New Game Carryover in Crimson Desert Enhanced
Crimson Desert Enhanced introduces a dedicated carryover mechanic upon completing the main story. Learn what transfers into your new adventure, how Abyss Links persist, and what resets.
Quick Answer: In Crimson Desert Enhanced (patch 2.00.00), completing the full main story campaign unlocks the option to begin a new adventure with carried-over assets. Your earned Abyss Links and in-game currencies (Silver and camp funds) carry over into the new cycle, while world map fog of war, story quest flags, and regional faction reputations reset to ensure narrative progression functions correctly.
Quick Answer: What Carries Over in Enhanced
Community interest regarding a “New Game Plus” mode in Crimson Desert has been intense since launch. In the Enhanced edition (patch 2.00.00 released August 25, 2026), Pearl Abyss delivered a structured carryover system designed to respect player time without shattering early-game narrative tension. Rather than a blanket duplicate save, the system allows veterans who complete the nine-act campaign to restart their journey across Pywel while retaining foundational supernatural power and accumulated wealth.
The primary benefit of this system is immediate access to high-tier Abyss Link synergies from the opening prologue. While Kliff’s equipment and story-gated gear reset to match the early narrative, your mastery over the Abyss and your accumulated currency coffers ensure that mercenary camp development progresses up to 10 times faster than during an initial blind playthrough.
Official Prerequisites for Starting a Carryover Playthrough
The carryover feature is not available from the start of a brand-new install. To unlock the carryover option on the title screen, your save file must meet three strict conditions:
- Complete Main Story Quest 9: You must complete the final confrontation of Act 9 and view the full closing cinematic sequence.
- Establish a Completed Clear Save: Following the credits, the game prompts you to create a “Clear Save Data” marker. This file will be tagged with a distinct golden Greymane crest in your load menu.
- Update to Version 2.00.00 or Higher: Legacy clear saves created on version 1.14 must be loaded and saved once under patch 2.00.00 or hotfix 2.01.00 to migrate progression variables into the Enhanced schema.
What Carries Over vs What Resets
To avoid soft-locking quest scripts or corrupting character interactions, Pearl Abyss instituted strict boundaries on carried assets. Review the breakdown below before starting your new run:
| Asset Category | Carries Over? | Carryover Behavior in New Game | Reset Reason / Game Design Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abyss Links | Yes | All unlocked synergy links remain available from Prologue | Empowers early combat without breaking story progression |
| Silver & Currency | Yes | Full personal Silver balance transfers into starting purse | Allows immediate purchasing of weapons, mounts, and camp upgrades |
| Camp Treasury Funds | Yes | Carried into Greymane treasury once camp is unlocked | Accelerates camp facility upgrades (10x Silver rate in 2.01) |
| Story Weapons & Armor | No | Resets to default Mercenary Starter gear | Prevents sequence breaks during early Greymane skirmishes |
| World Map & Fast Travel | No | Fog of war restored; Waypoints must be rediscovered | Ensures world exploration and organic discovery remain intact |
| Quest Log & Faction Trust | No | All main, side, and bounty quests reset to uncompleted | Allows players to replay quests and make alternate choices |
| Unlocked Mounts | Partial | Base horses reset; flying mount controls require quest retake | Dragon mount access unlocked following story progression |
It is critical to distinguish between full New Game Plus and the official Enhanced carryover feature. The official implementation does not carry over end-game legendary weapons, completed quest checkmarks, or fully revealed world maps. It focuses strictly on power retention through the Abyss Link network and monetary momentum.
Step-by-Step: Initiating a Carryover Playthrough
Follow these steps to launch a carryover playthrough without endangering your existing end-game save:
Step 1: Create a Manual Hard Backup Save
- Load your completed campaign save and head to the Greymane Camp.
- Open the system menu and select Save Game.
- Create a manual save in an empty slot (do not overwrite your primary auto-save slot). Note the slot number and in-game playtime stamp.
Step 2: Return to Title Screen and Select Carryover
- Exit to the title screen.
- Select New Game. If you have an eligible clear save on your drive, a prompt will appear: “A completed campaign file was detected. Carry over Abyss Links and currency into a new adventure?”
- Select Yes, Carry Over Assets.
- Choose your eligible Clear Save from the slot list to verify the source file.
Step 3: Confirm Prologue Initialization
- Choose your preferred game difficulty and subtitle settings.
- Begin the opening prologue in Hernand.
- As soon as Kliff draws his blade in the introductory combat encounter, press Esc/Options and check Abyss Links and Silver Balance in your status menu to confirm active carryover.
How to Safeguard Your Original End-Game Save
One of the most persistent concerns among players is whether starting a new game will overwrite or corrupt an existing 100-hour completion file. Official patch documentation and player testing confirm that Crimson Desert Enhanced separates manual save slots from rotating auto-save slots.
However, because the game writes auto-saves frequently during mission checkpoints, your old auto-saves will be gradually replaced by new run progress within the first 30 minutes of gameplay. To ensure your original completion file remains permanently accessible:
- Always maintain at least two separate manual save slots dedicated to your completed run.
- On PC (Steam), back up the local save directory located under
%LOCALAPPDATA%\PearlAbyss\CrimsonDesert\Saved\SaveGamesbefore starting a new run. - On PlayStation 5, disable Auto-Sync for Crimson Desert Enhanced in Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Cloud Storage so your cloud backup is not overwritten by new game data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do my weapons and high-level armor carry over into a new game?
No. Weapons, armor sets, and quest-specific equipment reset to initial mercenary gear when starting a new carryover run. Only your Abyss Links, personal Silver, and camp treasury funds transfer over.
Can I start a carryover run if I haven’t finished the main story yet?
No. The carryover feature is strictly locked until you complete the final main story quest of Act 9 and generate a verified Clear Save file.
Do I lose my completed save file when I click New Game?
No. As long as you saved your completed file into a dedicated manual save slot, it remains intact. However, rotating auto-save slots will be overwritten by the new playthrough, so manual saving is mandatory.
Can I change the game difficulty in a carryover playthrough?
Yes. You can adjust combat difficulty, enemy damage scaling, and HUD aids when setting up your carryover playthrough or anytime from the in-game gameplay settings menu.
Related Guides and Verification
- Crimson Desert Enhanced: Skill Reset and Abyss Links Guide — Learn how Abyss Links function and optimize synergy distributions.
- Crimson Desert Enhanced Changes: 2.0 and Later Patches — Full breakdown of patch 2.00.00 and 2.01.00 features and fixes.
- Crimson Desert Enhanced: Performance and Camera Settings — Optimal graphics configurations for smooth exploration.
- Crimson Desert Enhanced: PC and Mac System Requirements — Hardware specifications and SSD installation criteria.