On the 25th (local time), Pearl Abyss hosted the '2026 Black Desert Heidel Ball in SoCal' in Irvine, California, where it announced its second-half update roadmap, including the new region 'Edania Part 2' and the growth support program 'Hyper Boost.'

The event was held to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Black Desert's service in North America and Europe. Approximately 200 players from the region attended in person, and the event was broadcast in nine languages via official Black Desert channels on YouTube and Chzzk. The presentations were led by Jang Je-seok, Head of Black Desert Live Service, and Yang Wan-su, Black Desert Development PD.

32nd New Class, 'Agent' Revealed

The event featured the first reveal of Black Desert's 32nd class, 'Agent.' A male, gun-wielding class, Agent introduces Dead-Eye’s sibling, Eddie, as a playable character.

Unlike Dead-Eye, Agent utilizes modern marksmanship, wielding large-caliber revolvers and grenades. The class also features skills such as freezing time to unleash a barrage of gunfire on nearby enemies. True to the 'special agent' concept, the class includes mobility skills like 'Blink' to close distances instantly and techniques inspired by modern combat, such as the 'Mozambique Drill.'

'Agent' will be released in two phases: Succession and Awakening. Succession will officially launch on July 29, one week after the Heidel Ball, with the console version following on August 6. The Awakening for 'Agent' is scheduled for this winter season.

Along with the reveal of a new class, the future direction for class updates was also discussed. Black Desert plans to introduce one new class per year, with Succession arriving in the summer and Awakening in the winter. Producer Yang Wan-su noted, "It may feel like a slow pace, but we intend to use the additional development time gained to improve the performance and balance of existing classes, not just the new ones."

Instant Character Switching and New Quality-of-Life Features Announced

The instant character transition system, teased at last year's ball, was also introduced. This feature allows players to switch between characters within their Family without loading screens. Characters owned by the player will appear in the field, and sub-characters stationed at locations like World Boss spawns can be encountered directly. Interacting with these characters allows for an instant switch without loading.

Players can also switch quickly via the character selection screen. While a transition animation plays, it is skipped once the actual loading is complete. Loading speeds have been improved, and enhanced visuals are designed to provide a more immersive Black Desert experience.

Next, PD Yang Wan-su unveiled the new 'Family Dispatch' system. After the update, players can dispatch their sub-characters to engage in gathering, processing, and fishing content.

Family Dispatch will utilize a separate reward system. It is not a way to use all characters without restriction; instead, basic slots are provided upon meeting certain conditions, which can then be expanded up to a set limit. The system is slated for a November update.

Additionally, all Life Skill equipment will be integrated into 'Family Gear.' All gear can be stored in a single tool, and players can switch entire sets with a single selection. This system is designed to link naturally with Family Dispatch, where the effects of the set gear will also apply to the dispatched character.

Producer Yang Wan-su stated, "We previously mentioned that integrating Life Skill equipment would be difficult, but we heard how disappointed many adventurers were. We spent a lot of time looking for a solution, and we are finally able to present it to you." He added, "However, there were some areas that needed tidying up. Equipping Life Skill and combat gear simultaneously could lead to unintended stat overlaps or issues with how they are utilized. We have also prepared an overhaul to clearly distinguish the roles of Life Skills and combat."

Moving forward, Life Skill artifacts and Lightstones will be changed to be exclusive to Life Skill content, and Life Skill Alchemy Stones will be converted into a passive form rather than requiring manual activation. Along with this, combat Alchemy Stones and Vell's Heart will also be changed to passive effects. Further details will be provided alongside the update.

Functional costumes are also being improved. Unlike the past, where players had to wear unattractive costumes for their stats, players can now extract the effects of functional costumes as crystals and transfer them to any costume they prefer. The tools required for this transfer can be purchased from NPC shops with silver. However, costumes with unique roles, such as ghillie suits or diving suits, are excluded from this update. Life equipment improvements are scheduled for September 2.

'Marni's Combat Analyzer' will be introduced alongside Edania Part 2, allowing players to check combat information intuitively.

Players can press 'Start' and 'Stop' buttons in the analyzer window to record combat data, including total damage and DPS (Damage Per Second) for a given segment. Hotkeys for these buttons will also be supported, allowing players to objectively track their growth based on gear and settings. Marni's Combat Analyzer is scheduled for an August 5 update.

Graphic updates were also announced. FSR 3.1 will be supported on consoles, while PC will receive FSR 3.1 and DLSS support in August. FSR 4.1 is scheduled for September.

"The Finale of Black Desert Part 1": Edania Expands with Part 2

Edania Part 2 expands the existing 'Edania' region. A massive story befitting the conclusion of Part 1 will unfold, bringing players face-to-face with the end of the fate covering the world. Characters mentioned since the early days of Black Desert, such as Elion, Agris, and Aal, will appear, promising an experience that ties the Black Desert worldview and story together.

Bosses in Edania Part 2 will feature patterns utilizing the Black Spirit's Rage. Skills previously used solely for damage increases will now be used to create openings in bosses. Each boss will also have unique attack patterns and clear strategies.

Two new accessories, 'Ekreta' and 'Aperon,' will be added. Ekreta is an accessory that can be grown from existing Karzard gear, while Aperon can be raised from scratch without needing Karzard accessories. Aperon is also designed to be tradable to reduce the burden of enhancement. Materials for crafting Aperon accessories will drop in Edania Part 2 hunting grounds.

The Edania Part 2 update schedule begins with the new Sulfur Golem hunting ground on July 29. On August 12, all regions and items of Edania Part 2, excluding Hadum bosses, will be added. On September 16, the Hadum bosses and the Edania Part 2 main questline will be released, with the integrated PVP ranking update targeted for October 14.

Ocean Update: New Yellow-Grade Ship Equipment 'Panokseon' Added

The ocean system is also receiving an update. A new monster with giant horns, 'Linbark,' will be added, offering a different style of naval combat. The key to this battle is defeating the 'Linburks' that Linbark commands. There are also mechanics such as destroying the 'Black Reef,' the source of their power, to defeat the Linburks. Linbark is content intended for captains who have fully enhanced their blue-grade ship equipment.

Defeating Linbark yields bones, scales, and essence, which are used to craft top-tier yellow-grade ship equipment. Among the new ships, the 'Panokseon Cheongun' can be crafted on Cheongsa Island, a new area being added to the Land of the Morning Light.

PD Yang Wan-su stated, "Yellow-grade ship equipment offers significantly higher PVP performance compared to blue-grade gear. It was planned to provide new growth goals as the number of players increases." Yellow-grade equipment will follow the same enhancement rules as common gear. Since Cron Stones can be used, the overall enhancement difficulty has been adjusted accordingly.

The ocean update begins on August 26 with the addition of Cheongsa Island, new hunting grounds, and yellow-grade equipment. On September 23, improvements to bartering on ships and sea navigation will be applied.

New Mount, 'Pelica' Preview

The new mount 'Pelica,' currently in development, was also introduced. It is a new mount that can be used for daily travel alongside horses, intended to broaden the range of primary transportation options for players.

The development team is currently creating new, dedicated motions for Pelica's movement skills, such as Instant Accel, Sprint, and Drift. Gliding is also being implemented to match Pelica's movement. No specific update schedule was mentioned.

"Black Desert Max Level is 75": Level System Completely Overhauled

Meanwhile, Black Desert is completely overhauling its level system. Currently, players can continue to level up past 62, but the EXP requirements become extremely high. Now, level 75 is set as the new growth goal, and players will no longer earn EXP upon reaching it.

With this update, Black Desert is redesigning its EXP structure. After the overhaul, the structure will allow players to reach level 75 in two months by playing just two hours of combat per day. Furthermore, players can earn EXP simply by participating in various content such as the Black Shrine, Red Battlefield, Node Wars, and Conquest Wars. At level 66, players can reach the level cap relatively quickly just by participating in this content without grinding.

Additionally, a combat compensation system based on monster level differences will be applied to all level ranges. Rather than creating restrictions, higher-level monsters will provide greater benefits.

After the update, players from level 70 onwards will gain additional PvE-specialized bonus stats. The efficiency of Black Spirit's Training will also be improved. The additional monster attack and monster damage reduction gained from level 70 will also apply to transitioned characters, providing new growth satisfaction.

The level system overhaul will be conducted in two phases: the maximum level will be set to 70 on August 12, and then adjusted to 75 on October 7.

Support for New/Returning Players: Black Desert's First 'Hyper Boost'

Black Desert's first 'Hyper Boost' is a growth support program designed for new and returning players, as well as those who need further growth. It helps players set content goals based on their preferred playstyle and makes it easier to find how to progress.

Moving forward, enrolling in the Olvia Academy will provide an additional PEN (V) Blackstar weapon, allowing players to eventually hold five PEN (V) Blackstar weapons. Materials needed to craft Sovereign weapons will also be provided. Furthermore, players will be able to obtain PEN (V) Karzard accessories and Eternal armor for all slots, supporting a quick and efficient path to 730 Gear Score (Attack + Defense), which is necessary to enjoy core Black Desert content. Various items previously used for growth will also be streamlined.

Additionally, a 'Content Schedule' feature will be added, allowing adventurers to register the content they need and manage their own play schedules. This feature is designed to help players set a clear direction in the vast world of Black Desert, enabling new and returning adventurers to enjoy various content alongside existing players and grow naturally.

The 'Hyper Boost' update is scheduled for July 29 alongside the Agent class, and the 'Content Schedule' feature is expected on September 9.

What’s a Ball without Coupon Rewards?

Finally, Pearl Abyss is providing various in-game rewards to global players through this Heidel Ball. Over 8 weeks of special login rewards, players will receive 8 hammers, including the new 'Hammer of Causality,' and 25k Cron Stones. The 'Hammer of Causality' can be used on the new 'Ekreta' and 'Aperon' accessories.

Coupon rewards have been prepared for players who joined the ball. By entering the coupon code BEYONDTHEJOURNEY, players can receive 50k Cron Stones, 5 hammers, a weapon exchange coupon, and Advice of Valks (+450). A separate coupon containing 10 costume chests will also be provided.