Pearl Abyss released update 1.04.00 for Crimson Desert on April 23, 2026, introducing difficulty settings, storage improvements, new pets, and combat refinements.
The patch adds easy and hard difficulty modes that adjust player and enemy stats, with hard mode preventing instant health recovery from food and reducing parry and dodge timing windows. Easy mode does the opposite, lowering damage taken and extending defensive windows.
Storage upgrades include the Sturdy Gatherables Chest with 1,000 slots for crafting materials, plus Kuku Cooler variants for food storage — both accessible from housing and usable in crafting without being in the player’s inventory.
New pet options arrive with birds as companions and five additional cat types, alongside a feature allowing cats to remain on the player’s shoulder longer via a new item, formalizing a previously unintended behavior.
Combat changes affect all bosses, removing immunity during powerful attacks and altering counterattack frequency, while certain bosses gain additional patterns. Skills were tweaked for Demain and Oongka, who now have Ambush and a Force Palm-like ability, and Improved Force Current no longer pushes Kliff off ledges.
Control presets for keyboard/mouse and controllers were added, with custom layouts promised, and an instant interaction option reduces accidental item pickup by prioritizing held prompts when multiple interactables overlap.
Distant scenery quality improved, inventory tabs were categorized, and players can now rename horses and pets, with pets gaining a new slot for ability-granting items.
How do the new difficulty settings change combat in Crimson Desert?
Hard difficulty increases enemy damage, health, aggression, and speed while reducing player parry and dodge windows, roll invincibility, and food healing immediacy — forcing deliberate resource management. Easy difficulty reverses these effects for a more forgiving experience.
What storage solutions were added to support with crafting and inventory management?
The Sturdy Gatherables Chest offers 1,000 slots for materials usable in crafting even when stored, and Kuku Coolers allow food and ingredients to be accessed for cooking without carrying them, both placed via the housing system.
Can players customize pet behavior in this update?
Yes, pets now have a new item slot that grants abilities and behaviors, and cats can be kept on the shoulder longer using a specific item, addressing a previously unintended but popular behavior.
Are boss fights significantly altered in this patch?
All bosses lost immunity during powerful attacks, counterattack and dodge frequencies were adjusted, and certain bosses received additional combat patterns to increase variability and challenge.