Crimson Desert Is 35% Cheaper Through Loaded, but the DLC Changes the Buy Decision

Crimson Desert is currently much cheaper through Loaded, the store formerly known as CDKeys. Released on Steam on March 19, 2026, the Standard Steam key for Crimson Desert Enhanced is listed at $45.59, compared with $69.99 on U.S. Steam. That is a saving of about $24.40, or roughly 35%. Steam itself has no discount at the time of checking, so this is a key-store price rather than a Steam sale.

Current U.S. price comparison

Store	Price
Loaded Standard Steam key Loaded	$45.59 $69.99−35%
U.S. Steam Steam	$69.99
Charting the Unknown DLC Steam	$24.99

Loaded's $45.59 listing was checked on 2026-10-29 10:57:49 GMT+8 (Beijing time). No end time was shown. Steam's $69.99 price was checked at 11:30 GMT+8. The Loaded listing is for a Standard Steam key, not a Steam sale.

35-second English GameGeeker Short about this deal

A strong price for the base game

At $45.59, Crimson Desert is easier to recommend than it was at its full U.S. Steam price. The Enhanced version includes new story moments and cutscenes, expanded voice-over and language support, new content, mounts, pets, customisation options and quality-of-life improvements. The discounted key therefore covers the current Enhanced release and its confirmed additions.

The broader reception also supports the lower-price recommendation. Crimson Desert has an 83% positive rating from 117,670 all-language Steam reviews, while English reviews from the last 30 days sit at 79% positive from 1,731 reviews. Steam classifies that recent English score as Mostly Positive. Its 77 Metacritic score and 79 OpenCritic score point to a generally well-received open-world action adventure, even if it is not a universal critical favourite. It was also number 13 in the U.S. Steam Top Sellers list when checked.

The DLC is the important catch

Charting the Unknown is listed at $24.99 on U.S. Steam and is sold separately. Steam lists October 29, 2026 as its release date, but it was still marked as coming soon when checked on that date, so buyers should not treat the expansion as already available. Pearl Abyss says the launch is accompanied by a base-game update patch, while the Steam description says the expansion lets players explore new lands and seas and discover new adventures.

According to comments from Pearl Abyss marketing director Will Powers on the Dropped Frames podcast, reported by PlayGround.ru, Charting the Unknown continues the stories of Kliff, Oongka and Damiane, and its epilogue storylines require completion of the main campaign. A trailer reported on by Gamemag.ru shows sea travel, ship building, underwater exploration, romance and running a business.

The key therefore does not represent a complete Crimson Desert package. Buying the base game through Loaded and the DLC separately would bring the listed total to $70.58. That is still $24.40 below the $94.98 cost of buying the $69.99 Steam base game and the $24.99 DLC separately, but anyone looking for a single complete-edition purchase should wait for a bundle or a later package deal rather than assume the expansion is included.

Who should buy now

The $45.59 key is a good buy now for players who mainly want a long single-player open-world adventure and are happy to start with the main campaign. The current Enhanced release includes its confirmed post-launch improvements, the game has a solid player response, and the discount is large enough to make the base game reasonable even if the later expansion is not purchased.

It is also a sensible option for players who expect to buy Charting the Unknown eventually but want to begin the main story now. Because the expansion's epilogue content requires the campaign to be finished, starting early may be more useful than waiting for a complete package, especially for players who expect a long playthrough.

Who should wait

Players who want the full story in one purchase should wait. The DLC is directly tied to the main characters and follows the campaign, so buying the base game now means accepting a later separate purchase and a second decision about when to continue the story.

Players who are not in a hurry should also wait if they expect a complete edition, a bundle or a future Steam discount. Loaded shows no end time for the $45.59 listing, so the current deal should not be presented as a deadline-driven offer.

Players on Intel Arc graphics should skip this listing. Loaded states that Intel Arc GPUs are not supported for this product.

The $45.59 Loaded key is a solid way to start Crimson Desert if you are comfortable buying the DLC separately later. Players seeking a complete package should wait, since the deal covers only the base game.