On the 27th, Pearl Abyss announced its participation in the world's largest game developer conference, "Gamescom Dev 2026," where it shared development know-how for building the vast open world of "Red Desert."
Art Level Director An Geun-tae and Game Engine Graphics Department Directors Kim Jin-hwan and Yoon Jin-ho took the stage as speakers to share with developers worldwide the production systems and development processes that enabled them to implement the vast continent of "Paywell" with consistent quality and design it so players could explore naturally.
The session, capped at 150 seats, saw 320 pre-registrations. Developers from global game companies including Luis Vilegas, CTO of Sony Interactive Entertainment; Kota Fukasawa, Capcom's Executive Vice President; CD Projekt Red; Guerrilla Games; Nintendo; Sandbox Interactive; and Unknown Worlds attended, paying close attention to "Red Desert's" open-world production methods.
"Red Desert" focused on creating a "playable world." Rather than replicating nature exactly, it prioritized player movement and exploration, adjusting environmental density and placement accordingly.
To efficiently produce the vast world, automation and manual work were used in tandem. Repetitive tasks such as vegetation and terrain were automated based on rules, while content directly impacting player experience—such as major landmarks, quests, and events—was managed directly by developers.
The presentation also showcased large-scale world implementation technology using Pearl Abyss's proprietary engine, "BlackSpace Engine." By loading only the necessary spaces and data according to a player's position and field of view, the system implemented the vast world as a single continuous space while managing performance load.
Distant towers and villages were designed so players could actually move to and explore them, enabling discovery of landscapes that lead to new exploration.
Environments that change based on time, weather, and player actions were also implemented. The world's appearance shifts with rain, snow, and wind, and surrounding elements like grass and trees react to character movement and attacks.
At the Gamescom Eve "ONL (Opening Night Live)," Pearl Abyss unveiled a trailer for "Red Desert Enhanced," which includes story improvements, five new voice-over languages, and Arabic subtitles, and launched its first discount.
Players can experience "Red Desert Enhanced" at a 20% discount on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, Apple Mac, and Epic Games Store until September 9.
in TECH
