Black Desert held the 2026 Heidel Ball starting at 10:00 AM on Sunday, July 26. Held in California to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the North American/EU servers, the event was attended by approximately 15k adventurers via YouTube and Chzzk. The event unveiled a variety of updates, including the new 'Agent' class, a major level system overhaul, and Edania Part 2.

The new 'Agent' class uses guns and grenades. It features Succession and Awakening rather than an open-class system. As the younger brother of the Corsair, he shares the 'Revolver' as his main weapon. Because the Agent uses a larger-caliber revolver than the Corsair, he focuses on powerful individual shots rather than rapid fire. His playstyle leans toward an assassin who aims for surprise attacks with high-damage hits.

The Agent's first signature feature is 'Blink.' He can move directly to a desired location within a certain range and jump over obstacles. This skill enables various strategic plays using terrain. However, it has a slight post-cast delay, so it must be used carefully.

The Agent's revolver can fire 'Piercing Rounds' and 'Explosive Rounds.' Skills include 'Mobile Fire' for rapid approach and continuous attacks, and 'Mozambique Drill' for finishing shots.

Another combat element is the 'Magic Bullet.' It momentarily maximizes physical abilities to push beyond limits and performs additional shots alongside the Agent's attacks. Sometimes, the Magic Bullet directly pressures enemies or fuses with specific skills to enhance attacks.

The final feature is the 'Grenade.' Using grenades allows the Agent to create distance from rushing enemies, block entry, and create openings after dodging attacks in critical moments.

The Agent will be available for testing on the Black Desert Lab immediately after the ball, with the official release on Wednesday, July 29 (KST) and August 6 (Thu) for consoles.

Additionally, the Agent's Succession will be released first, with Awakening scheduled for winter. This policy will apply to future class updates, with Succession released in summer and Awakening in winter.

■ Instant Character Switching

- Characters in your Family now appear in the fields. You can switch characters upon interaction

- Quick switching available from the character selection screen without needing to travel

■ Family Dispatch System

- Assign sub characters to gathering, processing, and fishing

- Dispatch-specific reward system applied, allowing for side income

- Not all characters can be dispatched; basic slots provided upon meeting conditions, with a limit on slots

- Targeting November update

■ Marni's Combat Analyzer

- A feature that records combat data from the moment the start button is pressed

- Check damage dealt, damage taken, total damage, DPS, etc

- Scheduled for August 5 (Wed) update

■ Integrated PVP Rankings

- Check detailed 'average' data such as kills and damage per class in Node War, Conquest War, Guild League, Red Battlefield, and Arena of Solare

- Refreshed daily at 00:00; overall statistics available weekly

- Scheduled for October 14 (Wed) update

■ Content Scheduler

- Register necessary content to manage your own schedule

- Scheduled for September 9 (Wed) update

■ Treasure Log

- Check acquisition methods and progress for each treasure; records the first completion date

- Provided primarily for treasures with masterpiece requests

Part 2 contains the story of meeting the gods of Edania, facing conflicts, and encountering the end of fate that shakes the world. In 'Aprodon,' where a giant golden world tree stands on parched land, you can meet the new boss 'Agris.'

'Emesia,' the realm of the Black Dragon covered in dark red black crystals, is also added. This is where the complete form of Maktanan appears as a new boss. There is also 'Magaia,' a magnificent temple built on the Promised Land, where the god 'Elion,' who appeared in the stories of Valkyries and Seraphim, appears as a boss

There is also 'Aresion,' where hot lava and flames flow. It is a giant training ground for raising strong warriors, where those who seek power gather. The god of war 'Aal' appears as a boss, and adventurers will engage in battles to prove their strength.

Finally, 'Voidecea,' the destination of Edania, is added. It is a region with a giant black hole that swallows everything, where you can meet 'Hadum,' the beginning and end of the story. However, only Hadum's realm will be added first, and the final battle with Hadum will be added in a separate future update.

Edania Part 2 features various combat gimmicks. Black Spirit's Rage transforms from a simple firepower booster into a strategic resource used to break a boss' stance when they are in a specific posture.

Each region has unique characteristics. Combat in Emesia centers around slaves mining black crystals and the watchtowers guarding them. Magaia is divided into solo and party hunting grounds, featuring a giant furnace in the center and followers of Elion. In party hunting grounds, you must cooperate with party members to balance the scales.

'Sulfur Golem,' a hunting ground one step stronger than Caphras with difficulty similar to Part 2's Agris, is also added. Located above the Valencia Roud Sulfur Mine, it is where you can obtain Al Yurad's Ring fragments. It is provided as a solo hunting ground, not a party one, for easy access.

Sulfur Golem will be added on July 29 (Wed), and all hunting grounds and items except for the Hadum boss battle will be added on August 12 (Wed). The Hadum boss battle and main requests will be updated on September 16 (Wed).

'Creta,' a higher-tier accessory than Karazad, is added. It can be easily obtained by exchanging Dan/Hwan Karazad accessories. Base stats are the same as Karazad, with the feature of increasing both Attack and Defense simultaneously. For necklaces, it increases Attack by 45 and Defense by 3; for Hwan, it increases Attack by 50 and Defense by 6. Creta cannot be traded on the Central Market.

To enhance Creta, a dedicated enhancement item called 'Fragment of Causality' is required. It can be crafted using materials dropped in Edania Part 2 hunting grounds; note that different enhancement items are required for each part.

'Aperon,' which has the same stats as Creta but a different growth method, is also added. However, Aperon is enhanced directly rather than upgraded from Karazad. Crafting materials can be found in Edania Part 2 hunting grounds, and it can be traded on the Central Market.

Enhancement difficulty has a lower base probability than Creta and consumes more Cron Stones; non-enhanced Aperon accessories are consumed as enhancement materials.

Wandering Origin Crystals and Strong Refinement Stones are added. These are useful elements for preparing for the powerful hunting grounds of Edania Part 2.

'Magahan's Artifact,' the highest-tier element for Life content, is added. It integrates the stats of existing Life artifacts and provides enhanced effects. It can be crafted with 'Magahan's Fragment,' a material obtained within Edania Part 2.

High-tier Life perfumes are also added. These include 'Perfume of Verdure' and 'Elixir of Azure,' which can be made with Perfume of Swiftness and the new Edania Part 2 material 'Olivine Powder.' Additionally, 3 new dyes—turquoise, yellow, and white—have been added.

There is also a special costume, 'Armor of God-Slaying,' obtainable only in Edania Part 2. It consists of four parts: Courage, Temperance, Justice, and Wisdom, and can be crafted using 'Inix's Spark' obtained by defeating bosses in Edania Part 2.

There are also changes to Edana's Throne. Previously, there were no separate restrictions on equipment or stats, but from now on, only 'Dawn Crystal - All Attack' can be used. Other settings cannot participate in Edana's Throne.

New sea monster 'Linbark' is added. It appears with small entities called 'Limburg' and has different gimmicks than existing entity battles. If you find and destroy the true source of power among the black reefs floating on the surface, the scattered Limburgs will gather around Linbark, making them easier to defeat at once.

Linbark is a difficulty level for adventurers who have enhanced all blue-grade ship equipment. Rewards include Great Whale Oil, Coral Crystal, and Margoria Ore, and dedicated materials like Linbark's Bone/Scale/Essence are also dropped.

Based on these materials, top-tier ship equipment 'Palasi' and 'Cheongun' can be crafted. Cheongun can be crafted on the new island 'Cheongsa Island' to be added near the Land of the Morning Light, using blue equipment enhanced to level 10 and new Linbark materials. These ship equipment pieces significantly increase PVP capabilities compared to existing ones. Although they are top-tier, the same enhancement rules as common gear apply.

Improvements to inconveniences in ocean usage are also applied. You can now barter while on a ship, and auto-navigation for sailing has been greatly improved to reduce getting stuck on terrain. Auto-navigation will continue to be improved in the future.

The ocean update will be split into two parts. Cheongsa Island, new sea hunting grounds, and yellow ships will be added on August 26 (Wed), and ocean convenience improvements will be applied on September 23 (Wed).

- A new transportation option alongside horses

- Movement skills like Instant Accel, Drift, and Gliding are also being developed with dedicated motions

- Currently in the testing phase; update schedule is undecided

■ Life Equipment Integration

- Manage all related equipment such as tools, artifacts, and accessories at a glance in the Life equipment window

- Register equipment by content in advance for easy switching

- Also applied to sub characters dispatched via the Family Dispatch system

- Scheduled for September 2 (Wed) update

■ Lightstone/Alchemy Stone/Crystal Improvements

- Life artifacts and Lightstone combinations improved to use only 'Grass Lightstone' dedicated to Life

- Life/Combat Alchemy Stones changed to a passive form where effects are applied just by equipping, not ON/OFF

- Life EXP effects removed from crystal slots and Dawn Crystals

- Scheduled for September 2 (Wed) update

■ Functional Costume Improvements

- Extract only the functions of functional costumes as 'crystals' to wear

- However, some costumes with unique roles and personalities like diving suits are excluded

- Crystal conversion tools can be purchased with silver at NPC shops

- Scheduled for September 2 (Wed) update

■ Guild Prestige

- Prestige points can be earned through content such as Guild Missions, Boss Raids, and Node Wars

- A certain amount of Prestige is deducted weekly based on guild size (Small 2500 / Medium 5k / Large 7500 / Extra Large 10k)

- Buffs and new guild raids provided whenever Guild Prestige reaches a certain amount

- Additional bonus paid in proportion to Prestige when receiving guild salary (bonus is not deducted from guild funds)

- Guild Prestige is also consumed when declaring a guild war (400k)

ㄴ 6-hour waiting period from the time of declaration, 48-hour waiting period from the time of termination

- Guilds with negative Prestige can be declared war upon by other guilds without consuming Prestige

- Cannot participate in Conquest War, War of the Roses, or Battlefield Mercenaries

- Scheduled for August 5 (Wed) update

- DirectX 12 / AMD FSR 3.1 / NVIDIA DLSS applied (applied to both PC and console)

- Scheduled for update in August

- PC will sequentially support up to AMD FSR 4.1 in the future (scheduled for September)

- Changed from a structure of endlessly earning EXP to a level cap of 75

- EXP structure to be completely overhauled and hunting ground EXP to be displayed

- Applied at a level where level 75 can be reached within two months with 1 to 2 hours of hunting per day

- EXP can be earned just by participating in content such as Black Shrine, Guild Bosses, and Node Wars

- At level 66, you can level up more than once a month just by playing content without hunting

- The system that allowed checking monster strength through color for levels 50 and below expanded to all levels

- From levels 70 to 75, each level provides an additional 3 Monster Attack and 3 Monster Damage Reduction (also applied to Family characters)

- August 12 (Wed) level cap 70 applied; if already level 70 or higher, status is preserved

- Special Title provided to users who reached levels 70-72 before August 12 (Wed)

- October 7 (Wed) level cap raised to 75, EXP structure overhauled and hunting ground EXP adjusted

- Breath, Strength, and Health overhauls scheduled for the future

- Upper limits will increase and EXP amounts will be overhauled, same as level EXP

- Support for 1 PEN Blackstar Weapon upon admission to Olvia Academy, 4 additional Black Hammers provided during the academy course

- 50 Embers of Origin provided upon 1st elimination of Land of the Morning Light World Boss

- 50 Embers of Origin can be obtained with Olvia Academy Coins

- Twilight Gems can be obtained through the Olvia Academy combat course

- Support for a full set of PEN Karazad accessories upon providing the required amount of Essence of Dawn and Sharp Black Crystal Shards

- 4 types of non-enhanced Eternal Armor provided upon defeating 8th ~ 9th Calamity bosses in Black Shrine

- Conditions for obtaining Inverted Garmoth's Heart eased by half

- 1 additional Inverted Garmoth's Heart can be obtained at Olvia Academy

- Eternal Armor enhancement Ancient Anvil values eased by about 40-50% or more

- Amount of Longing Eternal Crystals obtained increased by about 2x

- Dedicated Adventure Log added to guide growth after PEN Karazad, providing hammers dedicated to PEN/PEN Karazad + Karazad guaranteed enhancement stones

- Scheduled for July 29 (Wed) update

■ Adventure Log Integration

- Improved to check stories that were in different bookshelves in one place

- Scheduled for October update

■ Guild Strategy Route Setting

- Draw routes directly on the World Map and share them with guild members to be visible on the mini-map and World Map

■ Fairy Improvements

- Freely select appearance regardless of Fairy skills

- 'Dark Bonghwang' boss appears with a probability instead of existing Land of the Morning Light bosses

- Costumes equipped in Pearl slots can be obtained with a probability upon boss elimination (can be exchanged for Cron Stones)

- Lour-Lour becomes a World Boss, and hunting matchlock durability reduction probability improved

- Field boss rewards increased (excluding Shadow of Nightmares field boss)

- Altar of Blood promotion requests simplified, higher stages added after PEN to Hwan

- Abyssal Illusion difficulty removed from Altar of Blood and higher difficulties added

- Black Shrine 1-7 Calamity Orbs of Light removed and changed to combat with own equipment

- Black Shrine Hwanghae-do normal difficulty to be current challenge difficulty, challenge difficulty to be improved according to new equipment

- Red Battlefield, Guild League matching wait information displayed

- Arena of Solare matching accuracy increased

- Sniper/Kalk hunting grounds added to Edania Part 2 region

- Low-preference worker skills simplified and improved

- Higher-tier items for Breath, Strength, and Health EXP added

- Imperial Delivery Seal exchange items improved

- New treasure-grade item added that prevents pet hunger reduction

- Elixir and perfume buff effect duration unified to 20 minutes

- Elvia Realm fields removed, existing hunting grounds and requests to be provided with separate devices

- Special login rewards for 8 weeks

- 'Hammer of Causality' provided for use on new accessories

- Reward coupon separate from special login rewards: BEYONDTHEJOURNEY (usable until November 26, 23:59)

ㄴ Additionally, 10 costume chests not written on the coupon provided separately

■ Master Class

- Arsha's Spear 1 vs 1 tournament, mirror matches for each class, participating with identical equipment

- Announcement scheduled for September

- 'Master Class: World Finals' where top adventurers for each class from all regions worldwide compete also scheduled

- 2026 Master Class winner vs 2025 Master Class winner clash for a spot in the finals

- Scheduled to be held in the first half of 2027 by inviting 320 people to Pearl Abyss headquarters (support for airfare, accommodation, meals, and all tournament preparations)

- World Finals cycle is once every four years (PC adventurers only)

■ New Lifeguard costume

■ Woosa Nendoroid launch

- Pre-order from 13:00 on Sunday, July 26

- Details can be checked on the official Good Smile site