After a rocky start, Pearl Abyss and Crimson Desert are regaining some lost confidence from investors.
Crimson Desert – one of 2026’s most anticipated games so far – released last Friday, after 3m Steam Wishlists and plenty of hype generated by previews from content creators which showered the game in praise. However, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the developer, with Pearl Abyss’ shares dropping by nearly 30 percent after multiple middling reviews for Crimson Desert went live.
Pearl Abyss has since been making a number of adjustments and tweaks to Crimson Desert, and this week released a chunky patch which addressed a number of launch day issues. This included the addition of new keyboard shortcuts and Private Storage at Howling Hill Camp, to name just two improvements. Meanwhile, Crimson Desert now sits with a “Very Positive” review average on Steam, up from Mixed where it was only a matter of days ago.
Then, just yesterday, the studio celebrated an impressive new sales milestone for Crimson Desert. In under a week, Crimson Desert has sold through 3m copies. “To everyone who has stepped into Pywel and shared this journey with us, thank you,” the team said yesterday, sharing the news.
This boost in player experience and Crimson Desert’s ongoing popularity has evidently given investors a renewed confidence in Pearl Abyss, and after the sharp drop in the company’s stock last week that graph is once again climbing. As noted by video games industry consultant Dr. Serkan Toto, Pearl Abyss’ stock climbed by 27.76 percent following yesterday’s Crimson Desert sales figures.
In the words of Toto, “investors are having a ‘Whoopsie’ moment”, and this kind of thing “happens in Asian markets all the time with game stocks”.
We awarded Crimson Desert three stars on its release. “A vast world and even vaster array of MMO-like activities mix with glittering fidelity in Crimson Desert, but what good is it without much character, texture or charm?” asks Eurogamer’s Crimson Desert review.
If you’re one of the many currently playing Crimson Desert yourself, be sure to check out our various guides. Here’s how to tame horses, how to steal and how to fish to get you started.
