Matt Firor has been a titan in the MMO industry since 2001, with roots stretching back to Dark Age of Camelot. After leading ZeniMax Online Studios—the developers behind The Elder Scrolls Online—until 2025, Firor resigned following the cancellation of the upcoming MMO Blackbird and subsequent mass layoffs. While he still plays ESO in secret, his current obsession is Crimson Desert.

Why Making a Singleplayer Crimson Desert Feels Like "Cheating"

In a wide-ranging interview with MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Firor shared his enthusiasm for the title. Although Crimson Desert is not an MMO, it is clearly designed with that massive scale in mind. This approach allows Pearl Abyss to avoid some of the most grueling technical hurdles in modern development.

"For those game developers listening, or people who want to be game developers, the online tech side of MMOs is never discussed and it should be because it's usually the hardest part of the project," Firor told MinnMax. He joked about the advantages of the current development path: "Being able to make a singleplayer MMO is almost like cheating to me. Why didn't anyone think of this before?"

The Evolution of Pearl Abyss's Next Big Title

The development of Crimson Desert has been far from linear, undergoing several major shifts in scope. What began as an ambitious expansion of the Black Desert Online universe eventually shifted focus entirely.

Key milestones in its development include:

  • Originally conceived as a prequel to Black Desert Online.
  • Initially intended to function as a full-scale MMO.
  • A significant pivot during development toward a pure singleplayer experience.

While this shift contributed to a somewhat "haphazard" feel during production, the MMO essence remains present. Firor, whose design credits date back to the 1990s, finds the lack of guidance refreshing. He noted that it reminds him of the "old days of gaming," where there is very little hand-holding or written material available to guide the player.

Firor has even attempted to play the game "blind," without searching for any online guides. The results have been predictably chaotic. "I still don't know what I'm doing," he admitted, "but I'm having so much fun. I've trained like 15 horses, but they all seem to be the same."