Pearl Abyss has tirelessly worked on Crimson Desert, and it’s nearly time for everyone to enjoy the fruits of their labor. The final major step before release day is the Crimson Desert review embargo, which could significantly impact the game’s success and sales.
In Crimson Desert, you have an open-world, action-adventure game that has learned significantly from the game that came before it—Black Desert Online, in this case. No matter what gameplay is shown or what trailers are revealed, there’s one thing you can count on to determine if it’s a worthy successor—reviews.
Crimson Desert Review Embargo Date, Explained
The Crimson Desert review embargo date has been set at March 18.
If you’ve been following Crimson Desert’s progress, you’ll know there’s something hugely significant about this—the embargo is one day before launch day.
Now, many will see this as a red flag. After all, why would a company leave its reviews so close to launch? However, many games have employed a similar tactic, and we’re talking very good games.
Launch-day reviews and embargoes AFTER release are the ones you need to be worried about.
- More Insider Gaming: Crimson Desert Release Date & Start Times
There have been plenty of cases of great games on paper having the review embargo drop days before launch, and they haven’t reviewed well. There’s every chance that glowing reviews for Crimson Desert arrive hours before launch, and those who have pre-ordered will feel vindicated in their decision. Plus, newcomers can quickly hop on and secure a digital pre-order.
Crimson Desert looks amazing, so we’ll have to see how it scores on March 18.
Crimson Desert Review Embargo Release Times
Wednesday, March 18, at 3 PM PT is when the first reviews for Crimson Desert will drop, with other regions following.
Whether you’re based in the United States, the United Kingdom, or other continents, the table below has a bunch of different regions and time zones for you to refer to, so you can see when the review embargo date and time are wherever you’re based.
- More Insider Gaming: Is Crimson Desert On Xbox Game Pass?
Check out key times and dates right here.
| Region / Time Zone | Crimson Desert Review Embargo Dates & Release Times |
|---|---|
| Pacific Time (PT) | 3:00 PM—March 18 |
| Central Time (CT) | 5:00 PM—March 18 |
| Eastern Time (ET) | 6:00 PM—March 18 |
| Brasilia Time (BRT) | 7:00 PM—March 18 |
| Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) | 10:00 PM—March 18 |
| China Standard Time (CST) | 6:00 AM—March 19 |
| Korean Standard Time (KST) | 7:00 AM—March 19 |
| Japan Standard Time (JST) | 7:00 AM—March 19 |
| Australian Eastern Time (AET) | 9:00 AM—March 19 |
| New Zealand Daylight Time (NZDT) | 11:00 AM—March 19 |
Crimson Desert looks unbelievable on paper, but will it make for a complete gaming experience? What scores will it get? Offer your predictions and thoughts on it via the Insider Gaming Discord.
Check out even more Crimson Desert guides right here:
- Is Crimson Desert An MMO or Single-Player? Multiplayer, Explained
- How Long To Beat Crimson Desert? Crimson Desert Game Length & Total Hours, Explained
- Will Crimson Desert Have Character Creation? All Playable Characters, Explained
- Is Crimson Desert A Sequel or Prequel To Black Desert Online?
A bit odd CET isn’t listed
I canceled my preorder for ps5 after reading this. 1 day before release is pointless since by then no one outside STEAM buyers can refund. I hate this company for not making a pve exclusive BDO server. But I did enjoy the game outside of the boring pvp. I’m hoping that since this was meant to be an MMO initially it will be a decent game but I am not going to throw away 70euro on hope. I’ll wait for reviews to come out before buying it again. The only reason for a review embargo this close to release is to scam as many people who can’t refund out of their money.