Black Desert counts 10M global registered users, plus news on today’s patch, Pearl Abyss benefits, and the Drieghan teaser trailer

Remember last week when Pearl Abyss and Kakao claimed Black Desert’s playerbase had seen a “massive surge” thanks to the game’s visual remaster? “Black Desert Online has seen an average week-over-week increase of 103.6% in returning players and a 24.2% increase in new player acquisition across NA/EU regions,” the studios said, while not discussing the game’s actual playerbase size. The game has a new PR out today announcing 10M registered users worldwide. That’s up from 7.65M a year ago.

“Currently, the game is available in over 150 countries, 12 languages and has more than 2.4 billion hours of gameplay. […] Following the release [of the remaster], the number of returning users increased 104% month-over-month in North America and Europe, 246% in Taiwan, 144% in Turkey. The number of new users increased 24% month-over-month in North America and Europe, 35% in Turkey.”

In other BDO news, MMO Culture has an article up this week covering a revamped employe benefits program rolling out to Pearl Abyss in Korea this month. It seems laudably generous, at least to me here in the US; it includes IVF coverage, eldercare support, a month of vacation, and childcare services.

Today is also patch day for the MMORPG itself: The update adds guild alliances, improves swimming, integrates new story quests for entering Aakman and Hystria, and changes the Node War ruleset. Again.

Finally, the studios have released a new teaser trailer for the free-to-play Drieghan expansion still scheduled for launch later in 2018. “This update will feature a large mountainous area, over 300 challenging quests, fresh nodes to conquer and a new menacing dragon boss called Garmoth,” Kakao says. The game will be playable at EGX later this month.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQuOt5hS6ic&feature=youtu.be