Less than two weeks after launch,Pearl Abyss has pushed Crimson Desert's second patch and it's a substantial one. Version 1.01.00 went live on Steam on March 28, 2026, bringing five new legendary mounts, a brand-new crafting currency, a reworked flight system, and a long list of quality-of-life improvements that address some of the most common friction points players flagged at launch. Console and Mac players are still waiting, as the patch had not yet rolled out to PlayStation, Xbox, Epic Games Store, or Mac App Store at the time of release, per the official Crimson Desert announcements page.
The mounts and new items that change progression
Five new legendary mounts are now obtainable after completing specific in-game conditions, split across two categories: Legendary Animals and Boss' Mounts. Both types can be ridden freely through towns in Pywel without spooking NPCs, which is a small but welcome detail. Pearl Abyss hasn't published the unlock requirements in the patch notes directly, keeping them as in-game discoveries.
The other standout addition is the Refinement Coin. This new item lets players temper equipment up to Stage 4 without burning through extra materials, a direct response to how punishing the upgrade system felt for players trying to push gear past early stages. Refinement Coins drop from select main and faction quests, so progression-focused players have a clear reason to revisit quest lines they may have skipped.
New resource chests have also been scattered across Pywel, and wholesale grocer NPCs now appear at regional farms. Small additions individually, but they fill out the world in ways that reduce the backtracking that early players complained about.
Flight, stamina, and the Aerial Stab rework
Here's the thing: flight in Crimson Desert at launch felt clunky. Patch 1.01.00 addresses that directly. Stamina consumption during flight has been reduced, the brief freeze before movement activates is fixed, and equipment can now be used while airborne. That last change matters more than it sounds, since being locked out of gear mid-flight created awkward combat gaps.
Aerial Stab got a targeted rework after players discovered it could be chained repeatedly in midair in ways Pearl Abyss didn't intend. The skill still works as a movement tool, but stamina cost now scales with each consecutive use, preventing it from becoming a broken traversal exploit. The animation was also improved, and a bug that stopped it from activating with non-sword main weapons on Kliff has been fixed.
Sprinting also received a pass. Movement speed no longer drops if the running key isn't held continuously, and a single tap now increases speed. The full sprint state still requires periodic button input, which the patch notes flag explicitly.
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Console and Mac players should note that patch 1.01.00 had not yet released on PlayStation, Xbox, Epic Games Store, or Mac App Store as of March 28, 2026. Check platform-specific update channels for availability.
UI and inventory changes worth knowing
Inventory management updated
The inventory and crafting menus got meaningful attention. A "Make Now" function in the Cooking/Crafting menu lets players cook or craft immediately after selecting a recipe, cutting out the extra step of manually selecting ingredients. The "Store all selected items" button moves everything from inventory to private storage in one action.
The private storage chest in Howling Hill Camp has also been physically relocated from behind Karl to inside Kliff's tent. That's the kind of change that sounds minor until you've spent time running to the wrong spot.
On the minimap front, players can now lock North at the top, and icons for keys and anvils have been added. The Notifications menu now stores up to 2,000 entries and shows quest progress, reward info, and timestamps. The Knowledge Helm improvement is also notable: all visible obtainable knowledge on screen can now be grabbed at once rather than one entry at a time.
Performance and the fixes that matter most
Loading times when using Abyss Traces for fast travel and when respawning after death have been reduced. The frame drop issue during the Crowcaller boss fight is fixed. Several crash and stability issues across PC, console, and Mac were addressed, though the patch notes don't specify exact platforms for each fix.
PS5 players get a new "Fixed 4K Output" option that forces 4K output regardless of display native resolution, with FSR upscaling available in Performance Mode on the base PS5. It's enabled by default.
A handful of quest bugs are also resolved, including a progression blocker in the Chapter 2 quest "Missing Companion" and a totem count failure in the Chapter 3 quest "Dance with the Devil". The Prologue quest "New Journey" had a block when throwing objects at Sebastian, which is now patched.
For the full breakdown of every change across all categories, the latest gaming news and patch coverage has you covered as Pearl Abyss continues rolling out updates in the weeks ahead. Make sure to check out more:
