Crimson Desert DLC - Ship (Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

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Crimson Desert's Charting the Unknown has arrived, but rather than a focused story expansion, it's more about adding other elements to the existing world.

This includes endgame challenges, new housing options, a romance system, plus a sailing ship and ocean questline about exploring Pywel's treacherous coast and islands. Each feature has different unlock requirements, so here are the exact details for each.

Shipbuilding and exploring the ocean

Crimson Desert DLC - Shark

(Image credit: Pearl Abyss)
  • You can unlock the ability to buy or build your first ship after "Expanding the Camp" in "Gathered Will" during the "Grounds of the Sunrise" Greymane faction quest.
  • The quest to build your first ship will unlock, and progressing this questline will lead to the new ocean story.
  • You can upgrade to a medium or large ship for 1.2 million or 6 million camp funds respectively, or build either, which will cost less funds, but more materials.

Garden of Trials and new story quests

Crimson Desert DLC - Crab robot

(Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

You need to complete the main story to unlock the new Garden of Trials combat challenges. Once finished:

  1. Visit the Axiom Archive in the abyss, where you first met Alustin near the start of the game.
  2. Turn right before the building's staircase and door to find a corridor into the new annex.

There are also new story quests for Kliff, Oongka, and Damiane, which start after the main story is complete in Pailune and Demeniss, respectively, including new combat encounters in the world.

Romances

Crimson Desert DLC - Romance

(Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

Kliff, Oongka, and Damiane can each now romance specific NPCs:

  • You can check via an NPC's interaction menu to see whether romance is possible.
  • After you reach 100 trust, select the "seduce" option, then once likeability is full, you can "propose".
  • The four witches have new faction quests that let you build trust and likeability with them as romance options.
  • Characters you marry can follow you or reside at your house, and you can also divorce any NPC after marrying.

New housing and management

Crimson Desert DLC - House

(Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

There is a new upgraded housing mode in the expansion, plus facilities you can now manage:

  • Unlock the Greymane Camp on Howling Hill and complete Luke's request in "Grounds of the Sunrise" to unlock new housing options.
  • Acquiring the Howling Hill camp will also unlock a number of "facility" icons around the map, which show what strongholds can be rented and used as new management facilities.
  • You'll need to liberate the region and complete its faction-related quest before you can access a facility.

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Sean's first PC games were Full Throttle and Total Annihilation and his taste has stayed much the same since. When not scouring games for secrets or bashing his head against puzzles, you'll find him revisiting old Total War campaigns, agonizing over his Destiny 2 fit, or still trying to finish the Horus Heresy. Sean has also written for EDGE, Eurogamer, PCGamesN, Wireframe, EGMNOW, and Inverse.