TheRetroArcade
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Posts: 2,021
Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
It's time to start your preload.
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SFX
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It may have taken a few delays to get us here, but the Crimson Desert release date is just around the corner and I'm starting to see why the Pearl Abyss action RPG took so long. The world of Pywel looks massive, and even without Black Desert's iconic character creator there to lose myself in, there's no shortage of stuff to do.
Or at least that's what I've gathered from my colleague and fellow RPG nerd, Mollie Taylor, who described it as "a game that tries it all" in her Crimson Desert review. I may not be interested in sampling a little bit of everything she mentioned, but I do need to know more about this goat black market and housing decor.
Perhaps you're more interested in the arm wrestling bits or horse taming, but either way, I can help you with counting down the hours by sharing more on the Crimson Desert release times and preload details.
Crimson Desert will release simultaneously across all platforms on Thursday, March 19, though the timing pushes it to early March 20 in places like Australia. It's a worldwide launch, so that means you won't be stuck watching friends in timezones hours ahead play without you.
Here are the Crimson Desert global unlock times by region:
If your location isn't listed, check out this handy site for timezone conversions and see when Crimson Desert unlocks for you.
Yes, you can preload Crimson Desert right now through Steam. I just finished the process myself, and the initial download size was a little over 92 GB. You'll need more than that come launch, as Crimson Desert's minimum specs require you to free up 150 GB of storage.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
2026 games: All the upcoming gamesBest PC games: Our all-time favoritesFree PC games: Freebie festBest FPS games: Finest gunplayBest RPGs: Grand adventuresBest co-op games: Better together
Andrea has been covering games for nearly a decade, picking up bylines at IGN, USA Today, Fanbyte, and Destructoid before joining the PC Gamer team in 2025. She's got a soft spot for older RPGs and is willing to try just about anything with a lovey-dovey "I can fix them" romance element. Her weekly to-do always includes a bit of MMO time, endlessly achievement hunting and raiding in Final Fantasy 14. Outside of those staples, she's often got a few survival-crafti...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
It may have taken a few delays to get us here, but the Crimson Desert release date is just around the corner and I'm starting to see why the Pearl Abyss action RPG took so long. The world of Pywel looks massive, and even without Black Desert's iconic character creator there to lose myself in, there's no shortage of stuff to do.
Or at least that's what I've gathered from my colleague and fellow RPG nerd, Mollie Taylor, who described it as "a game that tries it all" in her Crimson Desert review. I may not be interested in sampling a little bit of everything she mentioned, but I do need to know more about this goat black market and housing decor.
Perhaps you're more interested in the arm wrestling bits or horse taming, but either way, I can help you with counting down the hours by sharing more on the Crimson Desert release times and preload details.
Crimson Desert will release simultaneously across all platforms on Thursday, March 19, though the timing pushes it to early March 20 in places like Australia. It's a worldwide launch, so that means you won't be stuck watching friends in timezones hours ahead play without you.
Here are the Crimson Desert global unlock times by region:
If your location isn't listed, check out this handy site for timezone conversions and see when Crimson Desert unlocks for you.
Yes, you can preload Crimson Desert right now through Steam. I just finished the process myself, and the initial download size was a little over 92 GB. You'll need more than that come launch, as Crimson Desert's minimum specs require you to free up 150 GB of storage.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
2026 games: All the upcoming gamesBest PC games: Our all-time favoritesFree PC games: Freebie festBest FPS games: Finest gunplayBest RPGs: Grand adventuresBest co-op games: Better together
Andrea has been covering games for nearly a decade, picking up bylines at IGN, USA Today, Fanbyte, and Destructoid before joining the PC Gamer team in 2025. She's got a soft spot for older RPGs and is willing to try just about anything with a lovey-dovey "I can fix them" romance element. Her weekly to-do always includes a bit of MMO time, endlessly achievement hunting and raiding in Final Fantasy 14. Outside of those staples, she's often got a few survival-crafti...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?