Q. Thank you for creating such a fun game! What I want to ask most about in Black Desert is PK. Not long ago, I was in the middle of a quest when I was suddnely interrupted by being PK’d. This is the biggest reason why I can’t recommend Black Desert to my friends. It’s a very unpleasant experience, because it’s a one-sided act of bullying/harassment. Can you at least change the normal field to be like mobile where you can only fight in PK mode? I don’t want to be on edge and wondering when I’ll be attacked. I just want to peacefully enjoy the beautiful scenery, background music, and wonderful stories! I believe Black Desert would become an MMO that’s worth more of my time and money than now.

A. Black Desert has fundamentally large penalties for PK, because we judged PK as a system where Adventurers could chase out other Adventurers. We don’t expect to change this direction much in the future (there are also Adventurers who want more PK, so we’ve released content with reduced PK penalties such as the Desert areas and Arsha server). Also, Black Desert has several ways to avoid PK, so we won’t be creating a separate PK mode.
On the other hand, we want to take the approach of showing you how to avoid PK instead when you experience unwanted PK. You can move servers, get guild protection, access private mode, or go to other similar hunting grounds to avoid PK in Black Desert, but it seems these ways might be unknown to newer Adventurers. We will make improvements to help Adventurers understand these ways better in this approach.


Q. Is there any hidden content in Black Desert that still remains undiscovered? For example, a hunting ground not on the map, a monster that appears at random locations for a short time that drops an artifact-like powerful weapon/armor, or something like that! If such things exist, I think even novice Adventurers will try for them to catch up to stronger Adventurers with better gear. Plus, it makes players dream for adventure!

A. When we developed Valencia, we created Aakman Temple and Hystria Ruins (which have no entrance, but a portal you need to discover instead) to give you that kind of feeling/experience. But since Black Desert is an MMORPG, it’s difficult to ignore the fact it’ll be repeated content instead of a one-time thing, and as a result, it is designed in a form that is available to everyone. Realistically, while it is very difficult to keep it hidden, we will consider expanding content in a similar manner to Aakman Temple and Hystria Ruins as you suggested. As for artifacts, this is something we are currently developing. While its direction is different from what you suggested, it’ll be something you can look forward to in the terms of the thirst and challenge for adventure.
Also, there exist some fun elements that are still hidden. For instance, the Rich Merchant's Ring still hasn't been obtained by any Adventure because the method to obtain it is difficult and remains unclear. There are also content regarding hints for monster drops through NPC lines or hidden caves, and some unique things like a buff from playing instruments that don’t impact the main gameplay, but many Adventurers haven’t discovered them yet. While we won’t set them at too high of a value, we’ll continue to create little by little these kinds of fun and hidden elements to add to the feeling of adventure and discovery.


Q. When will the door in the Ancient Stone Chamber guarded by Edana's descendant reopen? I’m really curious!

We’re also looking forward to the day the door reopens. We will update you when the time comes.


Q. Currently, there are several minigames for Life Skills such as Fishing and Lakiaro. Do you have any plans to make more?

A. Yes, we do plan on increasing the number of minigames, so please be patient a little longer. It might be a separate content expansion like Lakario or it could be for the purpose of increasing the quality-of-life in a Life Skill.


Q. While I’m always having fun playing, I want to know if there’s any progress on the “chariot” or “oil excavation in the desert” (guild content?) which was previously planned for development.

A. When Chariots were in the developmental stage, they were moving cannon platforms, but were too powerful balance-wise and would reduce the fun of Conquest War, so we ended up canceling their update. Currently, we have Ogre and Troll for each respective role instead of the chariot. As for the oil drilling content we announced at the opening of Valencia, it’s currently undergoing overhaul. At that time we couldn’t quite get the fun elements right and ensure it wouldn’t be exploitable, but we’re once again discussing it now to get it right and hope to deliver good results. The timing of this update will be around the same time as that of the Valencia story revamp.


Q. Characters currently don’t learn new skills after level 61. Are you at all considering having higher levels let us learn more powerful skills or make characters more powerful?

A. While this is similar to a previous answer, we didn’t put any big rewards after level 60 or make leveling a way to get stronger, because we wanted to reduce the pressure of having to level up. Even though expanding ways for your character to get stronger beyond just gear is our intended direction for development (one of these is Igor Bartali’s Adventure Log), we are not considering making your character suddenly more powerful based on level. Of course, this is something we can expand upon little by little with other content as time passes by, but for now, we will maintain the current state.


Q. Death is an important factor for changing a player’s playstyle or being a learnable moment. Also, it shouldn’t cause you to lose EXP or Crystals that you worked hard to get. But it’s not like this in Black Desert right now. For example, a player who dies can just resurrect 5 seconds later at a nearby node that is 5 meters away and or be “Karma Bombed” with the current system. Please take a look at the following possible solutions.
1) Make resurrection for the 1st time be 10 seconds and add more time for every death after the 1st death.
2) Reduce equipment durability by 20% for each death.
3) Make it no longer possible to resurrect at a nearby node and only allow resurrection at a nearby town (without consuming Elion’s Tear).

A. Rather than making immediate changes for the death penalties you’ve mentioned, we believe we could apply these penalties to the new regions or regions/content with clear concepts. Suddenly changing death penalties in PvP will make some Adventurers unhappy, especially since they’ve been in Black Desert for a long time. However, applying these penalties to content or regions with a clear concept could create new thrilling or fun elements.


Q. How about adding a Mentor-Mentee system? For example, after getting into a mentor-mentee relationship, you can complete mentor-mentee quests for rewards (silver, caphras, etc.) within a set period of time. In my opinion, this could create a new trend in Black Desert.

A. A mentor system is something we’ve internally discussed for several years and it even reached the development stage, but we couldn’t quite find a solution for rewards possibly being exploitable, so the system ended up being discarded. While it isn’t quite a Mentor-Mentee system, we currently run a Supporters program where many Adventurers (a big thanks to all of you) are acting as mentors. We will think of other ways beyond this to help new Adventurers learn and adjust to the game.


Q. Similar to character tagging, how about making it possible to tag another player’s character? Something like granting additional buffs while defeating monsters or gathering while tagged, or granting passives or skills when certain classes are in a party together (depending on the combination of classes tagged). Class combinations could really help diversify gameplay. Also, how about making it possible for party members to have their AP/DP set as the party average? This could really help new players learn the game faster and understand the AP/DP numbers better, and give new players a chance to play with friends in a party at mid-tier hunting grounds.

A. This is something we have to be really careful about answering as it is different from our direction for game development. Adding skills or buffs for certain class combinations could result in pressure to use them if they become a necessity or make them useless if their effects are insufficient. While we understand the importance of having many options, we believe it’s more important to reduce stress/fatigue from this kind of option. In a similar vein, it’s why most of the content (including hunting grounds) are designed for solo play rather than party play. We will look into using your feedback in specific content or within a limited-range. For now, we want to focus on making each class fun to play rather than connecting classes/characters.
As for setting your AP/DP to the average AP/DP of the party, this also doesn’t match our direction for game development. Black Desert is an MMORPG that we hope rewards you for your efforts. Instead, we are currently designing a form of cooperative play for stronger Adventurers to help not-so-strong Adventurers (as a brief example, one Adventurer has to keep moving and interact with objects, while another defeats monsters).


Q. In boss battles, instead of just surrounding the boss and hitting it, it’d be more fun if you could defeat the boss using tactical and objective-based attacks such as breaking shields, destroying totems, cutting tails, etc., which is similar to how you defeat Garmoth now. The new Dark Rift Helms boss is quite fun too.

A. We’ve continuously received similar suggestions from several Adventurers. We try not to over-design bosses unless we have a specific concept in mind, since they are usually something you challenge as a group. However, you might want to know that we are currently preparing the “Pit of the Undying,” which is in the concept of a PvE arena and emphasizes the importance of tactics/objectives over gear. We want to continue to add tactical/objective-based elements in this manner, so we hope you’ll look forward to them.


Q. In a similar concept to Igor Bartali’s Adventure Log, could you add a book/log that you complete/clear with guild members for permanent buffs? These books could have party/platoon requirements and gear score (AP+DP) requirements at higher tiers, thus creating extra guild PvP and PvE events catering to all levels. The participating guild parties and platoons could be rewarded with extra buffs for completing these guild missions.

A. An Adventure Log with guild members or party members isn’t something that we’ve thought about before. Since it has the advantage of being content that you only do once, it should be possible for us to prepare something that you enjoy with others as a major goal-orientated type of content. We’ll take your suggestion as a basis and try to develop it more. Thank you.


Q. Are there any plans to add minigames like the ones in the Kratuga Ancient Ruins or Abandoned Monastery to other hunting grounds? I feel like minigames make hunting grounds more engaging and fun.

A. We are going to continue to add these kinds of bonus/extra elements to hunting grounds However, we won’t be just shoehorning them in, but making sure they fit in naturally.


Q. I’m someone who doesn’t do any PvP, etc., but plays Black Desert because I enjoy Life Skill content. However, I feel like there isn’t an “end game” content for Adventurers who have maximized their Life Skills. Adventurers who play PvE/PvP can enjoy the search for “Treasure Items” or battle in Node War, but Life Skill Adventurers don’t have much else to do. Thus, I’d like to ask if there are any plans to add “end game” content for Life Skills?

A. We don’t really consider “end game” content for anything, and this isn’t something that is limited to certain content, but is the same across all content. In regards to Life Skill content, we will continue to expand on a variety of factors to make it more in-depth, so you can have more to delve into. While we’ve announced this before, we will start off by focusing on the Old Moon Grand Prix and make our way to Trading afterwards.

As for “treasure items,” these are also something that are already a part of Life Skills. There’s a strange fish that can only be caught by a character that is at least Guru Fishing, which is in fact an incredible item that can summon Vell, but unfortunately, no one has been successful in catching it yet. Likewise for Alchemy, characters that are at least Guru Alchemy can synthesize a summoning scroll for Kzarka, the Lord of Corruption. We’ll either give a little bit of hints or prepare other ways for these two items to get more attention.

Q. Before I ask my questions, I’d like to first explain why I have them. Due to the nature of the MMORPG genre, I believe the barrier of entry is something that is always on the mind of both the developers and players. I understand it’s not easy to preserve the value of the effort players put into growing a character, and at the same time, being able to offer a chance to new players to catch up. Black Desert previously implemented limits to AP/DP for Tier 1 Nodes to try to revitalize Node War, but I feel there are still a lot of problems. If you look at the guilds that are winning in Node War, you’ll mostly see a couple of guilds just holding a majority of the Nodes. While these guilds have invested time and effort into winning Nodes, over the course of time they’ve started to monopolize them and have just become a hurdle for guilds first starting out in Node War. So, here are my questions.

1. Thoughts on a specific guild holding multiple Nodes (Question regarding the possibility of 1 guild, 1 node)
2. Additional limitations besides AP and DP for closing the gap (limits on HP, resistance, etc.)
3. How to prevent guilds that sit on a Tier 1 Node for a long time and enter Node War (Possibly introduce Guild Fame that increases when a guild wins in Node War or gains several Nodes, and use this Guild Fame number to adjust profits from lower tier Nodes or just make participating in lower tier Node Wars not possible)

I hope to hear your responses regarding these 3, thank you.

Q. There are currently not enough guilds in Node/Conquest War. While I do believe that the introduction of the War Hero and Guild Alliance system brought a breath of fresh air to the somewhat stagnant Node/Conquest War, these systems also had several negative side effects once they became a fixture. First off, since War Heroes can participate in Node/Conquest War even if their guild isn’t, some players just participate in Siege War as War Heroes without a guild, and there are even mercenary-focused guilds for players who just participate as War Heroes. As a result, not only is the number of guild members who participate in Siege War decreasing, but the number of guilds that participate are decreasing as well. So every week, guilds that diligently participate in Node War only encounter the same guilds over and over again or stick guilds, which causes a cycle of declining interest. Not that long ago, the number of Nodes that Node War occurred in every day was reduced, but that seemed to only be a partial fix and there currently isn’t a lot of guilds properly participating in Node War. All these problems about Node War are getting worse and worse as time goes on.

The same is true for Conquest War. Since the attacking side can accept the maximum number of War Heroes, while the defending side can’t accept War Heroes, this makes the attacking side way too advantageous. Furthermore, guilds that usually have a small number of guild members can still accept a lot of mercenaries to fill their ranks. The problem is that guilds which accept the most powerful mercenaries are the ones that are most dominant in the Siege War. All this leads into incentivizing low guild membership and accepting as many mercenaries as possible, so the end result is a declining sense of accomplishment for winning Siege War as it becomes more about the strength of your mercenaries instead. Naturally this makes the number of guilds participating in Conquest War to decrease. So, I’d like to hear the developers’ thoughts on these problems regarding Node/Conquest War, and if possible, your plans on solving these problems.

A. Node/Conquest War is one of Black Desert’s characteristic content many guilds, big or small, take part in. With so many guilds taking interest and enjoying it, we’ve received and compiled a variety of feedback which we used to make our changes so far. While we will continue to make changes in this manner, let us speak about this topic a bit more today.
One of the biggest current issues of Node War is relatively powerful guilds joining Tier 1 Nodes and making it harder for “novice guilds” to participate in and have fun. (We tried to solve this problem by introducing limits on AP/DP and War Heroes, and while at first it was better, over time stronger guilds once again took over Tier 1 Nodes.) To solve this problem, we believe our first priority is to find a fundamental solution, so that stronger guilds will challenge higher-tier Nodes instead of Tier 1 Nodes. While we do have many ideas, we are examining ways to bring new change to Node War in the near future, including making the rewards better.

As for guilds that are having trouble in the beginning stages, we are considering making lower tiers that are PvE based. This will be akin to an introduction-based Node, and we plan to set it up as a fun goal for guilds that are starting out. But since this is an introduction-based node for a novice guild, guilds won’t be able to keep at it for a long time as it is just meant to encourage them to participate in the original Tier 1 Node Wars.

Of course, we also plan on changing the way you’ll take Nodes. Right now (if Conquest War isn’t the goal), a single guild can take a Node and comfortably try to take another Node over the course of the week. This is where we want to make some changes. We described it as a “hopscotch” or “capture-the-zone” at the Heidel Ball, where if Guild A takes Node B, then afterwards, Guild A can try to take Node C that is connected to B, but we plan to make it difficult or impossible to take the remaining unconnected nodes D and E. Guilds will be able to expand in this way and grow their influence, but it’ll also be more damaging if they lose control of a connecting Node. Additionally, this format will make it harder to defend 2 or 3 Nodes while attacking, so we are considering improving the already developed Alliance system to encourage cooperation when needed. These node connections will also be set up differently for each territory. (The changes are still under development and are subject to change.)

War Heroes, which many players call “mercenaries”, was first introduced as one of the ways you could participate in Node/Conquest War if you were a member of another guild or weren’t a member of a guild. We intentionally didn’t set a limit on more Adventurers participating, so that even weaker guilds could challenge Conquest War, but there have been cases where the strength of the War Heroes has gone beyond that of the guild itself, so as a result, we want to limit that. While we could just limit the number of War Heroes that could participate in Conquest War, we are also considering limiting the participation costs to enable more tactical management. We want to set maximum limits for participation costs according to guild or territory, and the total combat rating calculated for each War Hero’s level, gear, etc. would not be able to go over the maximum. Therefore, guilds that need a War Hero will need to weigh the cost of choosing a select number of the best Adventurers or just a bigger number of average Adventurers depending on the situation. Once we’ve tested and deliberated over this a bit more, we will make an announcement through the Black Desert Global Labs after we’ve finalized our direction. Also, we plan to allow the defending side to have War Heroes as well.

Lastly, adjustments to certain siege weapons. Siege weapons currently each have their own roles and are organized into a kind of rock-paper-scissors set up, but monster weapons, Troll and Ogre, are relatively too effective. Thus, we’re considering keeping their current direction, but adding limitations or changing their roles altogether, so that they can be utilized in other ways.

We understand we cannot 100% satisfy all the guilds and Adventurers who participate in Node/Conquest War. Nevertheless, even though we’ve continued to make improvements to problems to prevent them from becoming fixtures, we apologize for the state of the wars to have remained in its current state as long as it did. We will not be stopping our constant attempts at changes and our final goal is to make Node/Conquest War into something you can challenge and enjoy like a sport. What we mentioned today is only a part of the overall picture, and we will continue to take your feedback and make announcements as soon as our development is finished.


Q. Can you let us lower Guild Incentives to tier 0 for certain guild members?
Q. The Guild Incentive system is way too inconvenient to use. It’s a tiring process every time I give my guild members incentives.
Q. Could you make it possible to let us set allowances for mercenaries in batches or collectively? For instance, the guild master has to give out allowances after defeating Khan, but it requires them to click everyone one-by-one to send it out, which takes way too much time. Please fix this.

A. Regarding this UI quality-of-life change, we will work on this immediately once we’ve set a schedule, and we will do our best to update this as quickly as possible. Additionally, we are not considering a tier 0 for guild incentives yet. We know some guild members might not be able to play or have the best behavior, but they are still your guild members who share your guild mark. (We believe that adding a tier 0 payment will cause more attempts at exploitation)


Q. Are there plans for enhancements levels higher than PEN (V)?

A. We currently don’t have any plans to add higher enhancement levels than PEN (V).


Q. Are you going to expand upon content that uses musical instruments?

A. For Shai, we plan to improve upon her Talent and add more system features like musical/performance techniques & sound modulation effects. Once we’ve added this, you’ll be able to play the same instrument with a different kind of feel, and you’ll be able to tune your sound with audio effects. Beyond this we don’t have any other definite expansion plans yet, but we’ll let you know once we’ve finalized our development direction.


Q. Please let other classes use the Compose/Play system.

A. Since this is content created exclusively for Shai, we expect to keep it exclusive for Shai for now. Once we expand the musical instrumental content in the future and if Shai can treat her musical composition/performance more professionally, we will consider allowing other classes to be able to use it on a limited-basis.


Q. At the Heidel Ball: AT HOME, Adventurers worldwide were able to meet online without space constraints. Going a step further, I hope to see Pearl Abyss’ direct service bring Adventurers from all around the world in one server, so I’m wondering if this is a possible update if the technology is developed in the future.

A. This is a very difficult task, but it’s not a challenge we will not shy away from. Rather than try to accomplish this in one go, we will be trying our first attempts with Thailand and Southeast Asia, and go on from there using the experience we gain.


Q. I hope you’ll look into optimizing the game and servers a little more closely. There’s hunting grounds (e.g. Sycraia) where I get 30 FPS even with a i9 9900k and RTX 2080TI.

A. We plan to update certain areas of Sycraia where frame drop issues occur. If you experience frame drops in other areas, please let us know and we will carefully go over them again.


Q. Are there any plans to lower the Silver you can earn from Ocean Bartering and add more exchange amounts for Crow Coins? Currently, there aren't a lot of Manos accessories, so it’s difficult to get a supply in the Central Market and you can’t buy enhancement materials due to the large volume of Silver.

A. Recently, we’ve made an update to replace the Silver made from Bartering with Crow Coins by making it possible to exchange Level 4 Trade Goods for Crow Coins and introducing “Gold Items” to Material Bartering. We believe the main enhancement materials, including Manos, should be obtained through the original method, so we plan to keep Bartering as a supporting role.


Q. Are there any plans to add a larger variety of Carrack equipment similar to Ebenruth's Nol? For example, an equipment that lets you fire from the front of a ship! Instead of adding more mounts/ships, how about updating things like this?

A. We’re open to the possibility of adding more Carrack equipment, but we haven’t had any specific discussions yet on what kind of equipment we’d add (and what effects they’d have). We agree that there should be more ways to attack and we will keep this in mind when developing the next Treasure Item. However, considering the historical precedent, we would also like to say that placing a cannon at the prow of a ship might not be right for a Carrack.


Q. Will there be an outfit that allows Ninja to equip 6 great swords?

A. We feel that 6 great swords would be too out of character for Ninja, so we’ll do our best to create amazing outfits that really highlight Ninja’s theme instead of giving him 6 great swords.


Q. I’m someone who loves PvP. Will there be any new major content updates from a PvP perspective? Such as Territory War, more interesting Conquest and Node War System, which encourage more team play and objective-based playstyles, or different RBF game modes?
Q. Just like with Bartering, Gathering, and Defeating Monsters, PvP content also needs to be updated. (Letting Adventurers earn silver from PvP, etc.) The reward you get from Red Battlefield is basically just “Fame”. There are zero rewards for open world PvP, so it’s turning into content that feels like a waste of time, since defeated Adventurers can just come back right away. Please give us more reasons to participate in PvP content.

A. In regards to PvP content, we’ve added and improved Team Battle, Final Battle, and Arena of Arsha after the introduction of the Red Battlefield. As for Red Battlefield, we’ve added rewards, including Combat EXP, so you can still somewhat grow your character and farm while doing it. At the early stages of Black Desert, there were 1:1 and 3:3 matches akin to ranking matches, but they weren’t enjoyed by many Adventurers, so we ended up completely removing them. Recently though, more and more Adventurers have requested for the past ranking matches. We are currently developing Thornwood Battlefield, but afterwards, we will look into our Adventurers’ feedback, and promise to continue to gradually expand on more action-packed and thrilling content for PvP-loving Adventurers.


Q. Are there any plans for a PvP mode where players are equipped with the same level of gear?

A. We currently don’t have any plans for such a PvP mode yet. We want to focus on PvP content that rewards the effort Adventurers put into growing their characters. Black Desert is an MMORPG, which means it is a game where Adventurers strive to become stronger through their hard-work and efforts. We plan to continue to stay loyal to this basic philosophy. Of course, we will continue to implement a variety of features such as Olvia servers, Season servers, Tuvala gear, etc. to help new Adventurers starting out to get stronger faster, and if they put in a certain level of effort, be able to be on a similar playing field with existing Adventurers.


Q. The current skill system for classes seems too simple and mediocre. How about making the skill mechanisms a little more complex by introducing more unique skills to each class?

A. We don’t have any plans to make major changes to the skill system for all the classes. Black Desert at its core specializes in fast combat with a lot of room for freedom of choice. At first all skills had cooldowns, but this felt too limiting, so we made a number of skills be usable even during cooldown. We believe adaptation and assessment during this process are a part of the “Combat Method”. That’s why we won't implement skills that are more complex than what we have now.
Black Desert is meant to be a place where you can have fun with many other Adventurers. Instead of more complex systems, we will continue to look into and examine skills that are more intuitive or have new forms, functions, and abilities. Additionally, we will consider things to make certain classes feel a bit more demanding control-wise by clearly bringing out the concept of the class.


Q. Can you share your thoughts on changing up the current meta of PvP in Black Desert? Because I think that there should be a diverse choice on the stats that you put in on your character, unlike now where evasion is a step above. I think creating a diverse set of choices can make Adventurers choose their weapons, armors, and accessories more differently.
Q. The current meta is for evasion gear, which is stronger than damage reduction gear, so I want to ask your thoughts about the gap between evasion and damage reduction gear.

A. To be frank, this is what we debate about the most internally. Black Desert’s evasion system at its core will ignore an opponent’s attack all together, which makes accuracy incredibly important from the opponent’s perspective. However, while accuracy can be gained from gear, there also exists a discrepancy depending on the skill effects of each class. What we’re considering is giving all classes more basic accuracy, along with changing the accuracy number for skill effects, so there isn’t that much of a gap between skills, and changing evasion from avoiding all damage to some damage (e.g. evading takes only 1/10 of damage instead). As for damage reduction, we are discussing various possibilities, including supplementing defensive skills with additional effects like with accuracy or even a formula of maximizing damage reduction effects through add-ons.
However, we haven’t been able to easily come to a decision due to how much of an impact they have to the game. Even though we haven’t decided upon what exact method we’ll take, we won’t give up, and we’ll continue holding discussions until we come to an answer. If you have any good suggestions like these questions, please feel free to submit a ticket to our Support, and we’ll read them all closely.


Q. There are many theories and assumptions about RNG. Some Adventurers even think that certain accounts are “chosen” (horoscope, character creation date, enhancement date/time, etc.) So, is there anything that actually affects RNG? Or is RNG really just pure luck?

A. There are no “chosen” accounts. Everyone's the same and this will remain the same in the future. As the person writing this answer though… I always talk to Crio before enhancing. It makes me feel happier when I see his face, even though the end results are the same… Queek...

Greetings Adventurers,

In this week's update we bring you the long awaited class balance that was previously announced during the Heidel Ball: AT HOME. We hope you like these changes and as usual we will keep an eye on your feedback to achieve a more equal balance in line with our goals to provide you with the best possible PvE/PvP experience.

We also hope you are enjoying the Seasonal Servers and the wonders of the new Tuvala gear! Starting today you will be able to rent a special type gear from the King of Valencia. This is the perfect alternative to gear your character if you haven't been lucky with your recent enhancements.

Lastly, we have several new events starting this week. You can acquire Tapu's Golden Coins and exchange them for big rewards, enjoy the Hot Time boosts in Season and Olvia servers, and get the chance to collect loyal attendance rewards again!

Do you want to know the details of these new events and additions? Go on and keep reading!

• Tapu's Golden Travel
  
  • Period: July 1 (after maintenance)–July 15 (before maintenance)
    
  • Collect [Event] Golden Troupe Coins by completing quests offered by NPC Tapu or via playtime challenges and exchange them for big rewards.
    
  • Click < Here > to find out more about this golden opportunity.

• Hot & Cool
  
  • Event 1: Weekend Hot Time in Season and Olvia Servers
    
    • Period: July 1 (after maintenance)–Until further notice
      
    • Weekend Hot Time boosts have arrived at Season and Olvia Servers. Until further notice, weekend EXP boosts of Combat EXP +200%, Skill EXP +30% and Item drop rate boosts will apply to Season and Olvia Servers.
  • Event 2: Cool Time
    
    • Period: July 2 (00:00UTC)–July 15 (before maintenance)
      
    • Stack up on your boost items through playtime challenges and use them at your convenience.

• Loyal Attendance Rewards Refreshed
  
  • Period: July 2 (00:00 UTC)–August 5 (23:59 UTC)
    
  • Check attendance daily and stack up on rewards including [Event] Shining Shakatu's Seals, Fine Accessory Box II, and so much more!
    
  • Click < Here > to find out more about the cool buffs and loyal attendance rewards.

• Vell Extra Spawn
  
  • Period: July 1–Until further notice
    
  • Starting today, enjoy an extra chance to challenge Vell every Wednesday!
    
  • Click < Here > for details on the additional Vell spawn schedule.

• Papua Crinea Launch Events
  
  • Event 1. Let's Play Hide-and-seek: June 24–July 8 (before maintenance)
    
  • Event 2. Pa! Stab! Pu! Retrieve!: June 24–July 8 (before maintenance)

• Season Special Attendance Rewards: June 25 (00:00 UTC)–July 15 (23:59 UTC)
  
  
• Papu or Otter?: June 24–July 6 (23:59 UTC)
  
  
• Fughar's Black Pearl (available in Season Servers only): June 24–July 8 (before maintenance)
  
  
• Season Server Launch Events
  
  • Event 1: Summer Season Playtime Challenge: June 18–July 29 (23:59 UTC)
    
  • Event 3: Get Refined Magical Black Stones: June 18–July 15 (before maintenance)

• Refer-a-Friend Promotion is Back!: June 17–July 15 (before maintenance)

• [SNS Event] Caption This!
  
  • Submission Date (Post on your SNS!): June 17 (after maintenance)–June 30 (23:59 UTC)
    Winner's Announcement: July 3
    
  • Reward Distribution: July 10 (during maintenance)

• Season Server Launch Events
  
  • Event 2: Leveling Aid Challenge: June 18–July 1 (before maintenance)
    
  • Event 4: Hot Summer Time: June 17–July 1 (before maintenance)
    
  • Event 5: Time-filled Mysterious Knight: June 17–July 1 (before maintenance)

• Arsha Leaderboard Returns: The Grand Rewards have been sent via your in-game mailbox (B). Thank you for participating and your patience.

The Simple Cron Meal and Energizing Cron Meal were combined into "Simple Cron Meal." As a result, the combined Simple Cron Meal's effects were adjusted accordingly.
• The effects of [Event] Simple Cron Meal and [Oasis] Simple Cron Meal were also changed to include that of Energizing Cron Meal.
  

For our past update on September 4, 2019, we combined the Savory Cron Meal with the Seafood Cron Meal for the sake of adventurers who enjoy our Life Skills content. For those adventurers who enjoy defeating monsters, we felt that combining the effects of Energizing Cron Meal with Simple Cron Meal would make this the ultimate meal, hence we added all the effects of the Energizing Cron Meal into the Simple Cron Meal.

• The Energizing Cron Meal item was changed into the Simple Cron Meal.
  
  • Any Energizing Cron Meal in your possession or in the Central Market will be dealt with as follows.
    
    • If it is inside your Inventory, Storage, Warehouse, or Mailbox, it will be changed to Simple Cron Meal.
      
    • If it was sold on the Central Market, yet you haven't collected the money, the Silver for selling the item will be sent via in-game mail.
      
      • For this instance, all adventurers will receive the "+30% Marketplace Sales upon Silver Collection" for the transaction and also receive any additional Silver collection benefits provided by Family Fame. This is regardless of whether or not you had a Value Pack in effect.
  • If it is waiting to be sold on the Central Market, the exact amount of meals as you listed on the Central Market will be mailed as Simple Cron Meals.
    
  • If your pre-order was completed on the Central Market, yet you haven't collected the item, the exact number of completed orders will be mailed as Simple Cron Meals.
    
  • If you have any pending pre-order at the Central Market, the pre-order will be canceled, and you will be mailed the Silver equivalent to the amount you used for the pre-order.

[/list]

• The items contained inside the Cron Meal Box and [Event] High-Quality Food Box, which used to contain the Energizing Cron Meal, were changed.
  
  
• You can now make the Simple Cron Meal using the ingredients previously used for the Energizing Cron Meal.
  
  
• The item description for the Ancient Cron Spice was changed due to the changed ingredients for making the Simple Cron Meal.
  
  
• Knowledge entry for the Energizing Cron Meal was removed.
  
  
• The Energizing Cron Meal will no longer be displayed in the Crafting Notes (F2).
  
  
• Ellie the Oasis Vendor will no longer sell the [Oasis] Energizing Cron Meal.

• Fixed the issue where some web based windows in the game were not working as intended.

• Improved the navigation in the region near Waragon Nest.

• Changed the text of the button that appears when using the Realization of Energy function via Alchemist Alustin.
  
  
• Fixed the issue where you were sometimes guided to Ellie the Oasis Vendor when trying to navigate to a general goods vendor via the Find NPC function.

• Increased the Warrior's damage ratio by an average of approximately 3.1% and increased Awakening PvP damage.
  
  
  
• Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 10%.
  

• Increased the Ranger's damage ratio by an average of approximately 8.6% and increased Awakening PvP damage.
  
  
  
• Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 5%.
  
  
  
• Reduced Prime: Tearing Arrow I–IV' PvP damage amount when used while mounted by approximately 25%.

• Reduced the Sorceress' damage ratio by an average of approximately 11.3%.

This may seem like quite a big reduction, yet this was to balance the gap between Awakening and Succession skills. While the Sorceress' damage ratio did overall decline, her Succession and Awakening skills' damage amount were comparatively greatly increased.

• Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 5%.
  
  
  
• Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 16%.
  
  
  
• Increased Dead Hunt I–IV's PvP damage by approximately 25%.
  
  
• Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 26%.
  
  • Cartian's Nightmare I–IV
    
  • Flow: Cry of Darkness I–III
    
  • Violation I–III

• Improved Night Crow to activate Black Wave more naturally when inputting S+RMB, then S+RMB+LMB, after using the skill.
  
  • When maintaining S+RMB+LMB after Night Crow, Dark Flame will be activated first.

• Reduced the Berserker's damage ratio by an average of approximately 14.6%.

The Berserker saw a large gap between Succession and Awakening, and its PvP damage ratio was greatly reduced compared to other classes.

Thus, we greatly increased the skill damage amount of both Succession and Awakening.
In addition, while the Berserker may be a class that boasts the greatest number of grappling skills, we felt there was a bit of a gap regarding how useful such skills were in light of comboing into other skills.
Hence, we chose to improve Rock Smash to combo more smoothly in order to highlight the Berserker's unique trait.

• Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 15%.
  
  
  
• Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 25%.
  
  
  
• Increased the PvP damage of Titan Blow I–IV by approximately 15%.
  
  
• Increased the PvP damage of Flame Buster I–III by approximately 36%.
  
  
• Increased the PvP damage of Devastation I–IV by approximately 37%.
  
  
• Improved the Rock Smash to combo more smoothly into other skills.

• Reduced the Tamer's damage ratio by an average of approximately 12.5%.

Like Sorceress and Berserker, the Tamer also saw quite the PvP damage ratio decrease, hence we greatly increased specific skills' damage amount in PvP, especially her Awakening skill damage.

• Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 15%.
  
  
  
• Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 30%.
  
  
  
• Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 12%.
  

• Increased the Valkyrie's damage ratio by an average of approximately 1.9% and increased the PvP damage of most of her skills.
  
  
• Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 7%.
  
  
  
• Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 7%.
  
  
  
• Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 5%.
  

For Witch and Wizard, although we have changed the PvP damage ratio, the actual damage per skill has remained mainly untouched. Therefore, these two classes have maintained similar power levels compared to other classes who had their damage ratios improved.

We also expect the improved version of Magical Evasion updated this week will bring about small changes to the battlefield.

• Improved the effects of the following skills.
  
  
  
• Fixed the issue where movement would be interrupted when using Magical Evasion depending on the surface level at which it was used.
  
  
• Increased the Witch's damage ratio by an average of approximately 8.6%
  
  • Witch's PvP damage remains unchanged.
    

• Fixed the issue of Skill Add-On not activating on certain Thunder Storm skill hits.

• Improved the effects of the following skills.
  
  
  
• Fixed the issue where movement would be interrupted when using Magical Evasion depending on the surface level at which it was used.
  
  
• Increased the Wizard's damage ratio by an average of approximately 8.6%.
  
  • Wizard's PvP damage remains unchanged.
    
  
  
  Musa
  • Reduced the Musa's damage ratio by an average of approximately 1% and increased Awakening and Succession PvP damage.
    
    
    
  • Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 2%.
    
    
    
  • Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 8%.
    
  
  
  Maehwa
  • Increased the Maehwa's damage ratio by an average of approximately 2.3% and increased Awakening and Succession PvP damage.
    
    
  • Added a super armor effect and removed the knockdown effect for Petal Bloom.
    
    • Added a knockdown effect to Flow: Moonlight Dash to compensate for removing knockdown from Petal Bloom. Since Flow: Moonlight Dash can also be used through Quick Slots and not just through Petal Bloom combos, we hope to see its usage increase in battle.
      
  • Increased the skill's PvP damage of Flow: Cloud Stab by approximately 5%.
    
    
  • Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 2%.
    
    
    
  • Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 8%.
    
    
    
  • Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 10%.
    
    
    
  • Added the knockdown effect to Flow: Moonlight Dash.
    
    
  • Changed to combo faster into Flow: Moonlight Dash when used after Petal Bloom's charged hit.
  
  
  Ninja
  • Increased the Ninja's damage ratio by an average of approximately 4.7% and increased Awakening and Succession PvP damage.
    
    
    
  • Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 5%.
    
    
    
  • Improved the skill effects Prime: Red Rain.
    
    
  • Fixed the issue of the Shuriken Throw activating first when comboing into Prime: Red Rain right after Ghost Step or Shadow Slash.
    
    
  • Fixed the issue of Prime: Fox Claw's floating effect not occurring when used after certain skills.
    
    
  • Changed Prime: Dark Frenzy to be usable regardless of remaining Stamina.
    
    
  • (Prime: Dark Frenzy, Prime: Beheading the Dead, Succession: Crescent Slash) Fixed the forward guard effect that occurs when moving backwards during certain parts of the animation after using the skills' extra hit, so that the effect will only occur when equipped with the kunai sub-weapon.
    
    
  • Changed the Awakening: Narusawa's Sura Katana skill's forward guard effect when standing in place to only occur when equipped with the kunai sub-weapon.
    
    
  • Fixed the issue of Ghost Greeting activating first when comboing into Shadow Slash after certain skills.
    
    
  • Changed Ghost Greeting skill's description text to accurately describe how it works.
  
  
  Kunoichi
  • Increased the Kunoichi's damage ratio by an average of approximately 6.9% and increased AwakeningPvP damage.
    
    
    
  • Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 5%.
    
    
    
  • Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 7%.
    
    
    
  • Improved Ninja Evasion to activate more easily when used in Awakening.
    
    
  • Fixed the issue of Ghost Greeting activating first when comboing into Shadow Slash after certain skills.
    
    
  • Changed Ghost Greeting skill's description text to accurately describe how it works.
  
  
  Dark Knight
  • Increased the Dark Knight's damage ratio by an average of approximately 11%.
    
    • Dark Knight's PvP damage remains unchanged.
      
  
  
  Striker
  • Reduced Striker's damage ratio on average by approximately 1.7%. Most of Striker's PvP damage was increased accordingly.

  We had adjusted the cooldowns differently for Skull Crusher and its combo skill Flow: Skull Hammer to allow adventurers to deal a massive amount of damage instantly according to the situation. However, many Striker adventurers felt the cooldown for Flow: Skull Hammer was too long, which we came to agree with and thus adjusted the cooldowns for both Skull Crusher and Flow: Skull Hammer accordingly.

  
  
  • Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 10%.
    
    
    
  • Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 8%.
    
    
    
  • Fixed the issue of Martial Spirit Shards not being consumed when comboing into Absolute: Taeback Kick after the Fist Fury skill's 4th hit.
    
    
  • Improved Flash Step to combo more smoothly into Spiral Cannon, Ferocious Assault.
    
    
  • Improved Flow: Bite Off to combo more quickly into other skills.
    
    
  • Changed the cooldowns for Skull Crusher II, III, and IV to 9, 8 and 7 seconds, respectively.
    
    
  • Changed the Flow: Skull Hammer cooldown to 11 seconds.
  
  
  Mystic
  • Increased Mystic's damage ratio by an average of approximately 2.9% and increased a majority of Mystic's skills' PvP damage.
    
    
    
  • Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 15%.
    
    
    
  • Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 8%.
    
    
    
  • Fixed the issue of Prime: Tornado Kick's down/air smash effect not activating when comboed after certain skills.
    
    
  • Fixed the issue of Sea Burial I–III or Prime: Sea Burial not comboing smoothly into other skills when returning to neutral position.
  
  
  Lahn
  • Reduced Lahn's damage ratio on average by approximately 5% and increased Awakening and Succession PvP damage.

  For Lahn Awakening, her skills' attack speed was fast, yet her weakness lay in how slowly her combos connected. Through today's update, we improved the combo speed for certain skills.
  
  Also, we improved Lahn Awakening's skills that have her signature ability to grab enemies from afar by increasing those skills' activation speed, as we sought to further highlight her strongpoints in very specific situations.

  
  
  • Increased PvP damage of Absolute: Salp'uri Purge by approximately 5.4%.
    
    
  • Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 3%.
    
    
    
  • Increased the PvP damage of the following skills by approximately 8%.
    
    
    
  • Increased Soul Raid's activation speed to be faster than before.
    
    
  • Changed Deadly Dance to combo more smoothly into Tailspin or Furor.
    
    
  • Changed Tailspin to combo faster into Flow: Vice.
  
  
  Archer
  • Increased Archer's damage ratio by an average of approximately 1.2%.
    
    • Archer's PvP damage remains unchanged.
      
  
  
  Shai

  Due to the Shai class being focused on Life content, damage was unchanged.

  
  
  
  Guardian
  • Reduced the Guardian's damage ratio on average by approximately 1.3%. Also adjusted the Guardian's Main Weapon skills since the damage they inflicted at 100% Black Spirit Rage was comparatively higher than that of other classes.
    
    
    
  • Fixed the issue of Claw Reveal displaying slow movement when comboed into after certain skills.
    
    
  • Reduced Black Spirit: Claw Reveal I–II and Black Spirit: Absolute: Claw Reveal's PvP damage by 30%.
    
    
  • Reduced Black Spirit: Prime: Claw Reveal's PvP damage by 40%.
  
  
  Item Changes
  • Sahazad Nesser, the King of Valencia, made an announcement that those who have contributed to strengthen Valencia will be able to rent the Royal Nesser Family's gear.
    
    • There are 7 types of them (Main/Sub/Awakening weapons, Gloves, Helmet, Shoes, and Armor), each of which requires 50 Contribution Points.
      Season Characters can equip the Royal Nesser Family's gear too.
  • You can rent Nesser gear by using 50 Contribution Points per item.
    
    • You can rent Nesser gear from Sahazad Nesser, <King of Valencia>, with characters who have completed the main quest "Edana's Descendant" from "[Lv.55 Valencia] Eastern Sands Kingdom Story."
      
    • Nesser gear's stat will not be applied if a character with negative karma equips the gear.

  We are always trying to figure out ways to lessen the burdens of enhancement for our players. On the other hand, enhancing gear is one of the more important aspects of enjoyment in the game, so between the aforementioned concerns, we've always struggled to find the right balance. Just as we recently showcased in the Season content, Tuvala gear was one of the fruits of our long deliberations. We designed Tuvala gear to help prepare new adventurers, who will eventually graduate from Season Servers, with a slightly less difficult version of enhancement yet still founded in the fundamental principles existing in its iteration on the live servers. Yet there were adventurers who expressed their sorrows for not being able to challenge new regions due to gear that slightly wasn't up-to-par. So we decided to prepare some rental equipment that was much stronger than the existing ones.
  
  Once you've completed the Valencia Main Quest and appeared to have fulfilled the royal family's wishes, you can rent the royal family's gear for 50 Contribution Points each. We hope to see all adventurers armed with even sharper weapons and sturdier armor so their amazing adventures will continue to unfold uninterrupted.

  • Added the following Simple Alchemy processing recipes.
    
    • Usable Hide x1 → Damaged Hide x2
      
    • Supreme Hide x1 → Usable Hide x2
  • You can use the Black Stone Powder to Mass Process.
    
    • Usable Hide x10 + Black Stone Powder x1 → Damaged Hide x20
      
    • Supreme Hide x10 + Black Stone Powder x1 → Usable Hide x20
      
    • You can still obtain low quality hides by making an exchange with Chuck Laurie the Hunter of Balenos or Roussea, the hunter in Narcion.
  • You can now recover the following items by using the trash icon on the bottom right of the Inventory when you have discarded them.
    
    • Ornette's Spirit Essence
      
    • Odore's Spirit Essence
      
    • Lafi Bedmountain's Upgraded Compass
      
    • Archaeologist's Map
      
    • Vell's Heart
      
    • Memory Fragment
      
    • Cron Stone
      
    • Ebenruth's Nol
      
    • Trainer's Flute (Permanent)
      
    • Rich Merchant's Ring
  • Added "How to obtain" text to the Courser Training material's item description, related to the new Imperial Seals.
    
    
  • Changed the "Usage" and "How to obtain" texts from the Black Essence and Red Essence's item description.
    
    
  • Added text to the description of Leanar's Celestial Map items explaining that you should use the Find NPC function for this item at Oquilla's Eye.
    
    
  • For details on newly added Pearl Shop Update, please click < Here >!
  
  
  Monster Changes
  • Fixed the issue where hits were sometimes not applied to Llama, the hunting monster.
  
  
  Quests & Knowledge
  
  
  Quest
  • Added Extra Quests you can randomly accept in monster zones.
    
    • These quests will be automatically accepted when you obtain Dark Energy items from these areas.
      
    • Cannot accept more Extra Quests if you already have the maximum amount of quests.
      
    • You can complete the quest via the Black Spirit and will be rewarded with Combat and Skill EXP increase buffs.
  • You can start another Extra Quest as soon as you complete one.
    
    
    
  • Daphne DelLucci of DelLucci Farm requires Hunter's Seals to protect her farm.
    
    • Added text to the Hunter's Seal item description saying to take the seal to Daphne DelLucci for quests to get Sharp Black Crystal Shard or Hard Black Crystal Shard.
      
  • All Awakening, Succession, Talent, and Ascension quests are now categorized as Main quests.
    
    • These quests will be available from the Black Spirit as main quests after reaching level 56.
  • Added a conversation option to obtain knowledge of the following NPCs if you failed to do so on your first encounter with them.
    
    • Elinke Visamin
      
    • Ramlo
      
    • Lebyos
      
    • Marsella
      
    • Atui Balacs
      
    • Merrel
      
    • Arteedman
  • Fixed the quest summary of the quest [Repeat] Even the Smallest of Life.
    
    
  • Added extra precautionary text to the Miniature Elephant related quest you receive from Villa Butler Serazad.
  
  
  Interface Changes
  • Changed the design and location of the Black Spirit's Rage lock toggle, Cooldown timer window, and other UI elements.
    
    
  • Fixed the issue where having 4 auctions in progress showed the next page in the Guild Auction House window.
    
    
  • The scroll button of the Challenge (Y) was enlarged for ease of use.
    
    
  • Fixed the position of the list to not reset when changing the order of characters in the Character Select screen.
    
    
  • Warrior will now be in the first slot in Character Creation.
    
    
  • Fixed the issue where a guild master who had the operation rights in the Arena of Arsha could not enter the arena via the reservation window.
    
    
  • (German Only) Fixed the text on the banner that appears on the left side of the Black Desert Summer Season window.
    
    
  • Fixed the date text in the Black Spirit Pass window.
  
  
  Resolved Issues
  • Fixed the issue where the head poked out of helmets in the Dye (J) menu.
    
    
  • Fixed the issue where weapons were sometimes not shown in the Dye (J) menu.
    
    
  • Fixed the issue where hair number 1 for Maehwa and Ranger caused the face to have a strange color.
    
    
  • Fixed graphical issues for the following apparel.
    
    • [Ranger] Epheria Marine Set
      
    • [Guardian] Ynixtra Clothes
      
    • [Lahn] Jade Papilia Helmet
  • Fixed the issue where the description of Black Essence materials had the previous Imperial Seals listed.
    
    
  • Fixed the issue where the description of horse delivery had the previous Imperial Seals listed.
    
    
  • Fixed typos for the following.
    
    • Description for the High-Quality Noble Wagon Part Set
      
    • Description for the Golden Seal - [Imperial Training]
      
    • NPC dialogue when exchanging Golden Seals.
  • Fixed the issue where the Take a Screenshot function in the Beauty (F4) menu sometimes did not work.
    
    
  • Item search in the market is not case sensitive anymore.
    
    
  • Fixed the issue where the player could not be hit in certain parts of Garmoth's lair.
    
    
  • Fixed the issue where the image of the Black Spirit would randomly appear during combat.
    
    
  • Fixed the issue where the background color of the Character Select window would be inverted in certain situations.
    
    
  • Changed the font of web browsers that open up from within Black Desert such as BDO Wiki, Redeem Code, etc.
    
    
  • Fixed the unnatural movements made when auto-navigating while transformed into a Papu or Otter via transformation scrolls acquired from Papua Crinea.
    
    
  • Fixed the issue where running left or right was impossible when transformed into an Immortal Persimmon Knight.
    
    
  • Fixed the graphical glitch with the Desert Fox's legs in the Pearl Shop (F3).
  
  
  Known Issues
  • We are aware of the issue where [Striker] Blazing Inferno Premium Set appears under the Apparel > Outfit > Dark Knight category of the Pearl Shop. We apologize for the inconvenience.
  
  
  Reach us on the »forums« to share your feedback, opinions, and suggestions.

Dear Players,

We will perform our weekly maintenance as follows:

• Global 8:00 UTC ~ 12:00 UTC
  
• Central (EU) 10:00 CEST ~ 14:00 CEST
  
• West Coast (NA) 1:00 PDT ~ 5:00 PDT
  
• East Coast (NA) 4:00 EDT ~ 8:00 EDT

• Nesser gear will be rentable in exchange for Contribution Points.
  
• Extra Quests you can randomly accept in monster zones in Mediah and Valencia will be added.
  
• Damage ratio will be adjusted for PvP for some classes.
  
• Tapu's Golden Travel event will start.
  
• Hot & Cool event will start, and Loyal attendance rewards will be refreshed.

• [SNS Event] Caption This!
  
• Season Server Launch Events
  – Event 2: Leveling Aid Challenge
  – Event 4: Hot Summer Time
  – Event 5: Time-filled Mysterious Knight

Follow us on Twitter & Facebook to stay up to date.

We apologize for the inconvenience and we ask for your generous understanding.


Best regards,
BDO Team

Greetings Adventurers,

A new island has been discovered near the western coast of Kamasylvia! The Papus and the Otters have been fighting for a thousand years in Papua Crinea and now they are looking for new fluffy allies to change the course of this endless war. Will you pledge allegiance to the Papus or the Otters?

Also, a new armor will be available starting today: the Blackstar Armor. Complete the crafting quests about this new armor and reach a new level of power with your character!

Someone said new donkey gear? Yes, you heard it right! Our cutest mounts are receiving new gear that will make them more special than ever. Equip your donkey with the Granverre or Krogdalo gear to activate special buff effects and skills!

What are you waiting for? Check the details about this week's patch below. Enjoy!

• Papua Crinea Launch Events
  
  • Event 1. Let's Play Hide-and-seek
    
    • Period: June 24 (after maintenance)–July 8 (before maintenance)
      
    • Find NPCs who are disguised are hiding all over Grándiha and Papua Crinea for your chance to get Advice of Valks (+50).
  • Event 2. Pa! Stab! Pu! Retrieve!
    
    • Period: June 24 (after maintenance)–July 8 (before maintenance)
      
    • During the event period, log in daily and play daily to obtain a reward that will help you enjoy the event challenge from the Challenges tab (Y).
      
    • Click < Here > for the full details!

• Attendance Rewards Rewind
  
  • Check in daily for amazing attendance rewards prepared for players of all types.
    
  • Season Special Attendance Rewards
    
    • Period: June 25 (00:00 UTC)–July 15 (23:59 UTC)
      
    • Secret Book of Old Moon (7 Days), several Advice of Valks items, and Wizard Gosphy all in one attendance board!
  • Rookie Attendance Rewards
    
    • Period: June 24 (after maintenance)–October 7 (before maintenance)
      
    • Enjoy daily attendance rewards like [Event] Secret Book of Old Moon (7 Days), Value Pack (7 Days), and [Event] Gold Bar Box to settle into the world of Black Desert Online!
  • Returning Attendance Rewards
    
    • Period: June 24 (after maintenance)–October 7 (before maintenance)
      
    • Return to Black Desert Online and claim rewards like [Event] Shining Shakatu's Seal, Advice of Valks (+50), and Fine Accessory Box III to catch up.
  • Click < Here > for the full details on the attendance boards above.

• Papu or Otter?
  
  • Period: June 24 (after maintenance)–July 6 (23:59 UTC)
    
  • Collect coins from Kitma the Papu or Natuo the Otter on a daily basis to spend after the event ends. If there are more coins of one type circulating, then the value of that coin will fall. On the other hand, the rarer coin will rise in value.
    
  • Click < Here > to see full details on how you and your fellow adventurers' decisions can affect the value of your coins.

• Fughar's Black Pearl (available in Season Servers only)
  
  • Period: June 24 (after maintenance)–July 8 (before maintenance)
    
  • During the event period, defeat monsters in the Season Servers to obtain the item [Event] Fughar's Black Pearl at a certain chance.
    
  • You can exchange [Event] Fughar's Black Pearl for the following items below.
    
    • You can continue to exchange these items via NPC Fughar (in Season Servers) even after the event ends.
      

• Vell Extra Spawn
  
  • Period: July 1–Until further notice
    
  • Starting July 1, enjoy an extra chance to challenge Vell every Wednesday!
    
  • Click < Here > for details on the additional Vell spawn schedule.

• Season Server Launch Events
  
  • Event 1: Summer Season Playtime Challenge: June 18–July 29 (23:59 UTC)
    
  • Event 2: Leveling Aid Challenge: June 18–July 1 (before maintenance)
    
  • Event 3: Get Refined Magical Black Stones: June 18–July 15 (before maintenance)
    
  • Event 4: Hot Summer Time: June 17–July 1 (before maintenance)
    
  • Event 5: Time-filled Mysterious Knight: June 17–July 1 (before maintenance)

• Refer-a-Friend Promotion is Back!: June 17–July 15 (before maintenance)

• [SNS Event] Caption This!
  
  • Submission Date (Post on your SNS!): June 17 (after maintenance)–June 30 (23:59 UTC)
    
  • Winner's Announcement: July 3
    
  • Reward Distribution: July 10 (during maintenance)

• Suppressed Boss Gear Event
  
  
• Track Down Jimmy Brooks
  
  
• Arsha Leaderboard

• Arsha Leaderboard Returns: Season Rewards: Final Week
  
  • The rewards of Season 4 of the Arsha Leaderboard have been sent! The Grand Rewards will be sent in the upcoming days via in-game mail.

• Shai's Got Talent
  
  • Winner's post
    
  • Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all participants once again! Your rewards have been sent to your in-game mailbox (B). Thank you, keep calm, and play on!

The islands of Grándiha and Papua Crinea were designed to seem a bit more peaceful compared to the mainland. We hope you can enjoy them as island retreats, since in your character's original form there's not much to do on the island of Papua Crinea. This could be perfect for the adventurer worn out from battle and amassing wealth.

However, there are still many secrets that lay dormant within the island of Papua Crinea. If you transform into one of the locals, you can experience content never seen before. If you choose to do so, it would be wise to gain the trust of the islanders for the countless adventures that lay ahead!

• The islands of Grándiha and Papua Crinea have been added.
  
  • Lakiaros do not grow at Papua Crinea.

Grándiha, which used to serve as the port of Grána, was abandoned after the Ahibs fled to O'dyllita but have recently been reopened. Grándiha provides a convenient departure point for Papua Crinea, the island of the warring Papus and Otters.



Papua Crinea is located off the western coast of Kamasylvia. You can easily reach it by sailing north from Grándiha.




The Papus and Otters of Papua Crinea have been fighting each other for generations in the Thousand Year War. If you choose to fight for the Papus, you will be able to befriend Empress Papuraora but will alienate the Otters. Conversely, if you choose to fight for the Otters, you will get close to General Crioniak but get on bad terms with the Papus.

If your amity with Empress Papuraora or General Crioniak falls below -2500, you will not be able to talk with the Papus or Otters on Papua Crinea (depending on which authority figure you are on bad terms with), even if you are transformed into one of them. For example, if you have low amity with Empress Papuraora, even if you are transformed into a Papu you won't be able to converse with other Papus.

Unlike the Papus and Otters you may have encountered on the main continent, those on Papua Crinea were so isolated from the mainland that they do not know how to communicate with you in your language.




To infiltrate the Papus or the Otters, you need to transform yourself into one of them. The secret to doing this is guarded by the Lamute Gang.

• Added quests for Papua Crinea.
  
  • To start on your new adventure, accept the quest [Papua Crinea] An Amazing Gift Just for You from the Black Spirit with a character that is at least Lv. 58.
    
  • Papua Crinea quests can be found in the Quest (O) window → Suggested tab → [Great Expedition] Papua Crinea.

• You can transform into Otters and Papus with the help of the Darkcloud Shapeshifting Dictionary from the Lamute Gang.
  
  • Each Papu and Otter type has different skill sets, which can be seen at the bottom right once you transform into them.
    
  • Transformation scrolls can only be used in certain places where you cannot be seen by Otters or Papus. Right click a scroll at a designated location to transform.
    
  • Because the Lamute Gang's Darkcloud Shapeshifting Dictionary is still a work in progress, you cannot jump or move backward while you are transformed. Also, swimming will automatically undo your transformation.

• Added quests to train against different stoneback crabs while you are disguised as a Papu or an Otter.
  
  • Completing these quests will give you transformation scrolls you can use for 1 day.

• Added the following new creatures for Papua Crinea. These two monsters don't attack you first and are well disguised, which makes it hard to find them. You cannot attack them with a normal character. Only a Papu or an Otter will be able to.
  
  • Lazy Rock Spirit
    
  • Lazy Cloudy Rain Mushroom

• Added the following 3 new coins. You can exchange these coins for various items.
  
  • Lamute Gang's Benns Coin
    
    • This coin can be obtained with Grándiha's daily quests. Lamute Gang's Benns Coin x1 can be exchanged for Rainbow Petal Coin x1 or Rainbow Fish Bone Coin x1 via Benns Lamute.
  • Rainbow Petal Coin
    
    • Coin used by the Papus. It can be obtained by completing the Papuraora Island quests.
  • Rainbow Fish Bone Coin
    
    • Coin used by the Otters. It can be obtained by completing the Crioniak Island quests.

• Added new following titles, which can be received by completing certain quests at Papua Crinea.
  
  • Generic title
    
    • Lamute Gang
  • Papu titles
    
    • Papus are Tricksters
      
    • The Golden Age of the Papunini
      
    • Pa! Then stab! Pu! Then withdraw!
      
    • Victorious Fruit Soldier
  • Otter titles
    
    • Dizzy Whizzy
      
    • Hakuna M'Otters
      
    • Otter Military Cadet
      
    • Otter Soldier

• Added new knowledge entries and trade items for Grándiha and Papua Crinea.
  
  
• Opened up sea routes through Serni Sea and Elsana Sea.
  
  
• Added currents to Serni Sea and Elsana Sea.
  
  • The currents there can go up to 20 on our currents scale.

• Added the item Ship License: Epheria Cog (Lamute Gang's Special Cog).
  
  • You can get this ship license by completing the quest [Papua Crinea] Lamute Gang, then talking to NPC Benns Ruberen at the wharf of Grándiha.
    
  • The stats of the ship are the same as that of the Epheria Cog.

The Thousand Year War between the Papus and Otters reached a pivotal point, and they are battling every day.

Adventurers who have completed the Papua Crinea quests and received the transformation scrolls to turn into Papus or Otters can keep gaining amity with the Papus or Otters and join them in the battlefield. When a battle breaks out, an alert will be seen throughout the server. If you want to participate go to Papua Crinea, then transform into your Papu or Otter form and volunteer for your side in the fight for pride and glory!

• The Thousand Year War between the Papus and Otters of Papua Crinea seems to have rekindled.
  
  • Every day, the Papus and Otters will battle it out on Bloodshed Beach, in three random servers.
    
  • If you are in one of these servers when the battle breaks out, an alert message will appear on your screen.
    
  • Transform into a Papu and Otter and join in the fight! The battle should last around 20 minutes.
    
  • You can exchange your loot from the battle for Rainbow Fish Bone Coin or Rainbow Petal Coin.

• For more details, refer to our guide on Papua Crinea < Here >.

We are planning to make the donkey better suited to the role of your companion and means of transportation. However, we don't want the donkey to dethrone the horse. Instead, we want the donkey to be able to do certain things horses cannot do, as well as bring out the unique charms only a donkey can have.

• Added Granverre and Krogdalo gear for donkeys.
  
  • You can craft these new donkey gear (including champrons, bardings, saddles, stirrups, and horseshoes) at a Horse Gear Workshop.
    
  • You can get Iridescent Pebbles from the Otter NPC Jabuo or Papu NPC Benitu through exchange.
    

• Pressing SPACE while riding a donkey equipped with Granverre or Krogdalo gear will allow it to roar and activate a buff effect.
  
  • The cooldown for a donkey roar is 5 minutes.
    
  • The set effects of the Granverre or Krogdalo donkey gear are as follows.
    
  • When your donkey roars, you and 9 of your nearby allies will enjoy the special buff for 30 minutes.
    
  • Character death will end the buff prematurely.
    
  • The buff effect from a donkey's roar stacks with other Life EXP buffs.
    
  • However, the Granverre set effect and Krogdalo set effect do not stack, and the better effect will be applied.
    
    

• Added a new piece of defense gear, Blackstar Armor.
  
  
  
  
  
• Added quests about crafting Blackstar Armor.
  
  • The quests can only be completed once per character.
    
  • To accept the first quest of the series, you need to have the "Remnants of the Rift" item and the knowledge of "The Three Legendary Blacksmiths of Mediah."
    
  • Remnants of the Rift drops at a low rate from Dark Rift bosses.
    
  • You can obtain the knowledge of "The Three Legendary Blacksmiths of Mediah" by obtaining and completing "The Three Blacksmiths" quest from Tulem, after you complete the renewed Mediah Main quests once you reach Lv. 56 or higher. If you have completed the quests but don't have the knowledge, try talking to Tulem again.
    
  • During the quests, you will be able to choose between battling the boss at its full strength, or fighting a weakened version of the boss.

• Added the item Specter's Energy, which is needed to craft Blackstar Armor.
  
  • Specter's Energy is dropped in the following monster zones. You can also check which monster zones drop Specter's Energy via the Item Drop window in the ESC menu.
    
    • Bashim Base
      
    • Titium Valley
      
    • Desert Naga Temple
      
    • Waragon Nest
      
    • Gahaz Bandit's Lair
      
    • Cadry Ruins
      
    • Crescent Shrine
      
    • Taphtar Plain
      
    • Basilisk Den
      
    • Pila Ku Jail
      
    • Roud Sulfur Mine
      
    • Polly's Forest
      
    • Loopy Tree Forest
      
    • Manshaum Forest
      
    • Tooth Fairy Forest
      
    • Tshira Ruins
      
    • Blood Wolf Settlement
      
    • Sherekhan Necropolis
      
    • Protty Cave
      
    • Sycraia Underwater Ruins (Upper Zone)

• The imperial house will be giving out new golden seals.
  
  • These new seals are rewarded to those who have provided a service for the Imperial Delivery system, such as providing alchemy boxes or trained horses, and can be exchanged for special items.
    
  • These seals are not interchangeable with the old "shiny" golden seals from the imperial house. You can only exchange the new seals with the new list of items, and the old seals with the old list of items.
    
    

• Improved the sound quality of voice chats and reduced the frequency the voice chat would cut out.

• Changed the effect that slows down your Epheria Carrack after it shoots its cannons so it's less drastic.

• Changed the grade of Design: Epheria Sailboat to white, to match the grade of Design: Epheria Frigate.
  
  
• You can now use Heating in the Processing window (L) on one of the following items to get Concentrated Boss's Aura x1.
  
  • Giath's Helmet
    
  • Bheg's Gloves
    
  • Griffon's Helmet
    
  • Leebur's Gloves
    
  • Red Nose's Armor
    
  • Muskan's Shoes
    
  • Dim Tree Spirit's Armor
    
  • Urugon's Shoes

• For details on newly added Pearl Shop Update, please click < Here >!

• Characters that completed [Boss] Witch-Hunting (from the older series of main quests) can now accept the quests for re-obtaining magical armor and sub-weapons.
  
  
• Added the item Traveler's Map to the rewards for completing the following quests, to help out adventurers starting out their journey.
  
  

• Shaded the font of the descriptions of the Group Chat window for better legibility.
  
  
• Fixed the issue where the titles in the Chat Group window overlapped with certain images there.
  
  
• Fixed the issue where certain text was bleeding out of the Skill Cooldown Slot window.
  
  
• Added a notification message that disabling Auto-align Quick Slot in the Edit UI window will reset all UI settings to default.
  
  
• Made the knowledge rank colors for Knowledge (Ecology) Effect mouseover tooltips in the Knowledge (H) window more uniform.
  
  
• Fixed the notification that pops up when using Leave Guild, Disband Guild, or Call Off Guild War in the Guild (G) window to not allow hotkeys.
  
  
• Fixed the zoom in/out buttons that appear when using the Examine function to not disappear even after zooming in/out.
  
  
• Fixed the issue with the awkward position of the War Hero window's menu that occurred when clicking a name displayed on the bottom portion of a long list of War Heroes.

• Fixed the issue where the Hot Summer Time boost was not applied to all time slots for all regions.
  
  
• Fixed the issue where the full versions of text that have been cut short in the Chat Group window with ellipses did not show properly.
  
  
• Fixed the issue where completing the challenge "Equipping Tuvala Adventure Gear I" with an activated Black Spirit Pass gave you Tuvala Ore x1 instead of Tuvala Ore x40.
  
  • The missing Tuvala Ore x39 have been sent to the affected players during the June 24 maintenance. They can be claimed from the in-game mailbox (B).

• [Ranger] Fixed the graphical issue with the lower lip that occurred with certain face shapes.
  
  
• Fixed the graphical issues with the following apparel.
  
  • [Ranger] Noel

• Fixed the issue of Altar of Blood not progressing after the stage 6 boss was defeated.
  
  
• Fixed the issue with the button for giving llama meat not disappearing even after fulfilling the conditions of the quest Nutritious Llama Meat.
  
  
• Removed certain text from the knowledge entries of Pasenia, Galutboar, and Adin that did not belong.
  
  
• Fixed the issue where an abnormal system message was displayed when attempting to resupply one's ship while having only 1 portion of rations.
  
  
• Fixed the issue with the Gathering icon being displayed in areas with no gatherable item.
  
  
• Fixed the issue where the mount skill information in the Horse Market window was not accessible on the World Map.
  
  
• Fixed the issue where a guild master who had the operation rights in the Arena of Arsha could not enter the arena via the reservation window.
  
  
• Removed the title text in the Individual Battle Select Participation window of Arena of Arsha.
  
  
• Fixed the issue where characters appeared to be floating in the air while riding an elevator.

Reach us on the »forums« to share your feedback, opinions, and suggestions.

Dear Players,

We will perform our weekly maintenance as follows:

• Global 8:00 UTC ~ 12:00 UTC
  
• Central (EU) 10:00 CEST ~ 14:00 CEST
  
• West Coast (NA) 1:00 PDT ~ 5:00 PDT
  
• East Coast (NA) 4:00 EDT ~ 8:00 EDT

• The islands of Grándiha and Papua Crinea will be newly added, and Papua Crinea Launch Events will start.
  
• Papu or Otter? event will start.
  
• Season Server special attendance rewards will newly start and Rookie and Returning attendance rewards will be refreshed.
  
• Fughar's Black Pearl event will start in Season Servers.
  
• New donkey gear, Granverre and Krogdalo, will be added.
  
• A new piece of defense gear, Blackstar Armor, will be added.

• Track Down Jimmy Brooks
  
• Arsha Leaderboard
  
• Suppressed Boss Gear Event

Follow us on Twitter & Facebook to stay up to date.

We apologize for the inconvenience and we ask for your generous understanding.


Best regards,
BDO Team

With Season Servers coming to NA/EU on June 17th, we are happy to announce that the number of Season Characters created worldwide (excluding Korea servers) has exceeded 200,000!

In order to show our token of appreciation, we want to give you the following rewards in the form of a coupon code that you can redeem via the website!





Coupon code expires July 1, 08:00 UTC. Make sure to claim the coupon rewards from your account page before this date.

• Go to ESC menu in-game > Click on REDEEM > then enter your code under Register Your Key.

• Once claimed, the items will go into your in-game mailbox (B).
  
• As these are items used exclusively in Season Servers, we recommend you to claim them with your Season Characters from the mailbox. If you had claimed them with your regular characters, you can use the Storage of each town to move it to your Season Character.
  
• If you try to redeem the code outside EU/NA you will get an "Unexpected Error".

Q. Black Desert boasts a wealth of diverse content and adventurers can pick and choose from the ones they want to play. However, there also exists content that was made a while back and yet has lost the adventurers’ interest, such as Savage Rifts and defending Valtarra Relics. Are there any plans to improve the rewards of such forgotten content, and if so, when do you plan on updating them?

A. We apologize for letting such content stay neglected for so long. Both of the above mentioned content are not soloable and require Adventurers to team up, making it somewhat difficult for us to determine the best way to improve them. Rather than a huge change, we will go about implementing small improvements one at a time.
We will start by looking into Valtarra Relics first.


Q. There are currently 19 classes in the game; how many more do you plan on releasing? How many classes are still in-development?

A. "How many?" is something we’ve yet to ask ourselves. We plan on continuing to release updates with new classes. We are asked the question of how many new classes are in development each year, and whenever we answer you we are thinking “We are making this class, we are making that class” but we keep that information deep within ourselves. This year is no exception. We are still developing and researching new classes at this time.


Q. Are there plans to open up certain monster zones for Adventurers with low AP and DP who enjoy defeating monsters? For example, to increase the number of Adventurers capable of playing in a specific area, the monsters’ attacks and defense could automatically adjust according to each adventurer’s gear. Currently the number of monster zones we can enter is rather limited even with Oasis gear.

A. Currently there are no such plans. The recommended stats for monster zones serve as a stepping stone for Adventurers to measure their own growth, therefore we plan on maintaining their current state.


Q. Are there any plans to apply a fixed chance of acquiring knowledge or increasing knowledge ranks to not just the adventurer who makes the final hit, but for all adventurers who’ve attacked the world boss or their minions as well?

A. We’ll take this into account and see if we can make improvements.


Q. Are there any plans to make Arduanatt and Diné 2-seaters?

A. The reason we don’t add the 2-seater option to Arduanatt and Diné is we feel that these Dream Horses already have such tremendous merit and appeal. If we allow the Dream Horse to have every kind of ability, those Adventurers who only own regular horses and 2-seaters would definitely have conflicting opinions on that matter. We plan on focusing on each Dream Horse’s specialty, so that they won’t be regarded as the most superior of all horses.


Q. Are there any plans to add the option to send mail in-game? Like sending in-game mail even to offline players.

A. Truthfully, the mailbox was planned to be removed some time ago. It was made solely as a means of receiving rewards from GMs/events during Black Desert’s developmental stage. Since last year, we’ve been sending more rewards to Adventurers through the “Black Spirit’s Safe”, and we originally planned on getting rid of the mailbox altogether once we finished converting all rewards to the safe.

However, upon second thought, we felt a bit sad. We were flooded with thoughts of Adventurers seeking to use the mail function for reasons such as a concerned guild member wanting to contact an absent guild member, someone suddenly desiring to send in-game mail to another, or an adventurer who misses a fellow comrade-in-arms, etc. Rather than remove the mailbox altogether, we are coordinating with the development team to make “mail” itself a function. We actually enjoy discussing matters like these. While no definite solution has been settled upon, we will share any significant progress if they occur.


Q. Are there any plans to add a “Mastery" system to gear or skills?

A. We always welcome good ideas. If you can send this to us with more detail through customer support, we will take a look!


Q It’s sad to see very few people in older monster zones. I believe updating them will bring more Adventurers back.

A. There are no plans for making huge changes to monster zones that you would reach after Mediah. However, the Balenos, Serendia, and Calpheon regions, internally known as the “growth regions,” are set to be improved in specialized servers. In the specialized servers, monsters in these regions will become much stronger, and their rewards will be greatly improved as well. For example, the Red Orc Camp inhabited by the Red Orcs may evolve into a zone requiring at last 240 AP.


Q When balancing, do developers normally follow the requests of the community, or do they solely take notes from Node/Conquest War participation? One Adventurer claimed that they purposely sway the community’s opinion in order to get their class buffed—do such rumors have any validity?

A: Honestly speaking, we try to avoid being overly influenced by community trends while balancing as we understand that posts on the topic of balance can be subjective. While we do take a look at what people are saying, there are many posts by nameless players taking shots at other classes. We make sure that our developers understand that these are subjective opinions, and may be a result of a recent duel. So when a player says that they swayed the community to balance X class or Y class, they are not being truthful.
For balancing, we generally take our own gameplay experience, and the data that is available to us to balance the game, along with feedback through official channels such as CS tickets, forum posts etc. As mentioned in the Heidel Ball: AT HOME, we want to hear the opinions of players who excel at their class by inviting them to discuss with us, as they enjoy their specific class, and play at an incredibly advanced level. But even then, we do not plan on solely basing future updates on the opinions of the top Adventurers alone, but we will use this as a good starting point to explore future balance changes.


Q Is there any chance that the Great Ocean region will be expanded further? Also, will there be any additional Great Ocean field bosses?

A. This isn’t the best time to discuss Great Ocean expansions. When we have some notable news to share, we will return to this matter. Currently we have no plans for additional Great Ocean field bosses, but there isn't any reason there won't be. We will start by preparing some new “Star Candy” (starred monsters) to appear on your minimaps.

Greetings Adventurers!

Sorry to have kept you waiting!

We have a lot to cover here. There were many questions answered during the Q&A session at Heidel Ball: AT HOME, but also many additional questions we were unable to answer due to time constraints during the Q&A. Adventurers from all over the world submitted some great questions, and we sincerely apologize for not being able to answer all of your questions.

Even if you don’t see your question answered here today, we ask for your patience!

Then, without further ado, let us begin.


Q. It seems that the Adventurers of the Korean servers and the NA/EU servers have different thoughts regarding class balance. Of course, since the meta can be different for each region, it's a given for there to be differences. I hope you will also gather what users are saying about class balance in servers of other regions besides Korea.

A. Since Black Desert is serviced globally, we are able to get feedback from Adventurers across many different regions, and we often see differences in combos and PvE playstyles for each region. So if the opportunity arises, we may consider inviting skilled Adventurers to represent different regions and have a roundtable discussion about balancing the classes. We could also try to carry out events or competition to collect feedback which we can potentially implement towards balancing the classes. As mentioned at Heidel Ball: AT HOME, we will do our best to try to make this type of meeting happen as soon as possible.


Q. Ranger's skills aren't effective if there's even the slightest difference in terrain elevation when using her skills. Is this impossible to fix?

A. This issue is a difficult one to fix. We’ve tried for a long time and only recently found a possible solution. It’s difficult to call it a 100% fix, but we expect it to be a massive improvement over what we currently have. While there are still structural parts that need a bit of tweaking, we hope to implement it sometime after June.


Q. (Korea Server) When will Loyalties be revamped? Can you also go into greater detail on how you will revamp the system?

A. We plan to unveil a revamp sometime mid-June, and we are preparing new products/packages and prices to get this to you as soon as possible. One of our plans is to make Loyalty be usable in-game rather than only at the Pearl Shop.


Q. Any updates or news about the Rich Merchant's Ring?

A. As announced at Heidel Ball: AT HOME, we are currently developing the Rich Merchant’s Ring around the concept of providing a Family-based buff that reduces the Central Market Tax by a fixed percentage. We hope to deliver this update to you before the end of June.


Q. It'd be nice to have a preset function that allows Adventurers to save settings for the skill window, making it easier to switch between Succession and Awakening.

A. We are currently in the final development stages for the new skill window. The existing skill window is rather inconvenient due to having all the skill levels just laid out before you, so we expect the new iteration where all skills will be unified in a tree-format to be much easier on the eyes. We will also be providing Skill Presets, which will even be able to save Skill Enhancements as well.
The new skill window will soon be updated to the Black Desert Global Lab. Since the UI is being revamped, it may at first feel a bit strange and unfamiliar, but we ask that you give it a try after the update and send us all your feedback. We’ll do our best to keep the feedback in mind, as we work to make it more convenint to use the skill window.


Q. Could you improve Horse Training, such as by displaying the Dream Horse attempt success rate like the enhancement system? Or by adding items like Advice of Valks for Dream Horse attempts? Also, would it be possible to add certain mounts that you can't buy with silver, instead must be tamed based on Training Level or Mastery?

A. On June 17 (Wednesday), we are planning on updating the system to show the Dream Horse attempt success rate. However, we will not be making it possible to use Advice of Valks for Dream Horse attempts.
As for Horse Training, we announced during Heidel Ball: AT HOME that we are currently preparing the Old Moon Grand Prix, and we hope to provide Adventurers with new sources of entertainment by being able to race new horses and rear/collect these new breeds.


Q. Any plans to revamp or add new features to Hunting, such as hunting Whales or Khalk? How about increasing the usage of the items you get from hunting bosses?

A. We are preparing new monsters that you’ll be able to hunt. While not quite at the Boss pedigree, they will be in the form of rare monsters that you will have to track and discover first (i.e. gather information before the hunt). We are hoping this will allow adventurers to enjoy the thrills of hunting like an actual hunter.


Q. Are there plans to add special rewards for Adventurers who reach Levels 65 or 66? How about Adventurers who attain certain levels in Life Skills?

A. The reason why we didn’t provide big rewards beyond Lv. 60 was to minimize the pressure of leveling up. It’s the same reason why we crammed most of the ways to get stronger into Lv. 60.
Currently, leveling up beyond Lv. 60 is more of a challenge or a way of obtaining bragging rights, rather than to become more powerful. Yet, there are already some who have reached Lv. 66! As of Monday, June 8th, there are 51 Adventurers (17 in Korea, 14 in Taiwan, 7 in Japan, 6 in Russia, 1 in Thailand, and 6 in the NA/EU region) who‘ve accomplished this feat. Quite commendable, and for these Adventurers, we will prepare additional fame-boosting rewards.
In regards to Life Skills, we don’t have anything specifically planned at the moment, but we will consider a similar kind of reward based on boosting fame. Nevertheless, there are currently no immediate plans for a material-based reward in the foreseeable future.


Q. When will the new updates regarding the Imperial Delivery Gift Boxes be announced?

A. We do plan on handing out new Imperial Delivery Seals. The play patterns of Black Desert Adventurers now are very different compared to the past, and our goal is to introduce these new seals which can be exchanged for a variety of Trade Goods to match the changed play patterns and current flow of the game. This too, is something we will do our best to present to you within the month of June.


Q. Do you plan on introducing new Life Skill content?

A. There are currently no plans to add a new Life Skill content. Rather than entirely new content, we feel it is more important to expand or supplement already existing content just like with the Old Moon Grand Prix that was announced during Heidel Ball: AT HOME. We will reconsider working on new content once we feel that we’ve added more depth and enjoyment to the existing content.


Q. Any plans to improve some of the not-so-popular Life Skill content such as Trading? Trading is clearly unprofitable compared to other Life Skills at the moment, with hardly any merit.

A. Similar to the previous question, for Trading we are referring to Worker Trade, which we tried to update the Workers and improve trading between Calpheon and Valencia, as well as Bartering in the Great Ocean, yet we ended up scrapping all those ideas. We came to the conclusion that we needed to develop upon the current iteration of the Trading system, and so we are currently entertaining ideas to improve the rewards while maintaining the current system. We’re still in the brainstorming stage, and once we decide on the direction, we will make sure to let you know in a future developers’ or GM note.
Please share as much of your feedback regarding Trading as possible.


Q. Do you plan on improving guild rights? There are many Adventurers who deliberately disband their guilds or abuse the current system.
Are there any improvements planned for Guild Mission-related features such as how Adventurers obtain rewards for completing guild missions, how to check the channel for guild missions, as well as the overall quality of the rewards themselves?

A. It’s truly heartbreaking and exhausting, especially for Guild Masters and Officers, for someone to intentionally try and damage a guild. Yet it seems difficult to prevent this solely with the current system. However, to truly nip such occurrences in the bud, we plan on diversifying and dividing guild ranks. By doing so, guild masters and officers will be able to appoint the appropriate guild members with the necessary roles and greatly decrease the possibility of this type of situation. We will do our best to present this system to you as quickly as possible.


Q. Currently, there aren't many guilds participating in the Node/Conquest Wars. The introduction of the Mercenary system only furthered their decline and increased the number of mercenaries participating instead. Will you be addressing this situation? It's especially difficult to fight in Tier 1 Nodes. Are there any solutions in mind?

A. We are currently planning on revamping Node Wars. Like what we announced during Heidel Ball AT HOME, the revamped version will involve conquering each node like a capture-the-zone type of concept. However, we will continue to make improvements to the current Node/Conquest War until the revamps are released. In particular, we have plans for a complete reassessment of the War Hero, and we are considering major adjustments to the large HP buff effect gained during Conquest War. We are working to improve each and every part that negatively impacts the current Node/Conquest War, and we hope to show you a much improved Node/Conquest War.


Q. Will you be adding and improving features for Compose & Play, such as making it feel less clunky when inputting notes or being able to upload MIDI or MML files? Also, will there be new instruments available?

A. First off, we would like to thank all of our Adventurers who have enjoyed Compose & Play. Currently, we are developing additional instruments, and in order to improve the repetitive and inconvenient aspects of composing, we are developing a direct input system that is similar to playing on an electric keyboard. We ask for your patience until we can present you with a more convenient and enjoyable composition system.
Also, since our Compose & Play system is not based on MIDI, it will be rather difficult to convert to such formats. We ask for your understanding regarding this.


Q. Bartering beats earning silver by defeating monsters. Is there a solution for this?

A. The basic principle of Black Desert is that defeating monsters should be the most meaningful and efficient content. This is because it is the content that requires the most effort, relatively speaking, since it requires Adventurers to constantly input moves and commands. We strictly abide by this principle when designing and balancing other content. Excluding Korea, global servers may be influenced by a variety of buffs and scrolls, so we will completely re-examine monster zones and adjust them accordingly.
Additionally, we mentioned specialized servers in a previous answer, and we will focus more on these parts when balancing the game in the future. Our stance that defeating monsters should be the most efficient content is something that will not change.
And regarding Bartering, as more and more Adventures obtain their Carrack, we’ve had to implement several waves of nerfs in light of growing profits. Since Bartering requires consistent time investment and has a limited count, we are in no hurry to make adjustments to its current state.


Q. Lucky Adventurers obtain treasure items within a very short amount of time, while others have yet to see one even after months of gameplay. Don't you think it's a bit unfair?

A. Whenever we hear that someone in-game or even on our team obtained a treasure item in a very short amount of time, we have a process of double-checking the data to make sure there are no problems, even if we’ve previously checked a week before. We want to send a message of encouragement to all Adventurers who attempt the challenge of obtaining a treasure item, and we want to assure you that we will focus on preserving the worth of these items to make sure your efforts are not wasted.


Q. Are there plans to revamp the current enhancement system? Quality-of-life changes such as moving the priests closer to the blacksmiths would be appreciated.

A First, both the blacksmith and the priest have their own unique roles and concepts. We thought of just putting everyone on the Black Spirit for convenience’s sake, yet we felt this wasn’t the direction we wanted for Black Desert even if it was more convenient, so maintained the current status quo thus far. However, we promise to consider other ways to make it more convenient for all Adventurers.
If we decide to make enhancement easier solely for convenience’s sake, the joy you might experience from the fruit of your efforts in undertaking the process might be lessened, as well as the amount of satisfaction you feel from admiring your equipment window.
Stacks serve as a failsafe system meant to compensate for failing enhancements. Hence, we are not considering changing the stack system completely. However, we will look into improving the in-game experience for novice Adventurers, such as quality-of-life changes and tutorials on how to preserve their enhancement levels through Cron Stones, Advice of Valks, Valks’ Cry, etc.


Q. Too many ships dock near the wharfs, so they overlap with each other, even causing accidental kidnapping. Is there a solution for this?

A. After the Great Expedition update, the areas near the wharfs of Velia and Iliya Island are regularly filled with large vessels, and we are currently considering how to address some of the inconvenience caused by this. We’ve implemented features, such as the ship icon which you can press to immediately board your ship or call your ship, yet there are many more inconveniences that need to be addressed. By collecting ideas and developing them, we hope to provide a more convenient and direct way to board ships.
Also, during this process, we will consider upgrades to the Guild Galley’s ease-of-use as well.


Q. Will you be looking into issues with the in-game economy, such as inflation or item shortage? (Overseas Countries)

A. As of late, it’s becoming harder and harder to purchase material items such as Sharp/Hard Black Crystal Shards and Caphras Stones. We are fully aware of this issue, but we have no plans for an update solely meant to bypass this market shortage.
Since Black Desert’s economy is dependent on its supply and demand, we are looking into ways of increasing the number of suppliers or increasing the efficiency of existing suppliers for items in short supply. We don’t want to just raise the prices of Sharp/Hard Black Crystal Shards. We are currently examining ways to maintain the existing system while expanding the number of suppliers and places to use such items.
We know that Caphras Stones are under a global shortage in Black Desert. We originally designed them to always be limited in supply, yet due to the rather large number of Adventurers in need of the item, we are discussing this matter internally. Memory Fragments, on the other hand, had initially seen a spike in prices but have since stabilized, and we feel that this might be what the state of Caphras Stones is going through as well. We will continue to keep an eye on when the prices for Sharp Black Crystal Shards stabilize compared to Hard Black Crystal Shards. Until then, we will try tackling the issue through various means to find solutions for such fundamental problems instead of just applying rushed fixes each time.


Q. Any plans to add more inventory slots, storage slots, and the Max Weight Limit?

A. Currently, there are no plans to do so.


Q. When will new hairstyles be updated? There are not enough hairstyles available. Also, why isn't there an option to create a bald headed character in customization?

A. Black Desert characters are being made quite elaborately. Due to the exceptional number of customization options, the more hairstyles we implement, the more issues there are for optimization. During last year’s Ball, we were requested to design new hairstyles, and we‘ve been working on them ever since, but due to performance issues, we haven’t been able to implement them. At that time, we placed our priority on optimization, so we put the updates on hold, but from now on we will attempt to release these new styles one by one, since it is difficult to release them all at once.
In addition, we are considering implementing hair ornaments in the style of the beloved Yianaros Headpiece. However, since both new hairstyles and hair ornaments are all closely related to optimization issues, we will be proceeding with these updates slowly.


Q. How many of the Black Desert developers actually play the game?

A. Here at Black Desert, there are many developers who play tons of games. Just like our Adventurers, we too enjoy adventuring in the open world of Black Desert, sometimes laughing, sometimes getting angry, sometimes taking a break, then coming back for more. We will continue to join our adventurers in Black Desert to share the experience and do our best to further improve the game.


Q. When will the Black Desert Goods store be available for global fans?

A. The Black Desert Goods store opened in Korea this past February. To be frank, due to the increase of regions that restricted shipments as well as with the current global issue, we’ve experienced some delays for its launch. We ask for your patience and hope to bring you the good news soon.


Q. Do you have plans to create an aerial region that we could go to via the Sky Balloon?
Also, are there plans to add new types of mounts like an airship? What kinds of new mounts can we expect to see in the future?

A. There are currently no plans to develop an aerial region. We have received a lot of feedback requesting new mounts, and we are currently testing a variety of mounts internally. However, we’ve yet to settle on a mount that seems to fit the Black Desert motif. Nevertheless, we will continue our research based on your feedback.
On the Korean servers, we recently added scrolls which transform Adventurers into Stoneback Crabs, and a good number of Adventurers gave us positive feedback regarding this minor update. While we would never dare to consider this as a new mount, we plan on adding similar toy-like items that will provide some enjoyment to Adventurers. For example, turning into a Griffon in Kamasylvia and gliding down long distances or transforming into a Ferrid to dash through the plains. We will implement these one at a time, slowly but surely.


Q. When will the Great Expedition - Part II and Blue Battlefield, the ocean PvP content, be updated?

A. The Great Expedition – PART II has seen changes in its development and is currently on-hold. Most of the new islands and vessels are already made, so once development starts again, we will be able to share with you in greater detail regarding the new direction.


Q. Will you be adding party-based dungeons? I'd like to enjoy the game with family and friends.

A. We have plans to continue expanding hunting grounds such as Mirumok and Gyfin Rhasia Temple, along with the recently added Abandoned Monastery and Padix Island that require Adventurers to party up. We feel that Mirumok and Gyfin Rhasia Temple are the party hunting grounds that best fit the Black Desert concept.
However, we plan on continuing our support for content that requires adventurers to band together to clear.


Q. Any plans to add PvP contents like the Red Battlefield? I wish we had contents such as daily mini-Conquest Wars or Capture the Flag, and Territory Battle-type arena.

A. As revealed during the Heidel Ball: AT HOME, we plan to release the Thornwood Battlefield update very soon. It’s been quite some time since we released new PvP content, and we hope that all of our Adventurers will be able to have fun and enjoy it. In addition, we are planning to carry out some structural changes to diversify the Red Battlefield, and once finished, adventurers will be able to battle in a variety of locations. We hope this will be very meaningful especially for those Adventurers who may have grown weary fighting in the same battlefield over and over again. Regarding Capture the Flag or Territory Battle-type arenas, we will consider these for a later time.


Q. Are there any plans to implement the Team PvP mode of Black Desert Mobile to Online?

A. There are currently no plans to implement a team battle style deathmatch format. However, Thornwood Fortress, which is currently under development, will be carried out in a competition format with small sized teams.


Q. Will there be more social systems added, such as a Marriage system?

A. There are no plans to implement marriage as a separate system. We will focus on creating more beautiful scenery, more fantastic characters, and a whole variety of contents.
Recently, due to COVID19, we saw a couple in Europe hold their wedding in Black Desert.
We‘d like to take this time to extend our congratulations for the couple. The wedding was held in Grána, Kamasylvia, in which many beautiful and handsome characters (adventurers) took part as guests in offering their congratulations to the lovely bride and groom. An ensemble of Shais gathered to perform the wedding march. It was truly a moving and joyous occasion for all to witness.




Q. Now that Compose & Play has been released, do you plan on adding dancing animations?

A. We always consider Black Desert’s mood and motif when designing all content. As for dancing, we honestly tried and dropped its development many times. Recently, we dabbled with the waltz and tango, yet the results were the same. Unfortunately, for all the Adventurers who’ve been waiting patiently, we’re sad to announce that we will no longer be working on dancing animations.
On a side note, we’ve introduced brief dancing animations as social emotes in Shadow Arena. That is the extent of dancing we’re willing to implement. We will continue our efforts to add a variety of movements other than dancing to further expand our character’s actions.


Q. Can you tell us about the new regions that are scheduled to be released? When do you plan on opening the Kingdom of Haso?

A. The new regions we are currently preparing include the ancestral home of the Guardian, the “mountain of eternal winter,” which is always covered with unceasing snowfall, along with the home region of the Hashashin, a place filled with all sorts of danger tentatively titled the “demon lands.” As we briefly introduced in the road map during Heidel Ball: AT HOME, in the game’s current state it is rather difficult to expand beyond the Kingdom of Haso. However, just as we have done before, we will keep at it with new attempts and work hard to deliver better news to you soon. Please look forward to it.


Q. When will the remaining pieces of the Fallen God gear or additional Blackstar gear be added?

A. While there is no specific timeline set at the moment, additional Blackstar gear will be added around July to August at the earliest, September at the latest. However, since the Blackstar armor is currently the strongest in-game, we plan to take our time in developing this update. We are also considering an entirely different method of acquisition and crafting compared to the armor, as our goal is to develop gear worthy of being known as the best.
Excluding Korea, global servers will see Blackstar armor updated first, then O’dyllita and Fallen God added afterwards.


Q. Are there plans to release a class with special abilities or in the support role like Shai in the near future?

A. Shai was regarded as an experimental character even internally. Thankfully, many adventurers came to welcome her with open arms, which greatly boosted our confidence. Hence, we will continue in our efforts to develop special characters like the Shai. However, there’s always the risk that not all of our adventurers will welcome such special characters, so we predict that it will take quite some time before the next announcement. There’s still plenty of time before official development begins, so we request that you send us any good ideas you have regarding the next special character.
Also, we’d like to give a shout out to the adventurers who’ve consistently requested a Papu class, to which we extend our thanks for their passion towards the game.


Q. What is the direction of Black Desert after Crimson Desert launches? What are the development and operational/management goals?

A. There is no change in the development direction and goal for Black Desert. We will continue to do our best to deliver the most entertaining game to all our adventurers.


Q. Not many Adventurers go to defeat World/Field Bosses these days, especially Field Bosses. Would it be possible to improve the rewards? Also, obtaining Garmoth or Vell's Heart is dependent on luck. Do you have any plans to change this?

A. We also have concerns regarding bosses. Most adventurers of Lv. 60–61 are already equipped with boss gear, so they may not feel the appeal in tackling bosses, while for a novice adventurer, bosses may still be attractive. So we don’t want to go about administering any big changes. Thus, in the spirit of preserving the status quo, yet also applying some change, we will be implementing “Absolute Bosses” into the game. Each boss, which spawns at a certain preset time, will now have a low chance to appear in a form possessing fantastical power. Absolute bosses will be quite strong, and rewards fitting of their upgraded stature are currently being prepared as well.
Also, on the Korean servers, we have added a quest where each Family can craft one additional Heart of Garmoth. This will be updated on the global servers when O’dyllita is released.


Q. When raiding Vell, there are too many large ships that block the cannons, making it difficult to attack. Can you expand Vell's Sealing Stone?

A. This past June 4th, after the regular maintenance on the Black Desert Global Lab, we improved the World Boss Vell raid by lowering the height of the Sealing Stone located in front of Vell so adventurers could have an easier time approaching and bombarding Vell. This isn’t the perfect solution, so we will continue to try to improve the fundamental issue.


Q. Could you add an ON/OFF feature for the Agris Fever buff?

A. We introduced this feature during the regular maintenance on June 3rd (Wednesday).


Q. Ash Forest is part of Kamayslvia, yet why don’t Caphras Stones or Ancient Spirit Dust drop from monsters there?

A. The Ash Forest was developed with the purpose of creating a “challenge” for adventurers. We didn’t want the region to become a “farmable” place with good loot, so we distinguished the items that dropped from this region as well.

However, given that the only real current challenge for the adventurers in Ash Forest is getting the Deboreka Necklace, we are discussing the possibility of adding another reward to this region. We predict that this will take some time to update, especially for the art department. We hope today’s answer may have offered a slight hint of what our adventurers may look forward to.


Q. Guild Missions being limited to 10 per day regardless of the guild size seems a bit too few. Are there any plans to increase the daily Guild Mission count based on guild size?

A. We have neither increased the daily limit for Guild Missions due to the fear of adding additional pressure on adventurers to participate more to complete them, nor is there any plan to do so for the time being. Instead, we plan to add Guild Missions that require a bit more of a team effort to complete.
For example, these new missions could require teaming up with a guild member who’s good at hunting, another with a member who enjoys gathering, or with those who are expert navigators of the sea, and so on.


Q. Are the stats for Ogre Ring and Laytenn’s Power Stone completely the same?

A. Yes, they’re completely the same. I remember there was a developer from way back who had a TET Ogre Ring, thought that the TET Laytenn’s Power Stone’s icon was prettier, and sold the Ogre Ring to buy the Laytenn’s Power Stone… Those were the days.


Q. There’s an increase in users who give up after a short period of time due to the copious amount of quests and boredom from defeating monsters, or not being able to gather enough Silver for higher levels of Life Skill content. This is really impacting the in-game experience so are there any plans to resolve this growing issue?

A. The new class Hashashin, the Old Moon Grand Prix, specialized servers, Thornwood Fortress, and Bounty systems are all content we unveiled here at the Heidel Ball: AT HOME where we focused on active and engaging gameplay.
Our updates are heavily impacted by the current in-game atmosphere. We have on-going analyses to achieve a proper balance of inactive and active content, and we will continue to work hard at doing so.


Q. I returned to Black Desert due to the Season Servers. I really thought the Season Servers with the Tuvala gear content was a good idea, to the point where I was even suspicious if this was the same Black Desert I’d start playing ages ago or not. However, it’s always sad to see continuous failure in enhancement and dwindling enhancement materials. It is indeed possible to guarantee enhancement to TRI with Refined Magical Black Stones, yet I felt that I needed to at least enhance the Tuvala gear to TET and exchange them for normal boss gear to consider my time spent on the Season Servers worthwhile. Are you planning to make the enhancement system a bit more novice friendly in the next Season?

A. First off, we’re truly thankful that players in the region where it was released enjoyed the Season Server content. It was a challenge for us, and we are only grateful that many adventures were able to enjoy it.
During this Season Server period, we collected a lot of feedback from customer support that enhancing gear was quite difficult, and yet, the only thing that we can do, unfortunately, is to offer but words of encouragement. We deliberately made enhancing Tuvala gear to TRI-TET-PEN harder, and we have no plans to make that process any easier. We didn’t want the Season Servers to be a place for novice adventurers to easily obtain gear, but rather to get a mild taste of the enhancement system, as well as providing a space for them to bond with existing adventurers as well. We felt that this would be a healthy transition and an enjoyable way to adjust. On the other hand, once the first Season Server ends, we will be analyzing all of the data to work on pruning parts that were considered too cumbersome.


Q. For the next season, please solve the issue of the wait time between moving from season servers to normal servers, and vice versa. Since normal characters can’t enter season servers, there were a lot of issues regarding looting efficiently, world boss raids, etc.

A. This is something we will most definitely seek to resolve or improve upon. If impossible, we will consider a different direction altogether.

Greetings Adventurers,

The wait is over and Season Servers have arrived to the world of Black Desert Online! Starting today you will be able to level up and develop a new Season Character in these special servers. During this Summer Season, you will be able to acquire new gear that can even be converted to regular gear once the season is over. Don't miss the opportunity to take part in this new content, as the Summer Season will last only a few months!

Also, for our horse trainers, we bring you a quality of life change that many of you have been requesting for a long time: Success chances will now be displayed when you are trying to acquire a Dream Horse!

We have more content, bug fixes, and others in this week's update, so come and take a look below! Have fun!

• Season Server Launch Events
  
  • Event 1: Summer Season Playtime Challenge
    
    • Period: June 18 (00:00 UTC)–July 29 (23:59 UTC)
      
    • Play daily with your Season Character and get [Event] Summer Season Commemorative Coin from the Challenge tab (Y) based on your accumulated playtime during the event period.
  • Event 2: Leveling Aid Challenge
    
    • Period: June 18 (00:00 UTC)–July 1 (before maintenance)
      
    • Simply log in with your Season Character during the event period and receive the following boosts like Mercenary's Experience (60 min) and Mercenary's Experience (120 min).
  • Event 3: Get Refined Magical Black Stones
    
    • Period: June 18 (00:00 UTC)–July 15 (before maintenance)
      
    • Simply log in with your Season Character during the event period and receive Refined Magical Black Stones each day.
  • Event 4: Hot Summer Time
    
    • Period: June 17 (after maintenance)–July 1 (before maintenance)
      
    • Enjoy an additional boost of Combat EXP +250% and Skill EXP + 25% during Hot Time hours!
  • Event 5: Time-filled Mysterious Knight
    
    • Period: June 17 (after maintenance)–July 1 (before maintenance)
      
    • During the event period, <Special Skill Instructor> Mysterious Knight will randomly appear all over the world of Black Desert Online. Simply Interact (R) with the NPC to get Combat EXP +100%, Skill EXP +100%, and Item Drop Rate +10% for 180 minutes.
  • Click < Here > for full details on these events.

• Refer-a-Friend Promotion is Back!
  
  • Period: June 17 (after maintenance)–July 15 (before maintenance)
    
  • Invite your friends and earn rewards! New players that use your Referral ID after joining Black Desert Online will get special rewards upon reaching in-game milestones.
    Check out de details of the promotion < Here >

• [SNS Event] Caption This!
  
  • Choose your favorite scene in our newest Carbot Animation Video, screenshot then caption it, and express your creativity!
    
  • Upload the screenshot, caption it with a creative title, and let us know by hashtagging it!
    
    • Submission Date (Post on your SNS!): June 17 (after maintenance)–June 30 (23:59 UTC)
      
    • Winner’s Announcement: July 3
      
    • Reward Distribution: July 10 (during maintenance)
  • Check out the details through the event page < Here >.
    
  • You can also check out the Carbot Animation video introducing the Season Servers < Here >. We hope you enjoy it!

• Track Down Jimmy Brooks: June 10–June 24
  
  
• Arsha Leaderboard Returns: May 27–June 24 (before maintenance)

• Season Character Pre-creation
  
  
• Waiting for Summer
  
  
• Mid Season Events: Available until June 17 (23:59 UTC)
  
  
• Shai's Got Talent
  
  • Winner Announcement: June 17
    
  • Reward Distribution: June 24 (during maintenance)

• Enter Coupon Code Now!
  
  • Register the following coupon code under your account now: BDOSCHR
    
    • Thanks to strong interest all over the globe, we have surpassed over 200,000 Season Characters created across all service regions of Black Desert Online. To celebrate we would like to present you with the following rewards which can be redeemed if you enter the coupon code above now:
      
      • Time-filled Black Stone x300
        
      • Refined Magical Black Stone x70
        
      • Tuvala Ore x50
  • The coupon code expires on July 1 (08:00 UTC) and you must also claim the coupon rewards from your account and also from in-game mailbox before this date.
    
    • From our official website, go to SHOP > REDEEM CODE and enter your Coupon Code to claim the rewards which can be found under ACCOUNT > COUPON list.
      
    • For STEAM players, please go to ESC menu > COMMUNITY (If in the New Menu) > REDEEM > then enter your code under Register Your Key.

[/list]

• Season Character Pre-creation Rewards
  
  • Rewards have been sent to all adventurers who created a Season Character during the pre-creation period: June 3 (08:00 UTC)–June 17 (08:00 UTC).
    
  • You need to have had a Season Character created (and not deleted) in your account on June 17 (08:00 UTC) to be eligible for the rewards.
    
  • Please check your in-game mailbox and claim your rewards before expiration.

• Arsha Leaderboard Returns: Season Rewards Week 3
  
  • For placing in the top 20 ranks for this week (up until maintenance), your Season Rewards have been sent to your in-game mailbox (B). Congratulations and thank you for the fierce fights!

Major Update: Season Server

We are excited to open up the season servers for the first time. We hope that our efforts will help many of you, especially our new adventurers, find your footing in the world of Black Desert Online.

We designed the season servers with three objectives in mind.

First and foremost, we wanted to keep things challenging enough to not make the progress feel empty. We especially focused on the gear available in the season servers, because getting good gear is an aspect we felt was one of the hardest challenges in our game. Therefore, we included season server exclusive "Tuvala" gear as well as special black stones. The Tuvala gear was designed to be par with the coveted "boss" gear while being easier to get and enhance. Easier, but not easy. We hope that you still can come to master this system that is so fundamental to our game.

The second thing we wanted to focus on giving you a feeling of excitement that this kind of seasonal content could bring. Seasons servers, as you might be able to tell from the name, will be seasonal. Every season, you must create a new character and start anew. This is why we made certain limitations on what season characters can and cannot do so that each season feels more like a fresh start, with your character unable to enjoy certain benefits from having a more advanced family in the regular servers like inheriting their gear or riding dream horses.

Lastly, we wanted to make the transition from the season to regular servers when the season ends as smooth as possible. Over the years, there has been so much content building up in our game. This has been both a blessing and a curse. We cannot hope to prepare you for everything, but by focusing on helping season characters get easier access to better gear, we hope that when these characters transition into the regular servers, they will at least have an easier time with the combat-related content of our game. We are also planning on more ways to help our first batch of season server "graduates" acclimate to the regular servers.

We want to keep servicing Black Desert Online, a game we love deeply, for a long, long time. As we do this, we want to preserve the gains made from hard work while bridging gaps. We don't expect to have perfected this approach to the season servers on our first try, but we promise to keep an eye out so we can make further improvements for you.

• Summer has arrived in the season servers.
  
  • Only season characters can access the season servers.
    
  • Season characters can only access the season servers for one season. For example, if you create a character during the "summer" season it loses access to the season servers come autumn.
    
  • These servers are open to season characters of any level, who can enjoy EXP boosts 24/7.
    
  • Season characters can only equip certain gear. You can tell which gear they can equip by a yellow icon (see image below).
    
  • Season characters cannot accept the "[EXC] Better Weapon" quests.
    

• Added season server exclusive "Tuvala" gear.
  
  
• Added Time-filled Black Stones and Refined Magical Black Stone, which are items for enhancing Tuvala gear.
  
  
• Added Fughar, a season server exclusive NPC who will be located next to the Stable Keepers in large towns including Velia.
  
  
• Added Summer Season Challenges for the season servers.
  
  
• Added the following season character exclusive weekly quests for defeating monsters.
  
  • You can accept and complete one of the following quests each week.
    
  • You can find the quests under the "[Season] Even Stronger Tuvala Gear" tab in the Quests (O) window.
    
  • These quests are available once per family.
    
    
    
  • Added the following season character exclusive quests to do after completing the Valencia, Kamasylvia, or Drieghan main quests in the season server.
    
    • These quests are available once per family.
      
    • You can accept the quests from the Black Spirit.
      
  • Added Tuvala Ores, which can be exchanged for weapons.
    
    • You can get Tuvala Ores by defeating monsters in Valencia, Kamasylvia, Drieghan, and Sycraia
    • Underwater Ruins or through processing Tuvala gear.
      
    • Use Heating in the Processing window (L) on a Tuvala accessory to get Tuvala Ore x5.
      
    • Use Heating in the Processing window (L) on Tuvala gear (excluding accessories) to get Tuvala Ore x1.

• Refer to the Season Servers Guide and Dev Note: Season Servers for more details on the new season servers.
  
  
• Gear up for some PvP tournaments towards the end of the season. More details will be announced soon.

• Added a Chat Group for each class.
  
  
  
• Added the "Garnier Troupe" Chat Group where you can discuss Compose and Play related content.

• Optimized certain effects to alleviate the issue with the game running slow when defeating monsters at certain monster zones.

• Reduced the safe zone around the Tooth Fairy Forest and increased the size of the Tooth Fairy Forest.

• Added NPC Elro the Guild Wharf Manager to Oquilla's Eye

• Fixed the issue where ships would not get damaged in certain locations even though it was close enough to the guild boss Khan near Oquilla's Eye to be damaged.

• Fixed the issue where feral attacks of Fierce Strike continued even after the Beast Form buff ended.

• You can now use Righteous Charge in combo smoothly when using Shield Chase.

• Fixed the issue where Black Spirit: Black Blood Circle skills were cast even though they were locked.
  
  
• Fixed the issue where Black Spirit: Infernal Nemesis could not be cast during God Incinerator or Awakening: Juggernaut.