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Black Desert
Played by over 20 million Adventurers - Black Desert Online is an open-world, action MMORPG. Experience intense, action-packed combat, battle massive world bosses, fight alongside friends to siege and conquer castles, and train in professions such as fishing, trading, crafting, cooking, and more!
In short, Steam reviewers most often praise “Fast combat and varied life skills” (38 of 104 reviews) and “Stunning graphics and open-world visuals” (21); the most common complaint is “RNG upgrades and excessive grinding” (26). What reviewers agree on ↓
What players say
Steam review score and the most-helpful voices, which may include critical ones. Score via Steam as of 2026-09-27 · quoted reviews as of 2026-05-12.
What reviewers agree on
38 of the 104 reviews raise this.
“Ok, now this game… I feel like this game doesn’t know when to age. It’s still amazing, and although I’ve only recently started, I can already play the class I had in mind. It offers so many classes, and you can even…”
“Basically, this was a fun game at one point. I logged in and got bombarded by ads for microtransactions and about 20 other boxes. It's an assault on the senses what this game has become for new players. No thanks.”
“Endless Things to Do In a Compelling World Gamplay: 10/10 The top reason to play is fun gameplay. The game is divided into four main activities: - PvE: fighting mobs and gathering loot and experience - Lifeskills:…”
21 of the 104 reviews raise this.
“Graphically is beautiful and has a ton of stuff to do...just unlocked a ship and an House...combat is confusing af tho...it's basically free since it's always on sale for 0.99€ so give it a try...your not losing much...”
“I’m a returning player to Black Desert Online, coming back after last playing around 2017, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well it still holds up. The combat is easily one of the biggest highlights—flashy,…”
“This has been my go to MMO for the last several years Pros: -graphics -combat (fun combos, feels like a fighting game sort of slaying tons of enemies at a time though) -music -character customization -10 bucks to get in…”
17 of the 104 reviews raise this.
“Endless Things to Do In a Compelling World Gamplay: 10/10 The top reason to play is fun gameplay. The game is divided into four main activities: - PvE: fighting mobs and gathering loot and experience - Lifeskills:…”
“Graphically is beautiful and has a ton of stuff to do...just unlocked a ship and an House...combat is confusing af tho...it's basically free since it's always on sale for 0.99€ so give it a try...your not losing much...”
“im one of those returning players who didnt migrate account when Pearl Abyss took over and so lost all my old stuff and progress, played this game thousands of hours and now im starting over... the game has grown quite…”
11 of the 104 reviews raise this.
“The game that respects your time. Great for ADHD people who like to multitask. You can still level while getting distracted by other things. The gear system sucks though. I hate that I love this game.”
“im one of those returning players who didnt migrate account when Pearl Abyss took over and so lost all my old stuff and progress, played this game thousands of hours and now im starting over... the game has grown quite…”
“I rate it, might need a mate to guide you through, definitely s pretty heavy MMO, i'm sure people who love MMOs will get more mileage out of it, did get a rare world-drop from a boss though which was awesome, I remember…”
8 of the 104 reviews raise this.
“excellent changes to QOL and P2W systems that make the game more enjoyable and less P2W in 2026.”
“𑣲 It is an open world MMORPG, where you can do a lot besides farming or pvping. The game also have semi AFK or AFK life skill option. Pros 𑣲 A lot of classes to suit your preferences! (˶>⩊<˶) 𑣲 For someone who loves…”
“This review is from something who does not care about pvp. A game for people who know how to manage their time. I will start with addressing pay 2 win aspect. It is not there in a way you think it is. The game is more…”
26 of the 104 reviews raise this · 17 of them still recommend the game.
“They deleted my account because I haven't played in quite some time. It was an incredibly old account with a lot of transactions on it, created right after the game was released in the states. I went through with the…”
“I BEAT THE GAME (by quitting) As an MMO player who has been previously top 100 (PvE & PvP) in World of Warcraft with almost every mage and warrior collectible anyone could dream of, I thought I'd give this game a…”
“The game that respects your time. Great for ADHD people who like to multitask. You can still level while getting distracted by other things. The gear system sucks though. I hate that I love this game.”
15 of the 104 reviews raise this · 7 of them still recommend the game.
“This is the criticism that the company took down from their forum because it was too real to be seen in their website, and decided to fabricate a Persecution to attempt to justify accusations to take it down. Pearl…”
“I BEAT THE GAME (by quitting) As an MMO player who has been previously top 100 (PvE & PvP) in World of Warcraft with almost every mage and warrior collectible anyone could dream of, I thought I'd give this game a…”
“Basically, this was a fun game at one point. I logged in and got bombarded by ads for microtransactions and about 20 other boxes. It's an assault on the senses what this game has become for new players. No thanks.”
11 of the 104 reviews raise this · 7 of them still recommend the game.
“this ♥♥♥♥ should be ilegal, the game is kinda good, but is super unfriendly to any new player, you create a character, are forced to watch an story that is kinda boring, and get bombarded with items that you dont need”
“This MMORPG is just massively good. Although its already not friendly to the freshmen (mostly), still there are quite a few players in this game and support it as much as they could. A truly 10-year legend.”
“Games not that great. There is so much going on and it requires you to have a second life. Too many menus and everything is confusing and difficult to follow”
11 of the 104 reviews raise this · 4 of them still recommend the game.
“Too many menus, systems and waaaaaaaaaay too much dialogue, if you want a game you can simply just log in and play this is not it.”
“Reasons why you should just play anything else (from the last time i played): 1. Skill is important, but your willingness to use your credit card is more important. You will feel it. The game is designed to feel ♥♥♥♥♥♥…”
“Graphically is beautiful and has a ton of stuff to do...just unlocked a ship and an House...combat is confusing af tho...it's basically free since it's always on sale for 0.99€ so give it a try...your not losing much...”
11 of the 104 reviews raise this · 4 of them still recommend the game.
“this ♥♥♥♥ should be ilegal, the game is kinda good, but is super unfriendly to any new player, you create a character, are forced to watch an story that is kinda boring, and get bombarded with items that you dont need”
“Too many menus, systems and waaaaaaaaaay too much dialogue, if you want a game you can simply just log in and play this is not it.”
“Basically, this was a fun game at one point. I logged in and got bombarded by ads for microtransactions and about 20 other boxes. It's an assault on the senses what this game has become for new players. No thanks.”
Counted across 104 English reviews, sampled to match this game's 73.5% positive rating · as of 2026-05-12
“Gacha game that paid for the development of Crimson Desert. 10/10 irl lore. Would get scammed aga- Jesus, hold on... Andrew and Naira are arguing again...”
— a player, Steam review · 27 hrs played“This has been my go to MMO for the last several years Pros: -graphics -combat (fun combos, feels like a fighting game sort of slaying tons of enemies at a time though) -music -character customization -10 bucks to get in 1 dollar if you catch it on sale -free expansions / new…”
— a player, Steam review · 6,188 hrs played“Opened game Made character Got overwhelmed by a million menus Uninstalled”
— a player, Steam review · 1 hrs playedPlayer activity
Monthly average concurrent players. Live data self-collected from the Steam API · history through 2026-06 via SteamCharts.
Price tracking
US-region pricing (USD), sampled twice daily by our own tracker since 2026-07-11. Steam prices vary by region — always confirm your local price on Steam.
Regional prices at last sample, in local currency — Steam sets each region's price independently.
Cheapest → most expensive, converted to USD at ECB reference rates (2026-10-23). Relative comparison only.
Latest official news
Developer announcements via the Steam news API — links go to the original posts. More across all games on the news hub.
[October 22] Marni's Creation is here to play. Events at a Glance!
Check out this week's new events! 3] World Boss Is Here to Play Oct 22, 2026 (Thu) after maintenance - Nov 4, 2026 23:59 (UTC) An Enormous Shadow Shakes the Playground Innocence Mk XII, a World Boss t
[October 15] Climb the Arena of Solare with your Spooky Style!
Check out this week's new events! Gift for Bringers of Good Oct 15, 2026 (Thu) after maintenance - Nov 5, 2026 (Thu) before maintenance Daemon Beyond the Wormhole Generator A mysterious Wormhole Gener
[October 8] Night-Mare before... Halloween? Awaken the Dream Aura!
Check out this week's new events! Awaken the Dream Aura Oct 8, 2026 (Thu) after maintenance - Nov 5, 2026 (Thu) before maintenance Spirit] Merindora The breath of a Celestial Horse, drifted all the wa
[October 1] Donghwa Keeps on Giving! Enjoy Daily Gifts All Celebration Long!
Check out this week's new events! Gift] One Day Only, Time-Limited Coupon Oct 1, 2026 (Thu) after maintenance - Oct 15, 2026 (Thu) before maintenance ⏱️ Expires at 23:59 (UTC) on reveal day New coupon
[September 23] Special Autumn Gift for Adventurers
Autumn Gift for Adventurers A cool autumn breeze begins to blow in our adventure. 🍂 To celebrate Chuseok, a Korean holiday, we're sending a special gift to all Adventurers around the world, with all o
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Screenshots
Official Steam store screenshots — click any shot to enlarge.
Facts & details
From the Steam store record, snapshot 2026-05-12.
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Strategy |
| Player tags | MMORPG · Massively Multiplayer · Open World · Character Customization · RPG · Adventure · Fantasy · Action · 3D · Strategy · Multiplayer · Medieval (SteamSpy community voting) |
| Features | Multi-player · MMO · PvP · Online PvP · Co-op · Online Co-op · Steam Trading Cards · In-App Purchases |
| Languages | English * , French, German, Spanish - Spain, Japanese * , Russian * , Thai, Turkish, Traditional Chinese * , Portuguese - Brazil, Spanish - Latin America * |
| Official site | https://blackdesert.pearlabyss.com/Steam |
Minimum system requirements (PC)
Minimum: OS: Windows 10 (64-bit) Processor: Intel Core i3 (4th Generation) Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: GeForce GTX 970, Radeon RX 480 Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage: 80 GB available space Additional Notes: 80GB HDD (SSD recommended)