Crimson Desert Charting the Unknown DLC release time and preload details

The release time of Crimson Desert's first major DLC, Charting the Unknown, is only about a day away now. This paid expansion expands Pywel's landmass across its southern and eastern borders, mainly through the Great Ocean. As expected, naval combat, shipbuilding, and underwater exploration are highlighted features.

However, many fans are also eager for new features: romance, marriage, and much more in-depth property ownership. So, here's when you get to do all that, and more (provided you bought the DLC).

What time will Crimson Desert Charting the Unknown DLC release in your time zone?

As Pearl Abyss has now confirmed through an official notice, Crimson Desert's Charting the Unknown has a release time of 6:00 pm EDT / 10:00 pm UTC on October 29, 2026.

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Much like with the launch of the base game back in March, this technically means many gamers east of the Atlantic get to play it on October 30, technically. So, here's when Crimson Desert Charting the Unknown unlocks in various local times:

United States and South America: 3:00 pm PDT / 4:00 pm MDT / 5:00 pm CDT / 6:00 pm EDT / 7:00 pm BRT (October 29)

Europe: 10:00 pm GMT / 10:00 pm UTC / 11:00 pm CET / 12:00 am EET (October 30)

Africa: 12:00 am SAST (October 30)

Asia: 1:00 am MSK / 2:00 am GST / 3:30 am IST / 6:00 am PHT / 6:00 am CST (Beijing Time) / 7:00 am JST/KST (October 30)

Oceania: 9:00 am AEDT / 11:00 am NZDT (October 30)

While players on PS5 can pre-load the DLC if they have already purchased it, Crimson Desert: Charting the Unknown will only be available to download elsewhere when this countdown hits zero:

Check out: 5 NEW details on Charting the Unknown from Will Powers' Dropped Frames interview

Can you pre-download Crimson Desert: Charting the Unknown DLC?

Crimson Desert can only be preloaded on PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro. In order to do that, you of course need to own both the base game and the DLC (priced at $24.99). After you've purchased both, follow these steps:

Wait until 6:00 pm EDT on October 28 (so exactly 24 hours before the release time of Crimson Desert: Charting the Unknown)

Open the PlayStation Store and search for “Crimson Desert: Charting the Unknown”, or open the Crimson Desert game page and find the add-ons section.

Buy the DLC. If you pre-ordered it, it should already be in your account.

Go to the Crimson Desert tile on your home screen, press the Options button, and choose Manage Game Content. Select the DLC and download it. You can also find it under Game Library > Your Collection.

If it doesn’t start, check Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Automatic Downloads to make sure updates are allowed. Install any pending game update too, because DLC often needs the latest patch.

Launch the game once the download finishes.

Those who own the game on Steam, Epic Games Store, and Xbox (Microsoft Store) cannot predownload the DLC. They can only begin the download once the release time, as shown in the live countdown on this page, has been reached.

While a base game patch is also likely arriving alongside Charting the Unknown's release, all the proposed Charting the Unknown features are supposed to be DLC-exclusive. This includes:

An expansion of the game's map with various new islands off the coast

Taking over Castles and improving them

Business ownership and related simulation mechanics

An expansion to NPC interaction, branching generic dialogues, romance, and marriage

Building a house on a viable plot of empty land

Ship-building with modular part customization

Sailing and naval combat

Underwater exploration

And most likely much more!

Check out more of our guides on Crimson Desert and Charting the Unknown:

How to prepare for Crimson Desert DLC: All activities that you need to do

6 Kuku crafting milestones to hit before Crimson Desert DLC

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