Crimson Desert is proving to be one of the most time-consuming video games of 2026. New data shows players are spending an average of 22 hours per week in the game. According to industry analyst Mat Piscatella, players in the United States logged roughly 20 hours weekly on Xbox and 22 hours on PlayStation consoles during the first week of launch. This placed the title as the most-played game on Xbox by average playtime, and second on PlayStation, trailing only Path of Exile 2.
One of the key drivers of such staggering engagement numbers is the game’s sheer scale. Players reportedly spend dozens of our in a single region, with some logging in over 100 hours of gameplay without progressing far into the game’s main story. Many players prefer not to rush the story but instead explore, do side quests, and upgrade weapons and armor sets.
Crimson Desert’s Steam data shows a similar trend of strong engagement. Since launch, Crimson Desert has held its player count steady.
Crimson Desert peaked at 275K players and at the time of this writing, weeks after its launch, holds a 200K 24-hour peak. Despite some complaints about its controls and lack of strong narrative, Crimson Desert is now in the running for game of the year.
