I recently attended the tenth-anniversary celebration for Black Desert Online, held in the stunning medieval French village of Beynac-et-Cazenac—the real-world inspiration for the game’s city of Heidel. It was a surreal experience, where the line between fiction and reality blurred as hundreds of players, streamers, and cosplayers gathered to celebrate a game that has become a huge part of their lives.
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For ten years, Pearl Abyss’s MMO has captivated players with its spectacular real-time combat, incredibly deep life-skilling systems, and a world that is as beautiful as it is vast. But as I spoke with the community, I realized the game’s true longevity comes from the stories that players create within it. These are tales of epic wars, dedicated craftsmanship, and lasting friendships.
In this retrospective, I’ll share some of those stories and explore how Black Desert Online has not only survived but thrived for a decade in the competitive MMO landscape, fostering a community as passionate as any I’ve ever seen.
🤝 A World of Different Playstyles
What struck me most at the event was the sheer diversity of the player base. I met a streamer named BairogHaan, whose entire goal in the game is to master all ten of its ‘life skills.’ These are non-combat pursuits like fishing, hunting, and alchemy, each with a leveling system so deep it could be a game in itself. He has spent years reaching the max level in five of them, becoming a respected expert who teaches newcomers.
On the other end of the spectrum, I spoke with Trisiplays, a ‘red player’ who has deliberately maintained a negative karma rating since 2017. In BDO, this means he can be attacked by any other player and is hunted by city guards. He lives a life in exile, walking on rooftops to avoid the streets. Yet, he plays with his own code of honor, often only attacking those who attack him first, finding the social dynamics of his outcast status fascinating.
Then there are the cosplayers, like DrawMeACosplay, who spent 18 months crafting a stunningly detailed Ranger costume. She was drawn into the game by her partner, whom she met through a mutual friend. Their story is a testament to the real-world connections that are forged in virtual worlds, a theme as old as online gaming itself, and one that reminds me of the camaraderie seen in classics like Larian’s RPGs.
⚔️ The Politics of PvP
Player-versus-player combat has always been at the heart of Black Desert’s endgame. I talked to members of Barcode, a guild of 150 players who specialize in ‘node wars’ and ‘siege wars’—massive battles where guilds fight for control of entire continents. They shared a story of how, after winning a territory, they changed all the flags and emblems in the region to a picture of their beloved pet dog, Tuff, wearing a crown.
However, the nature of PvP has evolved over the years. Some veteran players I spoke with, like Blue Squadron and Layfonda, miss the ‘old-school PvP days’ which were more of a free-for-all. They feel the game has shifted to accommodate a more casual audience, making open-world PvP harder to find.
It seems Pearl Abyss was listening. During the event’s keynote, they announced new dedicated hardcore PvP servers, where players are free to fight one another without restriction. The excitement from the PvP community was palpable. It’s a clear sign that the developers are committed to serving all parts of their diverse player base, much like how the developers of Crysis aimed to serve both hardcore and new players.
📈 A Future Built on a Decade of Success
The ten-year anniversary wasn’t just about looking back. Pearl Abyss announced a slew of new content, including the 28th playable class, Dosa, and the second part of the ‘Land of the Morning Light’ expansion, which will add a region based on the city of Seoul. They even revealed plans to send players into the world’s past, exploring historical events in Black Desert’s lore.
One of the most compelling stories I heard was from PvEnvironment, the player with the highest combat level in Europe. He detailed the incredible grind it took to reach his level, and the turmoil of being unexpectedly and, he claims, incorrectly banned for macro use last year. The community rallied behind him, and his ban was eventually lifted after 28 days.
His story, and the passionate reactions of the crowd during the prize draw, solidified my understanding of why this game has endured. It’s more than just a game; it’s a hobby, a community, and a virtual world rich with a decade of player-driven history. With fans this dedicated, it’s easy to believe Black Desert will be around for another ten years. Its complex systems remind me of the deep, emergent gameplay found in another classic, Planescape: Torment.
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