Pearl Abyss' MMORPG 'Black Desert' launched its 'Hyper Boost' system on July 29. It is a permanent growth system designed to help new and returning players, as well as any adventurer in need of a boost, gain access to major content.

In long-running MMORPGs, events aimed at narrowing the gap between veteran players and new or returning ones are nothing new. Many games currently run similar events under the banner of 'super-fast growth.'

However, my hands-on experience with Black Desert's Hyper Boost felt a bit different. There is no 'potion' that instantly grants max level, and you won't find a gift chest in your inventory filled with endgame equipment that would normally be out of reach.

Instead, it felt designed to help players adapt to the game's content and growth structure by completing tasks one by one. While there is a clear goal of 'making your character stronger,' the focus is more on the process of gradually understanding the game.

Hyper Boost? Season? It might look complicated at first, but...

Black Desert's Hyper Boost event is broadly divided into four stages. By following the steps outlined on the official website, the ultimate goal is to reach a 'combined AP/DP of 750.'

In Black Desert, 'Gear Score' (the sum of a character's Attack and Defense) serves as the primary metric for gauging combat power. This value is crucial when choosing appropriate hunting grounds and participating in various other types of content.

At the last Heidel Ball where Hyper Boost was announced, the developers explained that players with a combined AP/DP of around 730 can begin participating in major content like boss raids and weekly activities.

To experience this 'Hyper Boost' from the perspective of a newcomer, I started by creating a 'Season Character.'

It has been quite a while since Black Desert adopted a seasonal system. At some point, the system transitioned to a permanent model to help players adapt. You can choose to create a season character in the character selection window, and you can only have one at a time unless you use special items. Once a season character graduates, you can create the next one.

Season characters have the advantage of faster growth using dedicated servers and exclusive equipment. This season's revamp is the first step of the 'Hyper Boost.'

The core structure—leveling up by completing tasks and graduating from the season to earn rewards—remains the same. However, the tasks required during the growth process have been significantly eased.

The biggest difference is that acquiring equipment has become noticeably simpler. Before last December, you had to use 'Naru' gear early on, enhance it to the max, and exchange it for 'Tuvala Gear.' Then, you had to enhance that Tuvala gear to the highest level before you could even think about graduating. The season tasks were also complex for beginners, involving specific enhancement levels or separate requests.

However, starting with this season under 'Hyper Boost,' these tasks have been greatly simplified. Now, you can easily obtain fully enhanced PEN (V) Tuvala gear just by leveling up. As a bonus, the base stats of Tuvala gear have been slightly increased, making hunting more comfortable than before.

For a beginner in Black Desert, there are two main ways to level a season character to 60: following the main questline step-by-step, or choosing the 'Simplified Main Quest' to focus on hunting for EXP.

For players who have never played Black Desert or aren't interested in the story, the simplified main quest is the key to finishing the season quickly. By using EXP-boosting items—which are given out generously in events or can be bought with silver in the Pearl Shop—you can reach the late 50s in under two hours.

However, if you are new to Black Desert, it is hard to know which hunting grounds to visit at which level. If you check the 'Hunting Grounds' section in the ESC menu, you can see which areas are suitable for your current character and get directions to them.

As a reporter who has bought enough Pearl outfits in the past to have probably paid for a chair in the Pearl Abyss office cafe, I relied on old memories and visited famous hunting grounds to level up. At level 30, the Biraghi Den; at level 50, Catfishmen... these were the textbook spots back in the day.

Once you hit level 56, the quest to unlock your Awakening weapon becomes available. After easily completing the Awakening quest with the help of the Black Spirit, you reach the 58–60 level range, which can be a relatively(?) high barrier to entry.

But even this section is easy to break through with the equipment set provided by Hyper Boost. After hunting for a while at the 'Cemetery of the Betrayer,' where undead constantly appear, you'll find yourself at level 60. Even if you do nothing else but reach level 60, you get the chance to claim all season pass rewards and graduate.

And that is the first stage of Hyper Boost.

Welcome to Olvia Academy

Once you graduate, you can no longer stay on the season server. You've only leveled up and received gear, yet you are suddenly thrust into a much larger world. The world of Black Desert is simply too vast to face immediately.

'I've graduated, now what?' For beginners with this question, 'Olvia Academy' was created. Located in the quiet Olvia village west of Velia, this school offers various educational courses. The next step of Hyper Boost is to complete the combat course here.

The goal of the combat course is to obtain five 'PEN (V) Blackstar Weapons'—a growth support system enhanced by this Hyper Boost. However, be careful: the key is to use these five Blackstar weapons to craft the next tier, 'Godr-Ayed Weapons.' If you use all five for one type or give them to an alt character, your growth path might get tangled.

The official notice recommends getting two PEN (V) Blackstar Main Weapons, two Awakening Weapons, and one Secondary Weapon. This is because you can combine two PEN (V) Blackstar Main Weapons to craft a Godr-Ayed Main Weapon, and do the same for the Awakening Weapon. The Secondary Weapon can be crafted into a Godr-Ayed Secondary Weapon using a separate method explained later.

So, what do you learn in the Olvia Academy combat department? As the name suggests, you learn combat, but the classes are mostly field trips. You might be asked to eliminate 300 pirates in a specific area or face 150 powerful enemies. The tasks themselves aren't complex, so it doesn't take long to complete.

Once you've completed all combat courses and received your rewards, it's time to head to Velia. If you meet the alchemist NPC 'Alustin' in town, you can receive a PEN (V) Karzard Accessory set.

To exchange for an accessory, you need 'Essence of Dawn' and 'Sharp Black Crystal Shards.' Both items can be purchased on the Central Market, so the burden isn't too high. It's a good idea to prepare in advance, as you'll need 60 Essences of Dawn and 300 Sharp Black Crystal Shards to exchange for all six accessories.

Even just reaching this point, I found my character to be dozens of times stronger than when I first got my Kzarka main weapon back in the day. However, Hyper Boost isn't over yet.

The 'Tales of the Land of the Morning Light'

The next destination is the 'Land of the Morning Light.' You must prepare for a journey to this new land that preserves the scenery of the Joseon Dynasty. If you have a character who has already completed the Magnus questline, you can travel there directly via the well; otherwise, you must complete the pre-requisite quests.

With over 10k requests in Black Desert, finding the right one can be a problem. If you press '/' to summon the Black Spirit, you can see prefixes before the request names that categorize the content. Magnus-related requests are marked '[Magnus]' and Land of the Morning Light requests are marked '[Land of the Morning Light]', so it's easier to find than you might think.

The goal of the 'Hyper Boost' in the Land of the Morning Light is to obtain four types of 'Armor of the Primordial' and craft 'Godr-Ayed Weapons' at the Phoenix Statue north of Seoul. Since it costs 5 million silver to travel by well (which is pocket change, really), it's best to be prepared not to return until you've finished all your missions.

If you are new to the Land of the Morning Light, it's easy to understand it as a region where you experience various stories based on Korean fairy tales and traditional folklore. Bosses inspired by Korean legends—such as the Hand-Maiden Ghost, Gumiho, Golden Pig King, and Sangoon—appear. The stories in the continuous questlines following each legend are quite impressive.

To obtain all four types of Armor of the Primordial, you must progress through the main quests of the Land of the Morning Light up to the 'Sangoon' battle. In fact, this process might feel like the biggest wall in Hyper Boost.

The armor provided in Hyper Boost is obtained by defeating powerful bosses in the 'Black Shrine,' which opens after completing the folklore quests. You get one piece of armor each for defeating the Golden Pig King (Level 8 and 9) and the Gumiho (Level 8), and another for defeating the Gumiho (Level 8).

The final piece of armor requires defeating the Sangoon (Level 8). The Sangoon battle is locked until you clear all preceding folklore quests. This means you have to clear the Mudang Wraith, Gumiho, Hand-Maiden Ghost, Doo - Eok - Sin-I, Bamboo Legion, Gwe-Se-Nae, Golden Pig King, Changui, and Greater Changui battles. Considering each legend consists of about 20 quests, that's a lot of work.

As mentioned earlier, Black Desert's Hyper Boost is not an event where you reach max level and get top-tier gear with a single button press. There are clear steps you must take.

However, the Land of the Morning Light stories are not just tasks you have to endure to get gear. You might be surprised by the depth of the stories as you play. Instead of just looking for the fastest time, it's not a bad idea to take it slow and enjoy the pace.

From World Bosses to carefully curated tasks

Once you craft the Godr-Ayed main and awakening weapons at the Phoenix Statue and defeat Sangoon, you will have collected most of the major equipment provided by Hyper Boost. The order doesn't matter much. Now, you just need to craft the Godr-Ayed secondary weapon to complete your main gear set.

To craft a Godr-Ayed secondary weapon, you need one PEN (V) Blackstar secondary weapon, one 'Flame of Primordiality,' and one 'Jewel of Twilight.' The Jewel of Twilight can be obtained as a reward for the Olvia Academy combat lecture as part of Hyper Boost, but the problem is the Flame of Primordiality.

Normally, you would need to collect 100 'Embers of Primordiality' and heat them to craft the flame. Before Hyper Boost, this was quite difficult. However, our amazing Hyper Boost gives you 50 flames upfront by exchanging Olvia Academy Seals.

Where do you get the remaining 50? You have to participate in the Land of the Morning Light World Boss raids.

World Bosses in Black Desert appear at set times. You can check their spawn times in the boss menu at the bottom right, and you just need to defeat the ones that appear in the Land of the Morning Light. Since you get a seal exchangeable for 50 Embers of Primordiality just by defeating them once, you can easily obtain the Godr-Ayed secondary weapon.

'Hyper Boost' is just the beginning; Black Desert has more adventures waiting

If you follow all the steps, your combined AP/DP will reach just under 700. There is still a gap from the final figure promised by Hyper Boost. The remaining process involves using the provided enhancement materials to enhance your PEN (V) Karzard Accessories yourself.

Completing the Hyper Boost-exclusive Adventure Log grants you materials to guarantee the enhancement of the PEN (V) Karzard Accessories received from Alustin. However, there are other Adventure Logs you must complete first to start this one.

Completing the Adventure Logs isn't extremely difficult. In fact, recent updates have significantly lowered the difficulty of some log requests. However, it is true that it can feel a bit burdensome for players who want to reach their target AP/DP quickly.

But you don't need to obsess over the final AP/DP suggested by Hyper Boost right away. In a game as vast as Black Desert, where it's hard to know where to start, the most important thing is that you've equipped yourself with gear strong enough to experience the major content.

Hyper Boost is literally a system that gives wings to the starting point for new and returning players. While there are many hurdles to clear before you can see a character become powerful in the blink of an eye, the process allows you to grasp the fun of 'Black Desert' and get a glimpse of its systems.

The adventures ahead are much more vast, and you can choose the direction you want.

You can continue enhancing your Karzard Accessories to aim for higher-level hunting grounds. If you liked the Land of the Morning Light story, you can continue to the Seoul region quests, which are Part 2. Players who chose the simplified main quest can go back to the beginning to follow the story of Black Desert, or collect silver through hunting and life content to purchase the gear they want.

For players stepping into a complex, long-running MMORPG for the first time, what they need might not just be powerful gear. They also need a guide to tell them what to do now and where to go next.

The Hyper Boost I experienced was exactly that kind of system—a starting line. Once you've finished the four-stage journey, you don't need to follow the 'right' answer anymore. What kind of adventure you continue in the vast world of Black Desert remains entirely your choice.