Crimson DesertPearl Abyss' new medieval fantasy action-adventure game lets players perform one of WWE's most iconic moves, the RKO, on enemies. Most players don't think about wrestling moves when it comes to medieval fighting games, however Crimson Desert Players are discovering that the game is unexpectedly full of them, and that discovery is taking them out of nowhere.
Released on 19 March Crimson Desert With a top critic average of 79 on OpenCritic and a very positive user rating of 73 percent on Steam, it's making a pretty strong first impression. Fans have praised its vast open world, gameplay variety, and life-sim-like immersion, though there have been complaints. Crimson DesertControls in combat. A patch is coming soon to fix that problem, and fans who have already worked their way around the controls are discovering that there are a surprisingly large number of ways to dispatch enemies, including some that are bound to make pro wrestling fans' heads spin.
“Hell No” Crimson Desert addresses whether it's easy and whether or not it will have tough choices at launch.
Pearl Abyss makes it clear how hard players can expect Crimson Desert to be and will have tough choices ahead of its March 2026 release.
Cliff of Crimson Desert makes a surprisingly good pro wrestler
A few days after its release, some players are finding out Crimson Desert Protagonist Cliff appears to be a pro wrestling aficionado, as his grappling skills are shown to include a repertoire of moves that look like they were lifted out of WWE and AEW. These impressive hand-to-hand combat capabilities have been captured in action by players like Reddit user Intelligent-You-7002, who shared a brief video detailing some of the special unarmed moves in the game. During the 56-second-long clip, Cliff approaches a group of enemies and knocks three of them back simultaneously with a flying dropkick, and when the front one doesn't go down, he finishes him off with an RKO. He then interrupts the fourth foe, taking him to the ground with a German suplex, before running into the next group and taking them out with moves that include a standing powerslam, an enzuiguri and some diving lariats.
For those who don't know, RKO is the final move of WWE Superstar Randy Orton, a 14-time world champion and one of the company's longest-tenured active stars, having debuted in 2000. A modified and stylized jumping cutter, the RKO includes Orton, jumping around them. Bicep-to-groin, and falling flat on the floor, driving his face into the mat. It's a versatile move, designed to be used on opponents of any size, and its lightning-quick application has made for some shocking WWE moments. The move's popularity can also be felt in pop culture outside of pro wrestling fandom, as its meme-worthy appeal has resulted in numerous videos of people falling in their faces, with footage of Orton and actual WWE audio commentary splicing the move's name announcement, often “out of nowhere!”
Grappling is just one type of combat featured Crimson Desert. Kliff is able to equip a range of weapons including one-handed swords, maces, and daggers, two-handed axes, hammers, and greatswords, and bows, rifles, pistols, and hand cannons. Meanwhile, grappling offers an unarmed alternative to combat, can be learned by both Cliff and Domain, and leveling up its skill tree will allow players to unlock more moves.
Pro wrestling grapple moves aren't the only unconventional medieval tools Kilf has. While the game includes fantasy-inspired mounts like horses and dragons, players can also unlock missile-firing ATAG mechs. Crimson Desert During its 10th chapter. In addition, Kliff's Axiom Force ability allows him to fire a beam of gravity-manipulating light from a hand attachment, and some players have noted that it makes him look a bit like a ghost. MetroidSamus is Aran.
- issued
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March 19, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, drug references, intense violence, strong language
- developer(s)
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The Pearl Abyss
- publisher(s)
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The Pearl Abyss
