Trending Now - Crimson Desert Publisher's Stock Tumbles Nearly 30% After Reviews
WHO:
Pearl Abyss, a South Korean video game developer
Eurogamer, a gaming news outlet
Insider Gaming, a gaming news outlet
Charlie Champion, a critic for Insider Gaming
WHAT:
Pearl Abyss' shares fell by 29.88%, wiping approximately $13 off the value of a share, which is currently valued at approximately $30 per share.
Crimson Desert has a Metascore of 78 based on 85 critic reviews on Metacritic.
IGN's review of Crimson Desert returned a score of 6/10, although this score is not final.
Pearl Abyss spent 200 billion won (approximately $133 million) developing Crimson Desert over seven years.
As of early March 2026, Crimson Desert was approaching 400,000 pre-launch copies sold on Steam, representing gross revenues of over $20 million.
At the three-day pre-launch mark, Crimson Desert's $20.3 million on Steam outperformed Kingdom Come: Deliverance II by nearly 4x and Expedition 33 by nearly 10x at the same point in their respective lifecycles.
Crimson Desert is currently No. 4 in the U.S. PlayStation sales chart, behind MLB The Show 26, NBA 2K26, and Fortnite.
Pearl Abyss' shares dropped by nearly 30 percent following the release of reviews for the game Crimson Desert.
The company's share price fell by 27.44 percent, trading at 46,600 won, down 28.9% from the previous session.
Crimson Desert has a Metacritic rating of 78 and an OpenCritic rating of 80.
Market expectations for Crimson Desert's review scores were in the mid-to-high 80s, with some shareholders anticipating scores as high as 90 out of 100.
Insider Gaming awarded Crimson Desert a score of 7/10.
WHERE:
South Korean stock market
WHEN:
Reviews for Crimson Desert went live on March 18th, 2026.
Crimson Desert officially launches on March 19th, 2026.
WHY:
The drop in share value was attributed to disappointing review scores that fell short of investor expectations.
HOW:
Pearl Abyss stated that Crimson Desert needs an internet connection to complete the initial setup, including a day one patch, and to ensure players have the latest version of the game.
Reviews for Crimson Desert highlighted issues such as a weak narrative, unresponsive controls, and a lack of distinctiveness, despite praise for its technical proficiency and combat.
(UPDATED March 20, 2026 01:25 UTC)
In a significant development, shares of Pearl Abyss plummeted by nearly 30%, losing about $13 in value and currently sitting at around $30 per share. The company's highly anticipated game, Crimson Desert, has received a Metascore of 78 from 85 critic reviews, while IGN's review gave it a preliminary score of 6 out of 10. Despite the rocky start, Crimson Desert has already sold close to 400,000 pre-launch copies on Steam, generating over $20 million in revenue, and is currently ranked fourth in the U.S. PlayStation sales chart.
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(UPDATED March 19, 2026 17:25 UTC)
Shares of South Korean video game developer Pearl Abyss plummeted nearly 30 percent following the release of reviews for their new game, Crimson Desert, which went live last Monday. The company's share price fell by 27.44 percent, trading at 46,600 won, as market expectations had anticipated much higher review scores in the mid-to-high 80s, with some investors hoping for a perfect 90. Despite receiving a Metacritic rating of 78 and an OpenCritic score of 80, reviews pointed out issues like a weak narrative and unresponsive controls, leading Insider Gaming to rate the game at just 7 out of 10.