Pearl Abyss, known for its 2014 hit MMO Black Desert Online, is releasing its highly-anticipated single-player open-world action-adventure Crimson Desert on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The developer has confirmed that the release date of March 19, 2026, is the final one and that there will be no delays.
Crimson Desert is a premium title, but there looks to be no early access, just a standard worldwide release for those who purchase the game on their preferred platform of choice.
Can you play Crimson Desert on Xbox Game Pass?
Unfortunately, as it stands right now, Crimson Desert will not be available through Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service on any tier of the subscription. The game is available to pre-order on all platforms. That’s not definitive proof it won’t ever hit Game Pass, but it is a strong sign it’s not being positioned as a day-one Game Pass title.
If a Game Pass deal happens, the first visible indicator is usually the Xbox Store page switching to an “Included with Game Pass” label or badge. The second reliable indicator is an official “Coming soon to Game Pass” roundup post on Xbox Wire. As of now, there’s no sign of it coming to Game Pass.
Could Crimson Desert become available on Xbox Game Pass later?
While it’s true that Pearl Abyss and Xbox have not made any agreements for the game to come to Xbox Game Pass, that doesn’t mean it can’t become available in the future. In fact, several high-profile games like Cyberpunk 2077, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 have been added to the various tiers of the service recently. However, we would not expect it to become available any time soon. High-profile projects like Crimson Desert usually need at least a year to come to the subscription services like Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus.
Can you purchase Crimson Desert on Xbox?
Crimson Desert is available to purchase on the Xbox Store at $69.99 for the Standard Edition, while the Deluxe Edition is priced at $79.99. The game supports the Xbox Play Anywhere feature, meaning that by purchasing it in the Xbox ecosystem, you will be able to play it on both the Xbox Series X|S console and PC.
If you can’t wait to get your hands on Crimson Desert, follow our release countdown so you don’t miss when it’s out.
