Players seem to have been enamoured by more than just collecting cats in-game.
It appears the six-year development cycle is paying off for Pearl Abyss. The studio confirmed on Tuesday (15 April) that Crimson Desert has sold 5 million copies in just 27 days, almost a month after release.
The announcement was shared via the game’s official social media channels:
“#CrimsonDesert has sold through over 5 million copies worldwide! Thank you to every Greymane who has joined us on this journey, experienced the world of Pywel, and supported the game. Reaching this milestone would not have been possible without your support and we are truly grateful,” the statement read.
Released on 19 March for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Mac, the open-world action-adventure saw rapid early momentum. It reached two million sales on day one, climbed to three million within a week, and passed four million within two weeks.
Why is Crimson Desert so popular right now?
While it launched with a “Mixed” rating, it quickly shifted to “Mostly Positive”, with 77% of users recommending the game after early patches addressed performance issues and player concerns.
Players have pointed to its expansive world, fluid combat, and systems such as exploration, crafting, and beast-taming as some of the game's best features. Many players specifically loved that one can carry animals, with some others resorting to “collecting cats.”
On Steam, the game peaked at 276,261 concurrent players. It continues to average between 80,000 and 110,000 players on weekdays, with weekend peaks nearing 200,000.
Another huge reason for the increasing sales and consistent player count is how Pearl Abyss was quick to address player feedback. The developers have remained active post-launch, rolling out fixes within days. Updates have addressed storage limitations, teleportation issues, boss difficulty options, and reports of AI-generated assets that had not been fully removed.
That steady cadence of patches has helped lift user sentiment and maintain engagement, with the game’s rating continuing to trend upwards as improvements were introduced. With strong sales and steady player activity across platforms, Crimson Desert is continuing to build its presence following launch, supported by ongoing updates and sustained interest from the community.
