Crimson DesertOne of the most anticipated games of the year, has crossed two million wishlists, setting the stage for an impressive launch on March 19. After its announcement, Crimson Desert It has gained attention among open-world RPG fans, especially on platforms like Steam. Over the past few years, however, it has sparked widespread discussion in the gaming industry, largely due to its ambitious goals and bold attempts to deliver a multi-layered, complex gameplay experience.
In September 2025, developer Pearl Abyss confirmed the launch date Crimson DesertSetting March 19, 2026 as the big day. So far, the developer has stayed on track, with no sign of delays. As the release approaches, interest in the game grows, with many gamers pledging to play it. In fact, excitement has been so high that many are already calling Crimson Desert One of the biggest releases of 2026, a year that also includes major titles GTA 6.
The new open world game is bigger than Red Dead Redemption 2, twice the size of Skyrim
A new fantasy RPG is aiming big, with its developer claiming an open world bigger than Red Dead Redemption 2 and nearly twice the size of Skyrim.
Crimson Desert surpassed two million wish lists
On Crimson DesertOn Twitter, Pearl Abyss recently announced that the game has surpassed two million wishlists. Although the official post doesn't specify, this number appears to include wishlists on all major platforms. According to Raijin.gg estimates, Crimson Desert There are nearly a million wishlists on Steam alone, with the rest spread across the Epic Game Store and Xbox and PlayStation consoles.
Pearl Abyss has already confirmed Crimson Desert It has gone gold, indicating that development is largely complete, and the team is now focused on polishing and optimization. The studio has also shared exciting news with fans, including more playable characters and cheesy features like PS5 Pro support, which have contributed to an increase in wishlists across platforms.
According to SteamDB data, Crimson Desert Ranked #17 among all upcoming Steam games in total wishlists. Subnautica 2 Still leads the charts, though, followed by titles like Deadlock and Resident Evil requests. It's also worth noting that Pearl Abyss' $70 game is one of Steam's top 100 bestsellers, with many players not only bookmarking the game—they've already pre-ordered it.
High wish list numbers don't necessarily mean success
While Crimson DesertWhile the wishlist milestone is impressive, history shows that high pre-release numbers do not guarantee success. Many games have topped the wishlist charts in recent years, only to flop at launch and become huge disappointments. A notable example is the previous daywhich once topped Steam's most-wanted games list but ended up as one of the worst releases ever, contributing to the developer's shutdown.
Who is that character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
get started
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5 seconds) Medium (5.0 seconds) Hard (2.5 seconds) Permadeath (2.5 seconds)
of course, Crimson Desert Games are unlikely to face a catastrophic launch the previous dayThe developer has spent time polishing it. Still, due to the scale of its open-world universe and the inclusion of advanced techniques such as volumetric clouds, ray marching illumination, and ray regeneration, the March 19 release faces a high bar for optimization. Fans are now hoping for a smooth launch that will have millions of open-world RPG enthusiasts eagerly counting down the days to play. Crimson Desert.
- issued
-
March 19, 2026
- ESRB
-
Mature 17+ / Blood, drug references, intense violence, strong language
- developer(s)
-
The Pearl Abyss
- publisher(s)
-
The Pearl Abyss
