With the launch of Crimson Desert now just days away, developer Pearl Abyss has officially unveiled the full set of in-game rewards that players can earn by watching participating Twitch streams. Crimson Desert is set to hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on March 19, and although the game won’t feature any microtransactions at launch, fans can get their hands on some new cosmetic items via the upcoming Twitch Drops promotion.
Although microtransactions have become common practice in the gaming world over the last decade, especially in live-service titles, Pearl Abyss says it will have no such monetization model in Crimson Desert. Last month, the game’s marketing director, Will Powers, revealed that the highly anticipated action-adventure title will not feature a cosmetic cash shop and will instead rely on the game’s $69.99 price tag, deluxe edition cosmetics, and future expansions to support the game with new content. Powers explained that the monetization method may be suitable for free-to-play games, like Fortnite or Apex Legends, but the revenue stream for a premium title, such as Crimson Desert, begins and ends with its initial purchase.
Crimson Desert: What Players Need To Know Before Buying The Game
Pearl Abyss’s Crimson Desert is the latest big open-world adventure, and here are a few things players should know before they pick up the game.
All Crimson Desert Twitch Drops Rewards
No microtransactions means players won’t be able to spend real-life money on in-game cosmetics, but Pearl Abyss has now revealed that Crimson Desert will be partnering with Twitch for the platform’s beloved Twitch Drops promotion, giving players an alternative way to get their hands on some in-game rewards. In a new post on X (formerly known as Twitter), the developer revealed two weeks’ worth of rewards, all of which can be obtained by watching participating Crimson Desert Twitch streams.
For the first week of Crimson Desert‘s release, fans who watch 5 hours can unlock the Blue Scout Cloak, Armor, and Hat, while Week 2 will see fans have the chance to obtain the Blue Scout Stirrups, Champron, and Saddle for 3 hours of watch time. Further details on how these rewards can be claimed will be shared later this week. Usually, fans must have a Twitch account that is linked to their PlayStation, Xbox, or Steam account. Once the viewing milestone has been achieved, the designated rewards should automatically be added to their account.
Despite being one of the most anticipated video games of 2026, Crimson Desert has been shrouded in controversy over the past few weeks. With Pearl Abyss setting out to develop one of the most ambitious open worlds to date, many have been rightly sceptical as to how the title may perform, especially on lower-end consoles such as the Xbox Series S and base PlayStation 5. In response to fan concerns, Pearl Abyss provided tech experts Digital Foundry with a PlayStation 5 Pro version of Crimson Desert, to which the outlet said performance was “nothing short of remarkable.” However, many are still questioning what the game’s performance will be like on the base version of the PlayStation 5.
PC users don’t have the same concerns, but the community was left disappointed last week as Pearl Abyss quietly added Denuvo DRM to the PC version of Crimson Desert. Denuvo, which is a third-party anti-tampering software designed to make it much more difficult for users to access the game’s files and pirate it, has often been known to cause performance issues if not implemented correctly by the developer. In response to the controversy, Pearl Abyss revealed that all previous footage shown by the studio includes Denuvo already implemented into the title, squashing concerns that Crimson Desert may not run as well as it does in pre-release gameplay trailers.
- Released
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March 19, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
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Pearl Abyss
- Publisher(s)
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Pearl Abyss