 19. I have a degree in mechanical engineering and have worked in the manufacturing industry and a few other publications like Wccftech before joining Notebookcheck in November 2019. I cover a variety of topics including smartphones, gaming, and computer hardware.