Crimson Desert’s first paid expansion, Charting the Unknown, unlocks on October 29 at a listed price of $24.99, and a notice from Pearl Abyss reported by a guide site says you cannot start its ocean story until you have reached Chapter 3 of the main game. None of the pages we read gives a Canadian price.

The expansion is officially titled Crimson Desert Enhanced: Charting the Unknown. It was first scheduled for October 15, then pushed back two weeks by developer Pearl Abyss, according to Gematsu. KeenGamer lists it for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam and the Epic Games Store.

When does Charting the Unknown come out?

It unlocks at the same moment everywhere: 10:00 PM UTC on October 29, according to KeenGamer. For Canadian players that works out to 3:00 PM PT and 6:00 PM ET, the latter being Toronto and Eastern time.

Pearl Abyss said the delay gave the team “additional development time to deliver a more polished and stable gameplay experience,” as quoted by Gematsu. Pre-orders are live on every platform, per KeenGamer.

How much does it cost in Canada?

The price listed by Video Games Chronicle and KeenGamer is $24.99, with Video Games Chronicle also giving £19.99 for the UK. Neither names a currency beyond the dollar sign, and neither gives a Canadian price.

Until your own storefront shows it, treat Canadian pricing as not announced. Check the PlayStation Store, Xbox, Steam or Epic listing for your region before you buy.

Pre-orders include cosmetic bonuses: the Charter’s Diving Set for Kliff and Oongka, and the Charter’s Light Diving Set for Damiane, per KeenGamer.

What is the catch for starting it?

You need to be well into the base game. The guide site Gamertag Mythras, summarizing a Pearl Abyss notice dated October 20, says the ocean storyline requires finishing Chapter 3, “Howling Hill,” of the main story. These are the gates it lists:

  • Ship building: unlocks after your Greymane Camp is set up at Howling Hill.
  • Upgraded housing: needs that camp plus Luke’s Request, a Greymanes faction quest that must be played as Kliff.
  • Renting businesses: needs the faction quest that liberates the business’s region, plus the camp.
  • Character storylines: the Kliff, Oongka and Damiane stories start from the Journal menu after you finish the main story.
  • Diving: no gate. The notice says “No special conditions are required to dive underwater.”

The notice does not say exactly where the main story ends. The guide suggests finishing all eight Epilogue quests to be safe. Read the official Pearl Abyss notice for the final word, since we are relying on a summary of it.

One more limit: KeenGamer reports that the Mac version is not available at launch.

What does the expansion add?

Video Games Chronicle and KeenGamer, both relaying Pearl Abyss, describe a long list of additions:

  • New story chapters following Kliff, Damiane and Oongka.
  • The Great Ocean of Pywel, a region you can explore above and below water, with its own storyline.
  • Ship building and customization, used to sail to islands, fight enemy forces and set up strongholds with the Greymanes.
  • Underwater exploration for sunken ruins, treasure and resources.
  • New enemies and battles on land and at sea.
  • Expanded housing, including walls, windows and castles that can be claimed after liberation, plus facilities you can rent and manage, including choosing what goods they sell.
  • Romance and marriage with certain characters.
  • Boss Gauntlet, a series of powerful boss fights in a row.

Who it suits

Players who are already past Chapter 3. You can get into the ship and ocean content quickly once your Howling Hill camp is up, so this is the group that benefits on day one.

Players who have finished the game. The three character storylines and the castles are tied to main story progress, so completionists will reach the most content.

Players still early in the game. Buying on day one means waiting. The ocean, ship and housing features sit behind story progress, so you may want to play on first.

Who should wait. Mac players, since there is no Mac version at launch, and anyone who wants a confirmed Canadian price before paying.

What is still unknown?

No source we read gives a Canadian price, a play time estimate or a file size. KeenGamer lists the base game as required, which is why the Enhanced edition name matters when you check store pages.

Before the unlock, check your platform’s store page for the price in Canadian dollars, and read the Pearl Abyss notice on progression requirements so you know how far you need to play first.