Crimson Desert developers had anticipated the possibility of players acquiring physical copies of the game ahead of its official release date.
While Crimson Desert is set to launch on March 20th, some players have indeed managed to obtain physical discs. However, a repeat of the Resident Evil Requiem leak situation was successfully averted, and no spoilers have emerged online, thanks to a robust protection system implemented by the developers.
The activation of the physical game version is strictly controlled: access will only be granted on the official release day. Players cannot bypass this restriction by simply changing their system’s date, as an internet connection is mandatory for the initial game launch.
This measure by the creators of Crimson Desert effectively prevented early leaks, but it has sparked some concern among players. There is apprehension that not all players will have internet access on release day, potentially preventing them from initiating the game.
Discussions among players suggest that this approach to physical game discs is being compared to Nintendo’s Game Key-card system, where the physical media functions more as an access key than a self-contained game.