With the deepest character customization of any game currently on the market, Black Desert Online allows for unprecedented detail in character creation. Its intuitive controls, beautifully designed world, and extensive lore will enthrall both newcomers and veterans of MMO games and action RPGs.

Travel through the lands in search of treasure and adventure or become one of the top craftsmen in the land. Set up trade routes and breed horses or compete against other guilds in epic siege warfare.

Korean developer and publisher Pearl Abyss spelled out new updates and global release plans today for Black Desert Online and this year’s major Land of the Morning Light: Seoul, coming to PC and Steam on September 12, 2024.

Today’s announcement delivers players their first look at Land of the Morning Light: Seoul (LOTML: Seoul) as well as upcoming collaboration news, update details, and trailers for players hungry to dig into Black Desert Online. Adventurers also can look forward to several trailers during ‘Seoul’s’ launch week with dedicated videos delving into the expansion’s mythology, regions, characters, and bosses.

Black Desert Online September Roadmap:

• Berserk Collaboration: Stylize your look with the wild cosmetic outfits on offer from the critically acclaimed ‘Berserk’ franchise. This collaboration is available for both PC and Console players. Mark your calendars for this update on Thursday, September 5.
• Land of the Morning Light: Seoul: Dig into the deep storylines, boss fights and grind hard for the high-level ‘Sovereign’ weapons in LOTML: Seoul, the sequel to last year’s superb expansion. Play the PC/Steam version Thursday, September 12.
• Dosa Awakening: Prepare for the re-creation of the swashbuckling swordsman Dosa, with the all new transformation into Dosa Awakening. More details on the Dosa Awakening update coming soon!

Land of the Morning Light: Seoul

Working with the Cultural Heritage Administration in South Korea, Pearl Abyss based its new Land of the Morning Light: Seoul story in the sprawling Hwanghae Province, re-creating the famous royal palace Gyeongbokgung, which still stands today. Using drones, LIDAR, and other content, the development team scanned key points of interest and incorporated them in-game to generate real-world details, accuracy, and immersion. In it, players will experience eight new stories based on Korean folktales, more than 6,000 lines of fully voiced dialogue, and more than 40 cutscenes.

The renewed Black Shrine now enables a five-player cooperative playstyle to combat all eight fearsome bosses (plus two new undisclosed extras). These boss fights introduce a wealth of new challenging mechanics, including health recovery, resurrection changes, and Guild member rewards and ranking systems. 

Once players complete their narrative journey in Land of the Morning Light: Seoul, they can explore the vividly re-created Gyeongbok Palace, the massive, multi-part capitol city of ancient Seoul. There, they can dig into the new “Palace Management” system, a new life skill in which players can manage various production resources and nodes similar to a resource management simulator. This new system offers players the ability to process and complete trade items, deliver finished products to merchants, and keep a “tab” on the changing production material nodes for an enjoyable, profitable, side hustle.

One of the major new items introduced with Land of the Morning Light: Seoul is a Primordial-grade weapon, Sovereign. Its design was inspired by the Dark Bonghwang (a Korean cultural mythological animal, similar to what we might know as a Phoenix), a boss in the new expansion. Once this new expansion arrives (August 7 in Korea, fall in North America and Europe), the Sovereign weapon will be the highest-tier weapon in the game. The Sovereign can be crafted using PEN (V) Blackstar Weapon, combined with Primordial Flame, or another PEN (V) Blackstar Weapon, or Caphras Lv. 20 Boss Weapon and Gem of Twilight. With the addition of Primordial weapons, all Adventurers will be able to obtain one PEN (V) Blackstar Weapon.

Key Features

• A beautifully designed open world that’s as expansive as it is alive
• Heart-pounding skill-based combat
• Unprecedented character customization with incredible detail
• Crisp next-generation graphics
• Extensive open world PvP modes (Arena mode, guild vs guild, node wars, castle siege, and more)
• Engaging story with deep lore and epic quests
• Unique farming system - grow and perfect your crops
• A personalized stable - catch, tame, and breed wild horses
• Deep crafting, housing, fishing, hunting, and alchemy systems
• Intuitive action gameplay complete with gamepad support

Get a free 7-day trial for Black Desert Online here.

Black Desert Online is currently available PC, as well as PS4 and Xbox One (titled Black Desert). Also compatible on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.