The studio is not calling Crimson Desert an RPG

The genre argument around Crimson Desert started before release because of how progression works. Pearl Abyss describes it as an open-world action-adventure and avoids the word RPG. The player controls Kliff of the Greymane company across Pywel: fights and tasks, with no soulslike claim.

There are no levels or experience points. Abilities come from found artifacts, and gear is crafted or bought. Some players already count that as an RPG; others say the missing experience points take it out of the genre. A fixed hero and a story without major branches sit closer to Zelda than to a Western RPG with alternate endings.

Will Powers says a player can still “play a role” through style and exploration, inside one canon. The studio does not mind if the audience says RPG, but it is not promising choices and multiple endings. Launch is 19 March 2026, with no microtransactions and no cosmetic shop.