Crimson Desert Update 1.09 is live now

A man using a sword and a shield in front of one

A new one Crimson Desert the update was rolled out on May 29 for all versions of the game, with one exception. Identified by version number 1.09, this release introduces dozens more changes Crimson Deserts controls, pets, skills and animations, among other aspects of the hit game.

The hit open-world action-adventure from South Korean studio Pearl Abyss has received nearly two dozen patches since its March 18 debut. Its most recent previous revision came on May 22, offensively Crimson Deserts version number to 1.08 and introduces a variety of content additions and changes. Update 1.09 marks the game's 21st post-launch patch to date.

Crimson Desert addresses control complaints with a universal remedy

Headlining the new update is the ability to remap the game's default control button layout. The addition addresses many player complaints about Crimson Deserts overly complicated controls, which have been among the most common complaints from early adopters. While the ability to customize controls should save future players that frustration, the feature arrived more than two months after launch, meaning some Crimson Desert veterans have already cleared the first hurdle. “Too late for remapping now,” one fan wrote, adding that they had already spent 130 hours in the game and had gotten used to the default control scheme that many players described as bland at best.

Patch 1.09 also expands Crimson Deserts pet system with the addition of around 30 small animal species that players can register as pets. New skills for Damiane and Oongka are also included, using input commands that correspond to Kliff's Blinding Flash Finisher, a heavy attack performed with Blinding Flash. Under the standard control scheme, this skill is activated on a controller by holding RB and LB, releasing only RB, then quickly holding it again to start focusing. Corresponding default inputs for mouse and keyboard are CTRL and left mouse button.

Crimson Desert Update 1.09 Patch Notes

Update schedule (from 29 May 2026)

Steam (PC): Patch available now
Steam (Mac): Patch available now
PlayStation: Patch available now
Xbox: Patch available now
Epic Games Store: Patch available now
Mac App Store: Patch available at a later date (in progress)

New additions

Added a control remapping function.
Added about 30 species of small animals that can be registered as pets.

Added new skills for Oongka and Damiane.
- The input command for each skill is the same as Kliff's “Blinding Flash Finisher”.(Heavy attack when using Blinding Flash)
Added animations for picking up and putting down certain pets.

Major content improvements

Fixed an issue where it was difficult to control colors while coloring and aligning characters depending on the surrounding light sources.
Fixed an issue where legendary fish could be donated.
Fixed an issue where some related challenges could not be completed, even after gaining some knowledge.
Fixed an issue where “Pond Management” mode could not be entered in some situations.
Fixed an issue where controls would not respond if the character died after entering the “Lady Handling” menu while taking damage.
Fixed an issue where bears tried to eat fish dropped on the ground but failed.
As part of ongoing improvements, some 2D visual assets have been replaced to better align with the game's art direction.

Major control improvements

Improved farming so that seeds can now be assigned and used from quickslots.
Fixed an issue where the player would enter photo mode while examining objects.
Fixed an issue where “Magic Scythe” could not be used if the inventory was full.
Fixed an issue where “Scythe” could not be used in safe zones.
Fixed an issue where “Mining Knuckledrill” could not be used while clinging to a wall.

Major improvements to combat/action

[Kliff] Fixed an issue where using “Evasive Kick” while unarmed would not consume Spirit.
[Kliff] Fixed an issue where “Blinding Flash Finisher” could be used even with insufficient Spirit.
[Oongka] Adjusted the amount of stagger meter increase from “Quaking Fury”.

Major UI improvements

Improved the dispatch interface so that comrades with the required skills of the missions are displayed at the top.
When performing a mission repeatedly, “Repeating Mission” is now displayed in the UI.
[Keyboard/Mouse] The cursor now disappears when reviewing documents.
Fixed an issue where the number of comrades would show as 0 in the camp resources UI.
Fixed an issue where the QTE input icon was not displayed if some input options were customized.
Fixed an issue where the UI would freeze when re-entering the game after returning to the title screen due to a bug in some situations.
Fixed an issue where the “Clean” interaction input would appear even for fish that cannot be cleaned.

Major graphics and setting improvements

[PC] Fixed an issue where shadows from some distant objects were not rendering correctly when the “Raytraced Sun/Moon Light Shadows” option was enabled.
[Mac] Fixed an issue where the “Raytraced Sun/Moon Light Shadows” option was not applied.

Major localization improvements

Fixed various localization errors and improved localization quality in all languages.

Other improvements

Fixed an issue where audio was played when reviewing certain documents such as books and award notices, if the voice language was set to English.
Fixed an issue where sound effects could not be played when cooking with a special cooking tool.
Fixed an issue where the game would sometimes crash when moving to the “Tree Branch” tab to create recipes from the crafting interface.
[Damiane] Fixed an issue where repeatedly hitting sanctum cores with elementalized attacks would cause their effects to stack, slowing performance.
[Damiane] Fixed unnatural animations when dodging when falling from a high place.
Fixed an issue where player landing animations would appear unnatural in certain situations.
Fixed an issue where the animation for laying down a corpse would appear unnatural when interacting with something else while swimming with a corpse.
Fixed an issue where equipment would appear transparent when switching to another tool while a tool was being drawn.
Fixed an issue where the player's equipment would switch to a different weapon when attacking while certain tools were equipped.

Released: March 19, 2026
ESRB: Mature 17+ / Blood, drug reference, intense violence, strong language
Developer: Pearl Abyss
Publisher: Pearl Abyss