Black Desert Online was released onto console platforms last year to welcomed reception with audiences worldwide. The game amassed a following of 30 million players, raking in 1.5 billion in revenue since it debut in 2014. With a large portion of its popularity coming from its mobile platform, gaining 20 million installs and 330 million from the Asia market in particular. Pearl Abyss announced on YouTube that they will be implementing cross-play between PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on March 4th for their MMO Black Desert Online.
The current plan for cross-play excludes having mobile or PC players from sharing the same universe with console players. Pearl Abyss has teased plans to integrate all of their players into the same world at some point in the future. Though, Pearl Abyss is working on a squeal called, Crimson Desert, and it is unclear as to when to expect full cross-play. It could be a few years until western audiences will be able to Crimson Desert as Pearl Abyss has released games in Asia for a few years before opening the game to North America and Europe. It is unlikely Pearl Abyss will change for Crimson Desert.
Until the release of Crimson Desert, Pearl Abyss did release a new take on the battle royale genre. Shadow Arena takes the concept of a normal battle royale but focusing on mystical warriors and fantasy combat instead of the expected gun-play. Shadow Arena was formally an optional mode in Black Desert Online but has spawned into a full game due to its increasing popularity although it still occupies the same universe as Black Desert Online.
Black Desert Online is out now for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, and iOS. Currently, there is no update if Black Desert Online will receive a new release for the upcoming Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch.