Mixed fortunes for new K-games: ‘Crimson Desert’ nears 5 million sales while ‘Cookie Run’ hits turbulence

The latest high-profile releases from major Korean game companies are seeing diverging results in the global market. Pearl Abyss’s Crimson Desert has sold more than 4 million copies in just 12 days, setting a new milestone for Korean console games. In contrast, Devsisters’ CookieRun: OvenSmash has fallen short of expectations, prompting the company to roll out emergency measures. Because the success of new titles is closely tied to earnings in the game industry, these results are expected to have a significant impact on each company’s mid- to long-term strategy.
■ ‘Crimson Desert’ on the verge of 5 million copies sold
According to industry sources on the 5th, Crimson Desert from Pearl Abyss is delivering the most striking performance among recently launched titles. Crimson Desert sold 2 million copies across global platforms on its release day and reached 3 million copies in just four days, setting a first-ever record for a Korean game. It then surpassed 4 million copies sold within 12 days and is now on the brink of breaking the 5 million mark.
It is particularly encouraging that user response has been strong in Western markets such as North America and Europe. As North America and Europe account for 74% of the global console market, this positive reception goes beyond a simple popularity metric and points to real potential for revenue growth. Crimson Desert is Pearl Abyss’s most anticipated title, developed over roughly eight years. Although it initially faced harsh criticism over controls and optimization, the company quickly incorporated feedback and managed to turn performance around. On the back of Crimson Desert’s rapid success, Pearl Abyss is now close to regaining a market capitalization of 5 trillion won for the first time in about four years and seven months.
Netmarble’s new multiplayer open-world action RPG The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin, which launched globally on March 24, is showing a relatively steady trajectory. After an early release on PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Steam on the 17th of last month, the game topped the popularity charts on the App Store not only in Korea but also in major markets such as Japan, the United States, and Taiwan during the mobile pre-download phase. Following its official launch, it ranked sixth in global Steam revenue and has since remained roughly within the top 20, indicating solid performance. Its multi-platform structure spanning console, PC, and mobile, combined with user inflows from an existing Intellectual Property (IP), is helping the title maintain results without dramatic swings, even if it is not a runaway blockbuster.
■ Downward trend for the ‘Cookie Run’ follow-up
By contrast, Devsisters’ mobile battle action game CookieRun: OvenSmash, which officially launched in the global market on the 26th of last month, is showing lackluster performance. As the first Cookie Run IP title to surpass 3 million global pre-registrations, expectations for a hit were high, but the game has struggled to retain users after launch. It briefly claimed the top spot in the popularity rankings on the App Store in both Korea and the United States, only to see its position quickly slide, signaling a clear downward trend. Despite leveraging the established Cookie Run IP, intensified competition and concerns over overall quality have prevented the game from translating initial buzz into lasting results, according to industry assessments. As a sense of crisis grew, Devsisters CEO Cho Gil-hyeon and CookieRun: OvenSmash co-producer Lee Won-young personally stepped forward to promise improvements. In an emergency live broadcast on the 3rd, they apologized for the broad quality issues, including optimization, balance, and controls, and announced comprehensive efforts to enhance the user experience, such as improving loading times, adjusting balance, and introducing a reporting feature.
yjjoe@fnnews.com Reporter Cho Yun-ju Reporter