Pearl Abyss released a behind-the-scenes video detailing the audio production process for Crimson Desert on the official Pearl Abyss Music YouTube channel on September 9.
The video features Pearl Abyss Executive Audio Director Huiman Ryu, Music Director Inro Joo, and sound designers Myung-hoon Kim and Won-beom Lee, who introduce the process of balancing realistic audio representation with the game's distinct auditory appeal.
The development team directly recorded ambient sounds such as footsteps on snow and birds chirping, alongside natural reverberations from real-world spaces including parking lots, hallways, and buildings. The tagelharpa, a traditional Nordic instrument, was crafted as a virtual instrument and resampled for use in the game.
For the boss monster "Golden Star," detailed Foley work was carried out to account for the movement of every individual joint. The background music was structured to transition seamlessly with the flow of combat, while field music was produced to reflect the specific atmosphere and context of each area in the open world.
Crimson Desert has been nominated in the Game Music Award category at the 2026 World Soundtrack Awards (WSA). The awards ceremony established its Game Music category in 2023.
