Pearl Abyss has released the official launch trailer for Crimson Desert, giving players one last look at the open-world RPG before its global release later this week.

The new trailer showcases the scale of the game’s war-torn world, Pywel, while teasing story elements, combat encounters, and several traversal systems players will be able to use once the game launches on 19 March 2026. The footage also arrives as anticipation builds around the title, which has already surpassed three million wishlists across major gaming platforms.

Launch Trailer Shows Off Pywel And Its Massive Battles

The launch trailer offers a quick tour through the continent of Pywel, the setting for Crimson Desert’s story. Players step into the role of Kliff, the leader of the Greymanes mercenaries, who becomes separated from his unit after an ambush by the rival Black Bears faction.

According to details highlighted in the trailer, this conflict forms part of the game’s central narrative, with Kliff trying to reunite with his allies while preventing a looming catastrophe threatening the continent.

Much of the footage focuses on large-scale combat encounters.

The trailer features battles against towering bosses, including a lightning-charged mechanical construct and a creature known as White Horn.

These encounters emphasise the game’s fast-paced combat system, combining swordplay, environmental interactions, and character-specific fighting styles.

Traversal Systems Include Dragons, Trains, And Jetpacks

Beyond combat, the trailer highlights the variety of movement and exploration mechanics players will have access to across the open world.

Characters can explore Pywel on foot or while mounted, including riding and commanding wyverns during aerial combat sequences.

The footage also reveals a mix of traversal tools, such as using a gravity-based device to grapple onto moving trains, as well as jetpack-assisted flight through the skies.

Exploration isn’t limited to combat scenarios either. Players can also take part in activities like rock climbing, gliding across landscapes, fishing, and cooking while travelling through the game’s expansive environment.

Release Date, Platforms, And Pre-Load Details

Crimson Desert launches globally on 19 March 2026 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC platforms including Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store. The game is also scheduled to release on Apple Mac.

Pearl Abyss has confirmed that players will be able to begin pre-downloading the game starting 17 March at 23:00 CET via major digital storefronts. The developer has also shared global launch times, with the game unlocking simultaneously worldwide.

For players in New Zealand, Crimson Desert becomes available at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, 20 March due to time zone differences.

PC And Console Performance Features Confirmed

Alongside the trailer, Pearl Abyss shared additional technical details about the game’s performance options across different platforms.

On PC, Crimson Desert will support multiple upscaling technologies, including DLSS 4.0 and FSR 4.0, both featuring ray reconstruction and regeneration tools designed to improve visual performance.

Console versions on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S will use FSR 3, while the PlayStation 5 Pro version will also support Sony’s PSSR upscaling technology. Mac users will have access to MetalFX upscaling, along with frame generation and denoiser integration.

Pearl Abyss also confirmed that players will need an internet connection during the initial setup to install a mandatory day-one patch. After that process is complete, the game can be played entirely offline, although the developer recommends staying connected to receive future performance updates.

Denuvo DRM Quietly Added Ahead Of Launch

Shortly before the trailer debuted, players noticed that the game’s Steam page had been updated to confirm the use of Denuvo DRM.

The anti-piracy software was reportedly added to the Steam listing on 12 March, according to the game’s SteamDB history. The decision has sparked mixed reactions within the PC gaming community, with some players expressing concerns that the software can negatively affect system performance.

Others have raised privacy concerns about Denuvo’s kernel-level access. Similar debates have surrounded the software in previous high-profile releases, with some studios later choosing to remove it after launch.

Despite the controversy, Crimson Desert remains one of the most anticipated RPG releases of the year. With millions of wishlists and a large global audience waiting for launch day, the coming weeks will reveal whether the excitement around the game outweighs the ongoing DRM debate.

The post Crimson Desert Launch Trailer Shows New Gameplay Ahead Of March 19 Release appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Project Windless has officially been announced for PS5, with PUBG publisher Krafton revealing its ambitious open-world action RPG during PlayStation’s latest State of Play. Developed by Krafton Montréal Studio, the game is set in the universe of the Korean fantasy novel series The Bird That Drinks Tears and promises large-scale battles, player-driven storytelling, and a very unusual hero.

If you caught the trailer, you already know this is not your typical Western-style fantasy RPG.

A New Open-World RPG Set In The Bird That Drinks Tears Universe

Project Windless is based on The Bird That Drinks Tears, a high-fantasy novel series written by South Korean author Lee Youngdoo that first began in 2003. Rather than retelling the books directly, the developers are taking players more than a thousand years before the events of the novels, exploring a largely untouched era in the timeline.

According to Krafton Montréal Studio head and creative director Patrik Méthé, the team was drawn to the setting because it felt darker, stranger, and more tragic than traditional Western fantasy worlds. Each race in the universe has its own worldview and complex history, and conflicts are rarely clean or heroic. The studio believes that tone naturally suits an open-world structure, where players can wander, uncover hidden stories, and shape events themselves.

Krafton describes the game as a single-player open-world action RPG where players step into a mythic age, stand against overwhelming odds, forge alliances, and wage war across massive battlefields to unite a fractured land.

You Play As A Rekon Warrior

One of the biggest talking points from the reveal is the protagonist. Players take on the role of a Rekon, a nomadic warrior race of humanoid birds known for immense physical strength and size.

Yes, that means you are effectively playing as a sword-wielding bird warrior.

While early reactions online have jokingly labelled it a “chicken with a sword,” the trailer makes it clear this is a brutal, stylised action game. The Rekon is fast, powerful, and built for one-versus-many combat scenarios. Despite their strength, Rekons are portrayed as solitary figures with strong personal beliefs and vulnerabilities, including a well-known fear of water, adding a layer of character depth beyond raw power.

In the story, you step into the role of a mythical figure whose actions influence the birth of a new kingdom during a time of rising tensions and division.

Massive Battles Powered By Mass Technology

Combat appears to be one of Project Windless’ defining features. The reveal trailer showcased battlefields packed with hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of enemies on screen at once.

Krafton says these large-scale encounters are powered by its so-called Mass Technology, allowing crowds to move, flank, surround, and react dynamically rather than acting as simple background spectacle. The intention is to create chaotic, war-like scenarios where players must constantly read the battlefield and adapt.

The tone of the combat has drawn comparisons to Dynasty Warriors-style action, with the Rekon carving through swarms of enemies, though Project Windless positions itself firmly as an open-world RPG rather than a mission-based hack-and-slash game.

In addition to cutting through hordes, players will also face towering creatures that dominate the battlefield, pushing encounters beyond simple crowd control.

Led By A Former Far Cry Director

Project Windless is being developed by Krafton Montréal Studio, led by Patrik Méthé, a former Ubisoft veteran. Méthé previously served as game director on Far Cry 3, Far Cry 4, Far Cry 5, Far Cry: New Dawn, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction before joining Krafton in late 2022.

The game is being built in Unreal Engine 5 and is designed to serve as an entry point for players unfamiliar with The Bird That Drinks Tears universe, rather than assuming prior knowledge of the novels.

Méthé has said the core idea behind Project Windless is player agency, not just in combat, but in how wars unfold, alliances are formed, and history is written. The studio wants players to feel like they are actively creating legend, not simply observing it.

Release Window And Platforms

At this stage, Project Windless does not have a release date. The continued use of the “Project” codename suggests it may still be several years away from launch.

What has been confirmed is that the game is currently in development for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro.

Krafton, best known for publishing PUBG: Battlegrounds, as well as titles like The Callisto Protocol and InZOI, is clearly positioning Project Windless as a major AAA expansion beyond its battle royale roots.

With large-scale warfare, a unique fantasy setting, and a sword-wielding Rekon at its centre, Project Windless is shaping up to be one of the more unusual open-world RPG reveals from this year’s State of Play. We will likely hear more as development progresses.

The post Project Windless Announced For PS5, Open-World Action RPG From PUBG Publisher appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

After years of silence and speculation, Fable is finally stepping back into the spotlight. Playground Games has delivered its most detailed look yet at the long awaited reboot during the latest Xbox Developer_Direct, confirming platforms, release timing, and exactly why this new take on Albion could be one of the most ambitious RPGs of the generation.

Fable launches this Autumn on Xbox Series X and S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It will also support Xbox Play Anywhere, meaning a single purchase carries across Xbox and PC. For the first time in franchise history, Fable is releasing on PlayStation 5 alongside Xbox platforms, opening the gates of Albion to a much wider audience.

Developed by Playground Games, best known for the Forza Horizon series, this is not a remake or sequel. Instead, it is a full reboot, designed as a new beginning for one of Xbox’s most iconic RPG franchises.

A New Beginning For Albion

According to Fable general manager and game director Ralph Fulton, the decision to reboot was intentional. It has been nearly two console generations since the original trilogy ended, and Playground wanted the freedom to rebuild Albion without being tied to existing timelines or characters.

This fresh start allows the team to honour the spirit of the original games while crafting their own version of the world. The result is a familiar yet reimagined Albion, one that keeps Fable’s identity intact while modernising its systems, storytelling, and scope.

At its core, Playground’s Fable is built around a simple idea inherited from Lionhead Studios. Fable is fairytale, not fantasy. Rather than epic political drama or world ending stakes, the game focuses on smaller, more personal stories about ordinary people, and what happens when magic disrupts their lives.

Story Setup And Player Freedom

Fable begins, as tradition demands, with your character as a child. Early on, your heroic powers awaken, setting you apart from everyone around you. A time jump then moves the story forward, reintroducing your hero as an adult returning to their home village of Briar Hill.

The inciting incident strikes quickly. A mysterious stranger turns your entire village, including your grandmother, to stone. With no clear answers and only fleeting clues, your journey into the wider world begins, driven by the hope of reversing what has been done.

From the moment you leave your village, Albion opens up completely. There is no ticking clock forcing you down the main story path. You can head toward the Heroes’ Guild in Bowerstone, chase rumours, explore distant settlements, or ignore the main quest entirely for hours on end. The story waits for you, giving players full permission to get lost in side activities, relationships, jobs, and exploration.

A Fully Open World Without Level Gating

Playground has built Fable as a true open world RPG. There are no invisible walls or regions locked behind level requirements. Players can travel anywhere in Albion from the start, and the game’s progression systems are designed around that freedom.

Instead of pushing players toward a specific route, the world adapts to where you go. Every settlement offers meaningful activities, regardless of when you arrive. This approach ensures that curiosity is rewarded rather than punished, encouraging players to explore without fear of hitting artificial barriers.

Fluid Style-Weaving Combat

Combat in Fable revolves around what Playground calls style weaving. The classic mix of melee, ranged, and magic returns, but with a modern twist that allows players to seamlessly chain attacks together.

You can swing a sword, fire a ranged shot, and launch a spell in one smooth sequence, without delays or rigid loadouts. Combat encounters are designed around groups of enemies, each with strengths, weaknesses, and behaviours that reward tactical thinking.

Emergent moments play a big role too. Enemies can accidentally damage each other, weak points trigger specific reactions, and slapstick chaos often breaks through during fights. It keeps combat feeling dynamic, unpredictable, and unmistakably Fable.

Morality Reimagined Through Reputation

One of the most important changes comes to Fable’s morality system. Rather than a simple good or evil meter, the reboot introduces a reputation-based system shaped by what you do and who witnesses it.

Every action seen by others contributes to how you are perceived. Kick chickens often enough and you may become known as a Chicken Chaser. Be generous, thieving, romantic, or reckless, and those traits form your identity within each settlement.

Different NPCs interpret these reputations differently. There is no objective morality. The world does not judge you, but the people of Albion absolutely will. Reputations affect dialogue, romance, marriage, shop prices, and how NPCs treat you on the street. You can even manipulate public opinion by paying the town crier to spread a new reputation if you want to reinvent yourself.

A Living World Of Over 1,000 NPCs

Albion is populated by over 1,000 unique NPCs, each with their own routines, jobs, relationships, and homes. This Living Population system means towns function like real places rather than static backdrops.

NPCs wake up, go to work, socialise, return home, and react dynamically to your actions. Over time, players can learn individual names, preferences, and personal stories, forming relationships that feel more grounded than traditional RPG crowd systems.

While the Living Population occasionally references your actions during the main quest, it remains optional. Players focused purely on the story can progress without interference, while others are free to experiment with Albion’s social systems as deeply as they like.

British Humour And A Bold Storytelling Twist

Fable’s British identity remains central to its tone, and Playground has leaned heavily into that heritage. Dry wit, awkward humour, and absurdity flow through the world, supported by a cast that includes familiar British comedic talent.

One of the most distinctive features is a mockumentary-style interview technique inspired by The Office. Characters occasionally speak directly to the camera, allowing jokes and character moments to land naturally without interrupting gameplay.

According to Ralph Fulton, this approach has rarely been used in games before, but it offers a powerful way to deliver humour and personality in a format that feels effortless and authentic.

Character Customisation And Player Expression

Character customisation is fully confirmed, allowing players to shape their hero however they choose. Combined with open world freedom, fluid combat, and reputation-driven morality, Fable is built around player expression in every sense.

You are free to define what kind of hero you become, whether that means noble protector, chaotic troublemaker, or something in between.

What Comes Next

Playground Games says there is still much more to reveal before launch, including deeper dives into progression, weapons, exploration systems, and the main cast. For now, Developer_Direct served as a statement of intent.

Fable is back, rebuilt from the ground up, and aiming to deliver a fairytale RPG where choice, humour, and consequence shape every journey. Albion is opening its doors once again, and this time, more players than ever are invited inside.

The post Fable Returns With A Powerful Open World Reboot, Launching Across Xbox, PC And PS5 This Autumn 2026 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Pearl Abyss has lifted the lid a little more on just how ambitious Crimson Desert really is, and the scale sounds enormous. According to the developer, the game’s open world is at least twice the size of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and even larger than Red Dead Redemption 2, placing it among the biggest playable maps ever made.

With Crimson Desert set to launch on March 19, 2026, new comments from Pearl Abyss executives and recent media previews are painting a clearer picture of what players can expect when they finally step into the continent of Pywel.

Pearl Abyss Explains Just How Big Pywel Really Is

Speaking on the Gaming Interviews YouTube channel, Pearl Abyss’ Will Powers explained that putting a simple number on Crimson Desert’s map size does not fully capture its scope. Still, he was willing to make a direct comparison with two of the most famous open worlds in gaming.

Powers said the playable area of Pywel is at least twice as big as Skyrim’s open world and larger than the entire Red Dead Redemption 2 map. He added that while the continent is absolutely massive, size alone is not what defines a great open world.

According to Powers, the focus has always been on interaction, activities, and meaningful distractions rather than empty land. Open world games live or die by what players can actually do, and Pearl Abyss wants Pywel to feel alive no matter where you wander.

This comparison and quote come directly from Powers’ interview on Gaming Interviews, making it one of the clearest confirmations yet of Crimson Desert’s sheer scale.

A World Built For Exploration, Not Just Distance

Unlike Skyrim or Red Dead Redemption 2, Crimson Desert gives players tools that dramatically change how the world is explored. One of the standout features is the ability to fly on a dragon, allowing players to cross huge distances far more quickly than traditional horseback travel.

【ニュース】大作オープンワールド『紅の砂漠』開発者、マップは『スカイリム』の2倍以上で『RDR2』より広いとアピール。寄り道いっぱい、「脳内設定」で変わる冒険https://t.co/ifkKeVZGXh pic.twitter.com/cfLaYoLntC

— AUTOMATON（オートマトン） (@AUTOMATONJapan) January 9, 2026

Powers also confirmed that traditional RPG decision trees and branching narrative choices are not the main focus. Instead, role playing comes from what he calls “head canon.” Players shape their own stories through exploration, quest order, progression choices, and the countless distractions scattered across Pywel.

Because of this design, two players can follow the same core storyline but come away with radically different experiences. One might stumble into a long quest chain after spotting something unusual on the horizon, while another heads off bounty hunting or exploring distant regions first.

More Than Just A Big Map, Sky Islands And Wild Traversal

Additional details shared online, including commentary highlighted by Culture Crave, suggest Crimson Desert has been in development for roughly seven years. The project reportedly includes an impressive range of traversal and gameplay systems.

Details for ‘Crimson Desert’ ⚔️

• Playable area is 2X the size of ‘Skyrim’ and it’s a larger map than ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’

• You can ride a dragon, bear, raptor, or pilot a mecha

• Single-player only

• You can capture any enemy and turn them into a city for rewards… pic.twitter.com/DOE0VynEU9

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) January 9, 2026

Players can ride creatures such as dragons, bears, and raptors, pilot a mech, purchase property, take on bounty hunting contracts, and even use web-swinging mechanics. The world is also expected to feature explorable sky islands, adding a strong vertical layer to exploration beyond the main terrain.

Gameplay footage released so far shows vast landscapes, real-time combat, and large scale encounters. Pearl Abyss has also confirmed that Crimson Desert is designed as a single player experience, focusing entirely on delivering a dense and personal open world adventure.

Review Codes Reportedly Going Out A Month Early

The size of Pywel is also influencing how Pearl Abyss plans to handle reviews. In a now private interview from the New Game+ Showcase, Will Powers revealed that review codes are expected to be sent out around one month before launch.

“I’m giving people a month with the game. Please. I think you’re going to need it,” Powers said, explaining that the decision was made to avoid rushed reviews and to give critics enough time to properly explore the world.

He noted that the crowded release schedule around March could otherwise force reviewers to hurry through the game, which would not benefit players or the developers. This early review code plan is exclusive to Powers’ comments from that interview and underlines just how much content Crimson Desert is expected to offer.

A Tiny Slice Of A Much Bigger World

Interestingly, Powers also mentioned that what media and players have seen so far represents only a tiny corner of the full map. Previews shown to journalists barely scratch the surface of Pywel, suggesting there are vast regions and systems yet to be revealed.

With a confirmed release date of March 19, 2026, on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, Crimson Desert is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious open world games of the generation.

If Pearl Abyss can deliver meaningful content across a world larger than Skyrim and Red Dead Redemption 2, Crimson Desert could set a new benchmark for scale and immersion in single player RPGs.

The post Crimson Desert Open World Is Bigger Than Skyrim And Red Dead Redemption 2 Combined, Pearl Abyss Confirms appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

NetEase Games and developer Naked Rain have turned up the volume on open-world chaos with Ananta, formerly Project Mugen, and its latest gameplay trailer is a dizzying spectacle of action, humour, and anime flair. If you thought GTA, Spider-Man, or Yakuza could stand alone, prepare for a world that throws them all into a blender.

Set in Nova City, Ananta lets you control four distinct characters, each with unique roles: a hacker, a courier, a police officer, and a streamer. From swinging between skyscrapers like Spider-Man to spying on NPC phones in Watch_Dogs fashion, the game offers a surreal variety of activities. You can deliver packages, investigate crimes, join street brawls, or even engage in absurd minigames like beach antics, basketball, skydiving, and a Power Slap-like showdown.

Combat draws clear inspiration from Sleeping Dogs, featuring freeflow-style dodges, counters, leg sweeps, and environmental takedowns. And if guns aren’t your style, a golf club, sledgehammer, or tennis racket will do just fine. Vehicles abound too, letting you tear through the city streets on motorbikes or sports cars, and character swapping—à la GTA 5—adds an extra layer of chaotic strategy, even in the middle of a gunfight.

The trailer, nearly eight minutes of relentless pop music, city mayhem, and over-the-top anime moments, reveals a parody-laden world reminiscent of Saints Row, yet uniquely anime. Expect skyscrapers, giant mechas, robotic toilets, and fictitious shops so detailed you might believe you could actually step inside.

While Ananta doesn’t have a release date yet, pre-registration is open. It’s in development for PS5, PC, iOS, and Android, and will be playable at Tokyo Game Show 2025. Whether it becomes the anime GTA fans have been dreaming of, or just the most absurd mashup in recent memory, it’s certainly impossible to ignore.

The post Ananta: Absurd Anime GTA Meets Spider-Man, Yakuza, and More in Wild New Gameplay appeared first on Shane the Gamer.