Crimson Desert Update 2.04.00 released on October 29, 2026 alongside the Charting the Unknown DLC. The patch introduces ocean exploration, ships, new character stories, marriage, two claimable castles, businesses and ten Garden of Trials challenge groups, while also improving combat, the map and PC graphics settings.
Alongside the expansion’s quests and activities, Version 2.04.00 changes combat timing, item storage, map controls and PC graphics options. The new quests have their own prerequisites, while the patch fixes and interface improvements apply as soon as you install the update.
Crimson Desert Update 2.04.00 release and platforms
Crimson Desert Update 2.04.00 arrived at 22:00 UTC on Thursday, October 29, or 10 PM GMT in the UK. Pearl Abyss reported the patch available for PlayStation, Xbox, Steam on PC and Mac, and the Epic Games Store. The Mac App Store game update had a separate rollout, even though the company also announced availability for the DLC on that storefront.
Mac players may need a one-time re-download of the full game package because of technical changes to the Mac build. To access the DLC, open Buy DLC on the game’s title screen and make sure the game is updated. The Charting the Unknown overview covers the expansion’s wider unlock requirements.
New quests for Kliff, Oongka and Damiane
The story content in Crimson Desert Update 2.04.00 adds one quest each for the three playable protagonists. Complete Journey’s End, then find their individual stories in the Journal. A separate ocean quest, A Wider World, starts after Howling Hill and the required Greymane Camp expansion.
The ocean storyline opens before the post-story character quests. If you’ve finished Howling Hill but haven’t reached Journey’s End, use our A Wider World guide to start with the camp expansion requirement.
Ships, diving and the new ocean
Crimson Desert Update 2.04.00 expands Pywel beyond its coastline with uncharted islands, hidden treasure maps, underwater ruins and maritime trade. Ships can be constructed through port dispatch missions or purchased from fleetmasters. Fleetmasters in Demeniss and Delesyia sell customisation parts.
Diving adds a breath gauge. Refining the diving suit improves maximum breath capacity, certain foods restore breath and new equipment allows the A.T.A.G to work underwater. New sea mounts can be subdued or fed to raise Trust before registration. The shipbuilding guide explains how to acquire a vessel.
Marriage, Free Construction and 17 residences
The relationship changes in Crimson Desert Update 2.04.00 let eligible NPCs be courted through Interact > Flirt. Gift and Chat raise an additional Trust level, with each interaction type limited to one increase per day. A proposal becomes possible at 100, while some NPCs, including witches, require special quests.
Spouses can travel with you, appear on the map and occasionally offer gifts. Seventeen residences can be built through dispatch missions for spouses to live in. For home building, complete Luke’s Request and establish Howling Hill camp, then choose Home Decoration > Layout > Free Construction to work with walls and windows. See the marriage guide for Trust rules.
Castles, businesses and Honorary Greymanes
Crimson Desert Update 2.04.00 lists two newly claimable castles: Drakesfall Castle after Journey’s End and liberation, and Flame Knight’s Castle after Damiane’s Politician quest and liberation. Greymane-owned strongholds now appear light blue on the map.
The new Facilities tab allows management of restaurants, sawmills, smithies and tailor shops in eligible liberated strongholds. Facilities continue working while you’re away. Camp festivals bring trusted visitors, some of whom can be hired as Honorary Greymanes for dispatch work.
Garden of Trials and new combat equipment
The boss content in Crimson Desert Update 2.04.00 includes Garden of Trials near the Axiom Archive Abyss. After Journey’s End, you can challenge ten groups using up to three characters in an order you choose. Food healing is disabled and a defeated character hands the fight to the next selected character. Each cleared group enhances an existing skill.
The expansion also adds bosses, some Memory Fragment rematches, equipment, a Relic Collector and combat tools such as a frying pan, ladle, lids and kitchen knife. For the challenge’s restrictions, use our Garden of Trials guide.
PC graphics, map and gameplay improvements
Crimson Desert Update 2.04.00 separates upscaling from frame generation in the graphics settings. Pearl Abyss specifically gives DLSS upscaling with FSR Frame Generation as an example combination. Map improvements include a greater maximum zoom-out, permanently displayed trade routes, clearer region-status colours and indicators for mount summon environments.
The update reduces the startup time for Oongka’s Scatter Shot and Damiane’s Shield Toss, improves counterattack visuals and fixes an issue with aerial movement using Kliff’s Axiom Force. Item handling, Collectibles Chest eligibility and certain quest steps also received targeted fixes.
Other additions and fixes
Crimson Desert Update 2.04.00 adds Banker’s Dice in Demeniss and Delesyia, barber shops, insect storage, three legendary insects, new furnishings and wagon equipment. Greymane outfits can be changed at the Comrade Dispatch Tent using camp resources. Maximum item stack sizes were also increased.
The patch also fixes the missing Wait interaction in Talk to Grimnir, incorrect Bow Aimed at Fate V progress, the Forgotten General’s illusions, equipment clipping and an intermittent Strongbox investment menu problem. These sit alongside the larger combat and map improvements detailed below.
Crimson Desert Update 2.04.00 map and interface changes
The revised map shows a wider portion of Pywel when you zoom out, with trade routes displayed continuously. Region indicators now distinguish blockaded locations in red, reconstructing areas in light red, active incidents in yellow and uncharted territory in grey. Greymane-owned strongholds display light blue. The fog-of-war area cleared also varies with your mount.
Controller players can press L3 or the left stick on the map to move the focus to a summoned horse, wagon, ship or Blackstar. Summon icons have been refreshed, with indicators distinguishing air, land and underwater locations. These changes make the expanded sea and its mounts easier to navigate.
Crimson Desert Update 2.04.00 bug fixes and balance changes
Among the less visible changes, Golden Apple Hedgehogs now spawn less frequently. The Efficiency Abyss Gear effect has been changed from a chance to save one crafting material to a percentage reduction in materials consumed. The patch also fixes a Strongbox investment menu that sometimes failed to appear on its first opening.
Crimson Desert Update 2.04.00 also corrects an issue where storing or withdrawing multiple non-stackable items could process only one; a missing Wait option during Talk to Grimnir; incorrect progress display for Bow Aimed at Fate V; and enemies failing to become hostile when Oongka or Damiane had another character following them. Aerial Swing, the Forgotten General’s illusions and certain Abyss Gear activation rules also received fixes.
A long-session frame-rate drop in the Ethereal Pathway has been fixed, along with excessive camera shake, floating defeated enemies and the Runewalker Shield showing a dye option it shouldn’t have. The update also corrects a wagon-related arrest bug and localisation errors.
Important DLC save compatibility restriction
One new rule in Crimson Desert Update 2.04.00 affects cross-platform players: saves created with Charting the Unknown installed cannot load into a game version that does not include the DLC. They also cannot be used for cross-save to a version lacking it. Make sure both the game update and expansion are installed on the destination before moving saves.
Before using cross-save, install the expansion on the destination system and update both copies of the game. Our DLC save guide covers linked accounts and the manual upload slot.
Related Guides
Official source: Pearl Abyss Patch Notes Version 2.04.00.
