[DigitalToday reporter Lee Ho-jung (이호정)] Pearl Abyss reported higher third-quarter revenue from a year earlier, but operating profit and net profit fell.

Pearl Abyss said on Wednesday it posted third-quarter consolidated revenue of 101.5 billion won, operating profit of 20.7 billion won and net profit of 10.8 billion won in 2026.

Revenue rose 18 percent from a year earlier, while operating profit fell 8.8 percent and net profit dropped 71 percent. From the previous quarter, revenue fell 47.3 percent, operating profit slid 69.4 percent and net profit dropped 84.8 percent. The company said exchange-rate effects from a stronger won contributed to the decline in net profit.

Pearl Abyss rewrote its 2026 results on a continuing-operations basis following the sale of its entire stake in Penris Creation (formerly CCP Games) in May.

Third-quarter revenue by intellectual property (IP) totalled 61.0 billion won for "Black Desert" and 40.6 billion won for "Crimson Desert". Black Desert rose 10.9 percent from the previous quarter, while Crimson Desert fell 70.2 percent.

"Crimson Desert" sold about 680,000 copies in the third quarter. Its average selling price was about 59,000 won, down from 63,000 won in the previous quarter. A stronger won and discounted sales affected the result.

Overseas sales accounted for 86 percent of third-quarter revenue. By region, North America and Europe made up 68 percent, Asia 18 percent and South Korea 14 percent. By platform, PC accounted for 74 percent, consoles 19 percent and mobile 7 percent.

◆Black Desert rebounds... third-quarter operating expenses 80.8 billion won

"Black Desert" introduced a new region, "Edaania Part 2", a new class, "Agent", and a growth support system, "Hyper Boost". After that, key user metrics improved, including Steam rankings, daily active users (DAU) and the number of streaming viewers.

Third-quarter operating expenses were 80.8 billion won, down 35.4 percent from the previous quarter.

Labour costs fell 50.9 percent from the previous quarter to 36.7 billion won, reflecting factors including the absence of bonus costs booked in the previous quarter. Commissions paid fell 40.2 percent from the previous quarter to 18.3 billion won, affected by lower Crimson Desert sales.

Advertising and promotion costs, however, rose 22 percent to 11.1 billion won, affected by the Black Desert Heidel Ball and the enhanced launch of Crimson Desert.

◆This year revenue seen at 709.8 billion to 743.8 billion won... DokeV targets second half of 2028

Pearl Abyss forecast full-year revenue of 709.8 billion to 743.8 billion won and operating profit of 315.5 billion to 345.2 billion won.

Its fourth-quarter revenue forecast is 87.2 billion to 121.2 billion won, with operating profit of 15.1 billion to 44.8 billion won. The company said the won's recent strength has created about a 10 percent gap in exchange rates from the levels used when it drew up its business plan, and fourth-quarter results could come in slightly below previous guidance.

"Crimson Desert" launched its first downloadable content (DLC), "Unknown Journey", on Oct. 30. The company said it ranked eighth on Steam on the first day of release, and sales of the base game also increased after the DLC launch.

A Nintendo Switch 2 version is in development with a target launch in the first half of 2027. There are no current plans for a mobile version, and it is also reviewing the possibility of expanding multiplayer features over the long term.

New title "DokeV" is in development with a target launch in the second half of 2028. Pearl Abyss is preparing to disclose development progress within this year and to be ready to carry out full-scale marketing, including hands-on demos, starting in the second half of 2027.

After the Crimson Desert DLC launch, some development staff also moved to the DokeV project. Pearl Abyss said it is boosting development efficiency through the use of existing development assets, the BlackSpace engine and AI-based idea verification.