Crimson Desert Is In Development for Switch 2, and DokeV, Studio’s Next Project, Is Set to Release in 2028

South Korean studio Pearl Abyss has become one of the biggest surprises of 2026, having released the massive open-world RPG Crimson Desert, which launched in March on PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and Mac. Although the game's launch was far from perfect, the developers spent many months releasing free updates that added new content and fixed numerous issues. As a result, Crimson Desert now stands out as one of the most impressive new IPs to debut this year.

During a recent interview with Inven, Pearl Abyss CEO Huh Jin-young made several important statements not only about Crimson Desert but also about DokeV, the studio's upcoming project, announced back in 2019. In particular, he confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Crimson Desert is already in the early stages of development but teased that players shouldn't expect a quick release, as the developers need more time to bring the game up to the highest possible quality—as you can check out his words below:

“We believe it is important to showcase Crimson Desert on as many platforms as possible. We are reviewing the Nintendo Switch 2, and it is currently being developed to a level where basic gameplay is possible. However, platform expansion is not just a simple port; the key is whether we can fully maintain the graphics, action, and open-world experience of Crimson Desert on that device. The Switch 2 version still requires optimization and technical verification, and we must also review partner collaboration and whether it meets our quality standards. Therefore, it is difficult to confirm a release schedule. We will announce it transparently once there is confirmed information.”

As is known, Pearl Abyss is officially developing DLC for Crimson Desert, though its release date and details remain unknown at the moment. Huh Jin-young addressed this topic as well during the interview, stating that "the company also believes that we should expand Crimson Desert with DLC so that it can be enjoyed for a long time." He also added, "We are considering it as paid DLC. However, the pricing structure and release timing depend on game completion, marketing schedules, and platform negotiations, so it's difficult to confirm right now." More detailed information about Crimson Desert's DLC is expected in the third quarter of the year.

Speaking about the studio's next project, DokeV, Huh Jin-young stated that the game's release is currently targeted for the second half of 2028—as you can check out his full quote below:

“DokeV is currently past the world-building and asset-creation stages and is now in the content production phase, where the team is building and verifying the play loop. Once the loop is finalized, they plan to hold demonstrations for global users. The target release is the second half of 2028.”

DokeV is an open-world action-adventure game featuring Dokebi—Korean folklore creatures that gain strength from people's dreams and come together on their adventures. As for Crimson Desert, on July 4 Pearl Abyss released another update for the game, Patch Notes Version 1.13.00, which added the ability for Oongka and Damiane to enter the Abyss, new costumes, the possibility to recolor weapons and equipment, and more.