Crimson Desert's open world is bigger than Red Dead 2, twice the size of Skyrim

Crimson Desert already looks like one of the most ambitious open-world RPGs in years, with developer Pearl Abyss recently confirming that the game's sprawling continent of Pywel will be significantly larger than some of the biggest worlds in gaming. According to new information from PR manager Will Powers during an exclusive interview with Gaming Interviews on YouTube, the playable world of Crimson Desert will be at least twice as large as The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrims open world and bigger than the map above Red Dead Redemption 2. As such, when the game launches on March 19, 2026, players should have plenty of space to explore and a medieval fantasy playground packed with activities.

Crimson Desert is an open-world action-adventure game from South Korean developer Pearl Abyss, set on the war-torn fantasy continent of Pywel and built on the studio's BlackSpace Engine. In the game, players take on the role of mercenary Kliff as he navigates political conflicts, battles mythical creatures, and ultimately forges his own path through missions, exploration, and combo-centric battles. Originally intended as a prequel to Black Desert Onlinethe project eventually evolved into a standalone single-player experience focused on immersive world-building and gameplay.

Crimson Desert's open world is bigger than Red Dead Redemption 2's and Double Skyrim's

In a conversation with the YouTube channel Gaming Interviews, Pearl Abyss PR manager Will Powers compared the size of Crimson Deserts open world to two of the most notable open worlds in the industry—The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and Red Dead Redemption 2. “I don't think numbers really do it justice because how big is it in terms of scope and scale?” Powers said. “But what we can say is that the world is at least twice the size of the open world, the playable area, Skyrim. It's bigger than the map of Red Dead Redemption 2.”

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim's open world size

Skyrims playable map is widely estimated to be around 37 square kilometers, which is approximately 14.3 square kilometers. This measurement comes from calculations using the game's cell grid and elevation map data, and is widely accepted by players and map analysts.

Red Dead Redemption 2's Open World size

Red Dead Redemption 2s world is considerably larger than Skyrimpp. Community and map analysis results usually estimate it to be around 70–75 square kilometers (27–29 sq mi). This would do RDR2s map about twice the size of Skyrimpp.

Based on what players and map analysts have discovered, Red Dead Redemption 2s map can already be twice as large as Skyrim's, with its borders stretching 70–75 kilometers and Skyrims open world is about 37 square kilometers. However, there are a few things that should be noted here. First, accurate official map size numbers from developers are rare, including these, which are based on player metrics rather than official announcements. Second, about the size of Red Dead Redemption 2the world leans more towards the 70 kilometer side of things, then it would actually be less than twice as large Skyrimpp.

Assuming it is so Crimson Deserts open world really can be both bigger than Red Dead Redemption 2s open world and twice the size of Skyrims. If it is at least twice as large as Skyrims open world and player analytics are accurate, then the scale of the upcoming action-adventure game's map could reach anywhere from 74 square kilometers and higher. To put that into perspective, a world of that size would be placed Crimson Desert well above many modern open-world RPGs that are often praised for their scale. Even open worlds like those in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Fire Ring would fall comfortably below that in raw land mass, while few single player fantasy games outside of something like The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall have ever attempted that level on the scale.

What matters now is execution, as open world games are not inherently considered quality due to their size. History has shown that massive maps can just as easily feel empty as they can be immersive, depending on how well they're paced, populated, and designed around the player's curiosity. If Pearl Abyss can ensure that Pywel manages to capture the same magic that open world games enjoy Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Fire Ring found success in, then Crimson Desert's ambitious world could become one of its greatest strengths when players finally step into it on March 19, 2026.