Personnel costs rose 94%, quarterly sales by 2.11 million

In the second-quarter report, Pearl Abyss’s payroll costs rose 94 percent. One reason is bonuses for employees who worked on Crimson Desert. There are fewer temporary people hired in the first quarter for the launch. Total headcount still rose 1.1 percent: the studio ties that to interns and to service and marketing specialists.

The game’s sales for the quarter added another 2.11 million copies. Consoles, according to the report, provided the main contribution. Spending on advertising and support for Crimson Desert was cut relative to the launch buildup.

By year-end the studio expects operating profit to keep growing. The payroll rise in the text is a cost line and, at the same time, a bonus for the team, not a new print run beyond the 2.11 million named.