While Pearl Abyss still hasn't announced a multiplayer mode for Crimson Desert, modders have already started work on a feature that, in its own way, seems to be up and running. It's a co-op mod, currently in testing, and it already lets two players meet up in the same world to explore the open world and fight side by side. The first footage shows tech that's still in development, and still finding its feet, but the results are convincing enough to give you an idea of what a multiplayer experience in Crimson Desert could look like.
Crimson Desert in co-op, just imagine
The mod was posted on the dedicated Reddit page earlier today, in a video showing two players moving around the same environment. For now, one player can see the other walk, run, jump, glide, scale walls and grab onto ledges. Attacks and skills are visible on both sides, in each session, complete with their animations and effects, while gear can be swapped and shows up correctly on the other player too. The modders explain that the connection between players goes through Steam and doesn't require any particular network port setup. For the moment, each player keeps their own quests, loot and inventory, but the modders have said they're working on a system to share the damage dealt to enemies.
Not everything is synced up yet, of course, and in reality the two players are moving through their own version of the world, which means an enemy can be in a completely different spot depending on the player. Another snag: mounts are a problem, because when a player rides their horse, the horse doesn't appear on the other side, making it look like the character is gliding along through thin air. The same goes for certain interactions with the environment. If a player uproots a tree or grabs a chicken, for instance, the action is only visible on their end, not the other player's.
A taste of Crimson Desert's future?
For now, this is an early-stage mod and there's still plenty of work to do before it becomes a properly synced co-op experience. But the fact that two players can already roam Crimson Desert's enormous open world together, with combat animations and skills working properly, shows that yes, there's something to build on here. Again, Pearl Abyss hasn't announced an official multiplayer mode, but given the studio's pedigree, it's hard to see what would stop the Korean outfit from offering that kind of multiplayer experience...
