Crimson Desert is a massive open-world RPG from Pearl Abyss, and its length reflects that ambition. Pearl Abyss originally estimated 50 to 80 hours of gameplay in a 2024 investor presentation, but post-launch player reports have pushed those numbers higher. Here is the full breakdown by playstyle.
How Long to Beat Crimson Desert by Playstyle
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- Main Story Only: 60 to 80+ hours: Focusing exclusively on the campaign gets most players through in this range. The game has 14 total chapters, including a prologue and epilogue. However, "story only" is somewhat misleading in Crimson Desert because main story bosses are difficult enough that you will naturally need to complete side content to upgrade your gear and collect Abyss Artifacts. Players who try to rush the story without any exploration tend to hit progression walls in the mid-game chapters.
- Main Story + Side Content: 100 to 150 hours: Once you factor in faction quests, camp upgrades, mount collection, and the Abyss puzzles scattered throughout Pywel, the playtime climbs significantly. The game contains over 400 quests across its main and side categories, 75+ bosses (including optional ones), and multiple faction questlines in every region.
- Completionist / 100%: 150 to 400+ hours: Full completion means finishing every faction quest, solving every Abyss puzzle, unlocking all fast travel points, completing all challenge tallies, collecting all mounts, and clearing every hidden encounter. Experienced players who have already beaten the game estimate full completion pushes well past 150 hours, with true 100% potentially reaching 400 hours given the sheer density of content across all regions.
Why the Range Is So Wide
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Several factors explain the significant variation in playtime:
- Boss difficulty gates progression. Main story bosses require proper gear and Abyss Artifact investments. Unlike games where you can brute-force underleveled through story content, Crimson Desert's combat system demands preparation. This means side content is not optional padding; it is functionally required to keep up with the story's difficulty curve.
- The starting region alone is enormous. Hernand, the first major area, contains multiple faction quest chains (Greymanes, House Celeste, House Roberts, Goldleaf Merchant Guild, Scholastone Institute, and more). Many players spend 40 to 50 hours in Hernand before ever moving to the next region.
- Fast travel requires discovery. Abyss Cressets and Abyss Nexus points must be found and activated before you can fast travel to them. Cressets in particular require puzzle-solving to unlock, which adds meaningful time to every region you enter.
- Three playable characters do not share Abyss Artifacts. Building all three characters evenly multiplies the time needed to collect upgrade materials, as progress does not transfer between them.
- Camp management runs in real time. The Greymane Camp at Howling Hill can be expanded with merchants, farmhands, a farm, a ranch, and trading wagons. Dispatching freeswords on missions and managing camp upgrades run on in-game time, encouraging players to do other activities while waiting.
How Crimson Desert Compares to Other Open-World RPGs
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At 60 to 80 hours for a main story playthrough, Crimson Desert sits in the upper tier of single-player RPG game length. For comparison, Elden Ring's main story runs approximately 50 to 60 hours for most players, while The Witcher 3's main campaign takes roughly 50 hours (100+ with DLC). Crimson Desert's completionist time of 150+ hours is comparable to the most content-dense open-world RPGs on the market.
The key difference is that Crimson Desert's side content feeds directly into the main story progression. In many open-world games, side quests are truly optional. In Crimson Desert, they are the primary way to prepare your character for the next story boss. This design means your "main story" time naturally includes significant side exploration, whether you intended it or not.
Tips for Managing Your Playtime
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- Do not rush the main story. The game is designed as a slow burn. Exploring, gathering materials, upgrading gear, and engaging with faction quests between story chapters make the experience smoother and more enjoyable.
- Unlock fast travel points early. Prioritize finding Abyss Nexus points and solving Abyss Cresset puzzles in each new region. The time investment upfront saves enormous amounts of backtracking later.
- Focus on one character first. Since Abyss Artifacts do not transfer between characters, concentrating on your primary character for the first playthrough avoids spreading your resources too thin.
- Engage with camp management passively. Set freesword missions running before you head out on quests. The camp progresses while you are doing other things, so there is no need to sit and wait.
Fuel Your Journey Through Pywel
Marathon sessions in Crimson Desert take sustained focus. Check out the full ingredient breakdown on the Inside the Formula page.
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FAQs
1. How long is the main story of Crimson Desert?
60 to 80+ hours for most players. The game has 14 chapters, including a prologue and epilogue. Boss difficulty requires side content engagement, so pure "story only" runs are difficult to achieve.
2. How long does it take to 100% Crimson Desert?
150+ hours minimum, with estimates reaching 400 hours for true 100% completion, including all faction quests, puzzles, challenges, mounts, and hidden content across every region.
3. How many quests are in Crimson Desert?
Over 400 quests across the main story and side content, spread across multiple regions and faction questlines. Hernand alone has multiple faction categories with dozens of quests each.
4. How many bosses are in Crimson Desert?
75+ bosses, including optional encounters. Many main story bosses require significant gear progression to defeat.
5. Is Crimson Desert longer than Elden Ring?
For most players, yes. Crimson Desert's main story (60 to 80+ hours) runs longer than Elden Ring's typical main story completion (50 to 60 hours), and its completionist time (150+ hours) is comparable to or exceeds Elden Ring's full exploration time.
6. Can you rush through Crimson Desert?
Technically, yes, but the game discourages it. Main story bosses scale with expected gear levels, and players who skip side content will hit difficulty walls. The game is designed to be explored, not sprinted through.