Korean developer Pearl Abyss has announced a delay for Crimson Desert, their ambitious new action RPG.

Crimson Desert is now set to launch in Q1 of 2026, forgoing its previous late 2025 release. When the game does launch, it’ll be on PC (via Steam), Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.

The company announced the delay in their latest earnings call, noting the delay is due to “longer than expected timelines” from scheduling and collaborations with multiple partners across various facets of the ambitious AAA game.

“We sincerely apologize for not being able to meet the originally promised fourth quarter launch schedule,” Pearl Abyss CEO Heo Jin-young said. “Please kindly understand that this is a strategic decision aimed at insuring success on a meaningful scale.”

Pearl Abyss will showcase Crimson Desert at Gamescom and PAX West this month, showing off the game’s open-world build, as well as next month in Tokyo Game Show.

However, the developer noted they will not be announcing a new release date or window at an upcoming trade show, rather they will announce the new release schedule based on internal business considerations and development planning.