Crimson Desert’s Smallest Patch Still Packs Some Major Improvements

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It’s great to see ongoing support for games like Path of Exile and No Man’s Sky, particularly when new content is added for free and without restrictions. However, I’ve noticed – and am increasingly concerned – that very few single-player games receive the consistent, weekly updates that Crimson Desert has been getting.

It’s been a busy month with updates, and now we have patch 1.09, just a week after the last major release and a week after two smaller ones. This patch isn’t huge – it might be the smallest update so far, excluding quick fixes – but the developers have still done great work. Let’s jump right into the most important changes, starting with…

Controller Remapping

Since the game launched, the developers have added tons of features, from new challenges and difficulty settings to quality-of-life improvements like extra storage and mounts. But one feature players consistently asked for was the ability to customize controller settings. Now, it’s finally here! The team had previously mentioned looking into it during an interview with Will Powers before the game even released.

You can fully customize your controller settings by going to Settings, then Input, and selecting Controller Customization Preset. From there, feel free to experiment! You can remap almost every button to suit your playstyle. The only real limitation is that you can’t assign the same button to multiple actions within the same group. However, you can change what buttons control things like targeting enemies, light and heavy attacks, jumping, and dodging to perfectly match your preferences.

30 New Species of Small Animals

Okay, so I was already blown away that the developers added a baby Wyvern and then twenty new little animals to adopt! I honestly didn’t think they’d add more so quickly, but here we are! They’ve gone and added thirty more species you can tame, like red squirrels and hedgehogs! Kliff is seriously building up a huge virtual zoo, and he insists it’s not for anything war-related… though they are training a badger for the final boss battle, apparently. It’s awesome!

Plus, we’ve added new animations for handling pets – picking them up and setting them down. It’s a small detail, but it contributes to a more engaging and realistic experience.

Reckoning and Devastation

The new skills for Damiane and Oongka might not seem like a big deal at first. They actually use the same input method as Kliff’s Blinding Flash Finisher, which sounds interesting. But once you start using them, you’ll see what makes them special.

The patch notes don’t fully explain that these updates add entirely new attacks that play to each character’s strengths. For example, Damiane now has a move called Reckoning. It follows her Blinding Flash and brings down several beams of light on a single enemy – imagine her usual lightning attack with a rapier, but much more powerful. Even better, if multiple enemies are nearby, the beams will line up and strike them all.

Oongka’s new Devastation ability is a powerful area-of-effect attack. After using Blinding Flash and a Heavy Attack, Oongka punches the ground, sending a line of fire forward. It doesn’t hit single targets as hard as Reckoning, but it’s great for controlling groups of enemies – you can even grab and slam enemies who are knocked back by the shockwave. Plus, his Quaking Fury ability, similar to Turning Slash, now staggers enemies more effectively.

Assigning Seeds to Quickslots

Considering Kliff’s potential for devastation, it’s surprising to see him focused on farming. It’s a peaceful existence, that is, until you actually have to plant anything. Digging through your inventory to select and plant seeds one by one is incredibly frustrating.

The latest update, patch 1.09, makes a really helpful change: you can now easily assign seeds to your quickslots. Just choose the seed type, go to a seed plot, and hold the interact button – it’s that simple! While it would be even better to plant multiple seeds at once, being able to quickly select seeds is a big improvement to the gameplay experience.

Dispatch UI Improvements

The Dispatch system has been significantly improved since its release. Recent updates include automatic mission cancellation if you lack the necessary resources and the ability to retry individual missions. Now, it’s getting even better! The system will automatically prioritize Greymanes with the skills needed for a specific mission, making it easier to find the right team member. Plus, the option to repeat a mission will now clearly display after you’ve completed it multiple times. We’re not sure what improvements we could make next – maybe even sending Kliff on missions while you’re offline! – but this is just another small step in making the system even more user-friendly.

Even More Little Improvements (and a Changing Room)

This update includes a lot of other great improvements and bug fixes, as you’d expect. Players previously noted that the lighting made it difficult to accurately customize their character’s armor and appearance, particularly in darker environments. That issue is now resolved, and the developers went above and beyond by adding a dedicated changing room with consistent lighting, making customization much easier and more enjoyable.

We’ve addressed several smaller issues to improve your experience. The Mining Knuckledrill now works correctly while wall-clinging, and Photo Mode won’t accidentally activate when you’re just looking at items. We’ve also smoothed out some awkward landing animations. Bears will now actually eat the fish they find, and the cursor will disappear while reading documents, making it easier to view them.

This update is fairly small and doesn’t include a lot of major new features, unlike some other recent updates – even the one from last week. However, the ability to customize controller settings is a significant improvement, and it’s fantastic to see Damiane and Oongka receive unique finishing moves that reflect their individual playstyles, differentiating them from Kliff.

The ongoing support and frequent updates to Crimson Desert are truly impressive, constantly improving the game. This is particularly noticeable with fixes for issues like the Magic Scythe glitch or challenges that couldn’t be completed despite having the necessary knowledge. Even if new content stops being added, the team is dedicated to polishing the game into a refined experience that players will enjoy and feel good about spending so much time on.

We highly recommend checking out Crimson Desert if you haven’t yet! But don’t wait too long – this offer is only good for another week.

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2026-06-01 18:46