If you have been keeping an eye on Crimson Desert, you probably already know the game is not going to be small.
Between its massive open world, multiple systems, and the huge amount of content, the one question that keeps coming up is “how long will it really take to finish?”
According to Pearl Abyss, you should be ready to invest quite a bit of time. The estimates come from an investor presentation, so they are not final, but they still line up well with everything we have seen so far. As always, take it with a grain of salt, since playtime can vary a lot depending on how you play.
Around 50 Hours for the Main Story
According to the developers, the main story should take around 50 hours to complete.
That puts it in line with larger open-world RPGs, even if you mostly focus on the story and do not go out of your way to explore everything.
80+ Hours With Side Content
If you like to explore side content, the playtime increases quickly:
• Main story + side content: ~80 hours
• Completionist run: 100+ hours
So if you like exploring, finishing side activities, and clearing everything, you are looking at a very long playthrough. But well… at least you know what to do until GTA VI comes out.
These numbers also make sense when you look at what is planned for the game. The map is huge, there are over 100 factions, dozens of bosses, multiple regions, and a wide range of activities on top of the main story.
It Could Take Even Longer
Interestingly, early hands-on impressions and reviews seem to support these estimates. Some content creators mentioned still being in the first region after spending around 50 hours in the game, which should give you a good idea of how dense each area might be.
Of course, that does not reflect a typical playthrough, but it does show that the game is built to take its time.
As always, actual playtime depends on how you play. Exploring more, taking on side content, or learning the combat systems will all add time. However, everything we have seen so far reiterates that Crimson Desert is a long experience. Even a focused run should take around 50 hours, with plenty of room to go far beyond that.
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