Crimson Desert devs leak how toxic workplace led to disjointed story and clunky controls

Many Crimson Desert reviews describe a story that lacks cohesion. Quests may seem random and disconnected from any central narrative. That’s not a shock to Pearl Abyss developers, with one explaining that the plot wasn’t decided until just before the title’s release date. On the Blind website, they also reveal how studio leadership rejected any criticism.

Blind is a social network where employees share their insights about companies. While users must verify their identities, it’s wise to treat the Korean developers’ comments as rumors rather than facts. Nevertheless, they may have clarified why many elements of the open-world game feel tacked on.

The deleted Crimson Desert script

Discussed on Reddit, the first account is from a former team member who now works at Nexon. According to the dev, the Crimson Desert story originally revolved around a dethroned young king. Someone translated as a “prime minister” came to his aid before betraying the hero. The rest of the drama unfolds as the protagonist seeks to prevent the traitor from taking power.

Before realizing this concept, a director felt pressured to leave his position. The new general manager scrapped the narrative, but was acting as a “compliant subordinate.” That’s a pattern at the company, confirmed by a second dev on Blind. Leaders dominated a structure that discouraged any resistance.

Pearl Abyss took inspiration from hit games

It’s claimed that many individuals recognized that development was “going off the rails.” Instead of creating unique gameplay, it was encouraged to imitate successes like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Any proposed original story took a back seat to a technical showcase of lush artwork.

The second leaker documents how the game became a “hodgepodge of features crammed together.” Crimson Desert reviews highlight convoluted controls, which the dev believes is a consequence of this approach.

The Pearl Abyss employee thinks it was an “inevitable conclusion that Crimson Desert would become a disaster.” Criticism has been particularly harsh in Korea, where expectations were even higher. The studio’s stock tumbled following a lukewarm Metacritic score. That said, it may be unfair to call the title a global failure, given that it sold 2 million copies within 24 hours of its release date.