Crimson Desert turned out to be so successful that Pearl Abyss paid additional cash bonuses to a thousand employees

Crimson Desert has become one of the most talked-about games of 2026. Pearl Abyss earned roughly $200 million in the first two weeks of sales, and the game's Steam rating climbed past "Very Positive" with more than 100,000 reviews.

Considerable criticism has been levied against its apparently barebones story and since-removed AI-generated assets, but the financial numbers speak for themselves. Pearl Abyss published its Q2 2026 financial report, and the figures tell quite a story.

Labor expenses shot up 94% quarter on quarter following the release of Crimson Desert, due to performance bonus payments paid out to 1,035 employees, the total headcount at the end of the quarter. That success has seemingly trickled down considerably to the studio's employees.

The report also notes that short-term personnel brought in during the first quarter for the launch declined afterward. Even so, total headcount increased by 1.1% quarter on quarter due to an influx of interns as well as additional hiring in service and marketing functions.

Pearl Abyss made clear it isn't done with the franchise. "Crimson Desert is not a one-off title," the company stated in the financial report. The studio is openly discussing possible sequel titles, multiplayer expansions, and additional DLC beyond the add-on already planned for release this year.