Is Crimson Desert coming to Game Pass? Speculation, potential release date, and more

Crimson Desert launched to a lot of criticism and hate, but managed to turn the tide and eventually sell over four million copies, officially enshrining itself in video game history as a certified smash hit.

Though its incredible success is something to genuinely be studied, considering how it got there, many players feel daunted by its big $70 price tag, despite how much content it offers at that cost. In light of that, many wonder if it’ll ever come to the Xbox Game Pass service, as so many games out there have.

So, here’s everything we know.

Is Crimson Desert on Game Pass? Everything we know

At the time of writing, no, Crimson Desert is not available on the Xbox Game Pass, nor has there been any announcement about its potential release. This is primarily because Pearl Abyss, the studio behind Crimson Desert, is separate from Microsoft and isn’t either an official partner or a subsidiary of that company.

With Pearl Abyss being fully independent from any major publisher, we can expect Crimson Desert to spend many moons on its own, sold across all platforms, including Xbox Series S and X. It has sold over four million copies since it launched on March 19 and is only going to keep growing, much as its user review scores have grown since their initial lukewarm state.

However, there are strong precedents in the gaming industry for third-party titles to eventually make their way to the Xbox Game Pass. Titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, neither of which was made by a major first-party Xbox studio, did eventually get added to the service’s top tier as huge selling points, probably earning their respective publishers a good chunk of change as well as boosting Microsoft’s own subscription model.

Cyberpunk 2077 was added to Game Pass on March 10, over five years after its initial launch, while KCD2 came out a week earlier, just a little over a year since first coming out. We can see a huge discrepancy between studios choosing to be featured on Game Pass, though we could justify that with Cyberpunk‘s long recovery journey, which first had to absolve it of its horrible release. If we go by these examples, we could perhaps expect Crimson Desert to be included with Game Pass by early 2027, if not later.

Furthermore, I would also be more inclined to think it’ll come to PlayStation Plus or be packaged with some PlayStation deal, as there are no doubt strong links between Sony and Pearl Abyss. The latter’s reliance on the PC market, especially when it comes to MMOs, could lean it toward Microsoft and its Windows-based service, though that remains uncertain.

As things stand, you’re going to have to purchase the game on consoles or on Steam, and that should remain as such for the foreseeable future.

The post Is Crimson Desert coming to Game Pass? Speculation, potential release date, and more appeared first on Destructoid.

The Assessor Matrix is a new crafting material that you can find in ARC Raiders as part of the Flashpoint update. This material can only be found during a specific map condition, and you’ll need it for different reasons.

First, let’s find out how you can obtain the material.

How to get the Assessor Matrix in ARC Raiders

To find the Assessor Matrix, you’ll need to wait for the Close Scrutiny event. While this event only appears during a certain time of day, it can be active on any of the available maps (except Stella Montis).

When this map condition is active, ARC Assessors will spawn on the map at random locations. To get the Assessor Matrix, you’ll need to loot the dropships. However, this is easier said than done. Once you’re near one, look at the sky to spot three red beams.

Every Assessor has three containers for you to breach and search for loot. Enemies will guard these containers, so you’ll need to be careful. Once you’re near the ship, wait for the platform to show up. Use the platform to climb up and search the containers. If you’re in a group, any two of you should keep the ARCs distracted.

If you’re lucky, you should be able to find the Assessor Matrix in the containers. You could even obtain the blueprint for the Dolabra, which is a new shotgun.

As you might have found out in the first 24 hours since the Flashpoint update, it’s not easy to loot an Assessor. Here are a few tips and tricks that have worked well for me.

• Use a Photoelectric Cloak. Using it is tricky, as you can’t use a gun, so it’s pretty easy to get targeted by other raiders. However, this device will complete mask your presence and hide you from every ARC enemy in the vicinity. It’s a great device to use if you want to loot without getting stuck in a fight.
• Smoke Grenades are a must as you’ll want to hide your location from other raiders. You can use it to quickly loot the containers and escape without getting shot by other players/ARCs.
• Having your buddies will be helpful, as will be heavy hitters like the Hullcrackers. Since the Assessor can also have Vaporizers nearby, bring a Wolfpack or two to melt them in seconds.

How to use the Assessor Matrix in ARC Raiders

So far, the Assessor Matrix appears to be required for completing the stages of the recent High-Gain Antenna player project. This project has three different stages, and you’ll need the Assessor Matrix to complete the tasks of the second and third stages.

It’s definitely worth taking the extra risk to collect the Assessor Matrix when the Close Scrutiny event is active.

The post How to get and use Assessor Matrix in ARC Raiders appeared first on Destructoid.