A Decade After Black Desert, a Sequel Arrives This Year
"Not Avoiding GTA6"
Pearl Abyss's "Red Desert," regarded as a global AAA blockbuster, is set to compete with Rockstar Games' GTA6 in the second half of this year. Despite market concerns over the overlapping release schedules with "GTA6," the company remains confident based on the game's high level of completion.
According to industry sources on the 15th, Pearl Abyss will release its ambitious title Red Desert in the latter half of the year. Red Desert is a new work released about 10 years after the previous title "Black Desert," and it is a major production that took seven years to develop.
Last year, through demonstrations at Gamescom and G-Star, it received praise for its high degree of freedom in action, dynamic combat system, polished gameplay, and high-quality graphics, leaving a strong impression. The game trailer showcased at the "2024 The Game Awards (TGA)" introduced adventures, battles, and new content unfolding in a vast open world realized with the next-generation game engine "Blackspace Engine," earning acclaim worldwide.
Recently, it was also featured as one of the "Best New and Upcoming PS5 Games of 2025" selected by the PlayStation Store.
The opponent Pearl Abyss must face is none other than GTA6. GTA6 is an open-world action-adventure game currently in development by the American game developer Rockstar Games. This series, known for its vast freedom and realistic storytelling, has become a global hit with cumulative sales of 430 million copies. The trailer surpassed 100 million views within a day of its release, generating explosive interest even before launch. A fall release is highly anticipated.
Pearl Abyss has chosen to confront this head-on. The company plans to maintain the existing release schedule and maximize the game's completion to strengthen its position in the global market. A Pearl Abyss representative expressed confidence, saying, "While GTA6 is undoubtedly a title with significant global influence, Red Desert can compete sufficiently with its unique story, distinctive gameplay experience, and differentiated graphics."
For AAA games, securing early users is a critical factor determining success or failure. Therefore, directly competing with global blockbusters like the GTA series can be a daunting task. In fact, foreign media such as Bloomberg reported that some global game companies are considering postponing their new releases to 2026 in anticipation of GTA6's launch.
The reason Pearl Abyss cannot delay the release of Red Desert is also tied to poor financial performance. Pearl Abyss recorded an operating loss of 9.2 billion KRW in the third quarter of last year, marking two consecutive quarters of losses. This year, the company must rely on its existing IP, Black Desert, until Red Desert is released.
Currently, Black Desert accounts for more than 70% of Pearl Abyss's total revenue. Red Desert carries the responsibility of reducing this dependency and establishing itself as the next-generation flagship IP to drive the company's growth.
A company representative stated, "Red Desert is not simply a title following Black Desert but a strategic IP to further solidify Pearl Abyss's position in the global market. This work will lead the company's growth and serve as a turning point to reduce reliance on existing IPs."
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