How to Change Difficulty Settings in Crimson Desert: Easy, Normal, and Hard Modes Explained

A warrior with black hair and facial paint fiercely clashes swords with a large, armored black bird. The scene is dynamic, intense, and action-packed.
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By Alexandria LopezStaff Writer

A warrior with black hair and facial paint fiercely clashes swords with a large, armored black bird. The scene is dynamic, intense, and action-packed.
  • Primary Subject: Crimson Desert
  • Key Update: Pearl Abyss has introduced three distinct difficulty settings—Easy, Normal, and Hard—allowing players to customize enemy health, damage, and parry windows.
  • Status: Confirmed
  • Last Verified: April 23, 2026
  • Quick Answer: To change the difficulty in Crimson Desert, navigate to Settings > Gameplay and select Game Difficulty. Choose between Easy, Normal, or Hard, then select Apply to save.

Crimson Desert's latest update has introduced new difficulty settings.

When Crimson Desert first launched, players couldn't pick how easy or hard they wanted the game to be. It only came with one default setting. While this was okay for seasoned open-world RPG gamers, newbies struggled with the difficult bosses and challenging gameplay elements.

Now, Pearl Abyss has taken feedback on board and provided a solution. In their Patch 1.04.00 update, they've added the option to change the difficulty settings. Here's how to do it.

How to Change Difficulty Settings in Crimson Desert

The first thing you'll need to do is click Settings, then select Gameplay.

Video game settings menu overlaid on an outdoor scene with trees and blue sky. Options like game difficulty and display settings are visible.
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Credit: Pearl Abyss

At the very top, you'll see the option to change Game Difficulty. There are currently three difficulty settings you can choose from in Crimson Desert:

  • Easy
  • Normal
  • Hard

Once you've selected the difficulty level you want, click Apply.

What's the Difference Between Difficulty Levels?

You might be wondering how your gameplay experience changes depending on the difficulty level you have selected.

A warrior with a shield faces a giant, fiery, mechanical dragon in a crumbling, flame-filled castle. The scene is intense and dramatic, showcasing a battle.
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Credit: Pearl Abyss

For Easy mode, the player gets reduced damage and an extended timing window for parrying and dodging. Enemies get reduced maximum health, aggressiveness, and overall speed. Bosses are also less likely to counterattack or escape when hit.

The Normal difficulty is the standard level that's been active in Crimson Desert from day one, so if you've been playing since launch, expect more of the same.

READ MORE: Crimson Desert Main Story Length: How Many Chapters Are There?

Players wanting more of a challenge can select Hard mode. For this level, the damage taken by the player is increased, and the timing for parrying and dodging is decreased. The invincibility duration during roll has also been reduced.

Enemies have increased health, aggressiveness, and overall speed. Bosses are also far more likely to counterattack or escape when hit. Additional combat patterns were also included for certain bosses.

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