New 2026 Open-World RPG Is Bigger Than Skyrim AND Red Dead Redemption 2

4 days ago 10

The Crimson Desert protagonist riding a horse through a field towards a castle in the distance.

Paul Farrelly is a Contributing Writer for Screen Rant’s Gaming section and the founder of GeekGasm.org, a site dedicated to celebrating all things gaming, from triple A blockbusters to weird and wonderful indie hits. Based in Louth, Ireland, Paul has spent years writing about games, pop culture, and tech, turning his lifelong love of gaming into a career that lets him talk (probably too much) about what makes this industry so endlessly fascinating.
He’s previously written and collaborated with several entertainment outlets, including LADbible, gaining a wide perspective on how gaming fits into today’s pop culture conversation. His work blends genuine enthusiasm with thoughtful analysis, exploring how design, storytelling, and community have made gaming one of the most creative mediums around.
When he’s not glued to a controller or keyboard, Paul’s usually spinning vinyl, plotting his next horror marathon, or debating which Resident Evil entry really reigns supreme.

Sometimes good things come in big packages. We all have fond memories of wandering across staggeringly large world maps like Tamriel or traversing continents like Novigrad or Skellige. Size does matter! Especially in open world RPGs, as it plays a huge role in immersing you in the fantasy. Not to be outdone, Pearl Abyss have just revealed the size of their map for Crimson Desert, and it's a whopper!

With GTA 6 possibly getting delayed again, Crimson Desert might just end up being the best open world RPG we play this year!

Crimson Desert Is Absolutely Huge

We don't know where to start

As revealed at the New Game+ Showcase, the size of the map in Crimson Desert is eye-wateringly huge. Boasting its size to be larger than the map in Red Dead Redemption 2 and twice that of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim's, Crimson Desert is certainly setting its stall out early. The game already looks like a cross between The Witcher 3 and Tears of the Kingdom and every new gameplay reveal we get never fails to impress.

Will Powers (PR agent for Pearl Abyss) was interviewed during the Showcase and revealed quite a few key details about Crimson Desert, including the size of the map. And while he did confirm how truly epic in scale the map would be, he also went to great lengths to discuss other aspects of the game. System mechanics, character building and depth to the variety of play styles seem to be a major focus for the game.

Players want large open world games that have substance to them and plenty to see and do. Games like The Witcher 3 and its DLCs make use of space by filling large areas with interactions, hidden secrets and content for players to discover. It seems that Will and the team of Pearl Abyss agree with this sentiment.

Size Isn't Everything

But sometimes it definitely helps

Anyone who has played Mafia III will know that size isn't everything. It had a large detailed world map with very little to do on it. Will promises that Crimson Desert is all about player choice and a world that feels filled with things to do. Players will get to choose the type of character they become and how they progress through the world is in their control.

Each player's gaming experience will feel unique to the character they've crafted thanks to the scope and scale of the game. Player choice and freedom seem to be the focus in Crimson Desert, which should make quest lines and choices feel more flexible and dynamic. Whether you're fighting dragons, crafting new weapons and gear or just practicing your combat moves on enemies, Crimson Desert is all about choice.

With the launch scheduled for March 19, 2026, there's just a little more time for the developers of Crimson Desert to keep fine-tuning their systems and mechanics. Hopefully, the end product will be a sprawling adventure filled with a variety of gameplay and choice. I just want to build a house, explore the sky islands for loot and suplex a giant armor-wearing bear…is that too much to ask?