Black Desert Online's latest expansion, the Land of the Morning Light, dropped last month, and has seen a rather enthusiastic response by players. The team at Pearl Abyss took to social media and its website to thank fans, as well as promise that feedback is being incorporated to make the expansion that much better.
The latest expansion takes players into the Land of the Morning Light, a new region in Black Desert Online heavily inspired by Joseon-era Korea. The expansion takes some major risks with its design, dropping its normal monster grinding zones and instead giving players a new story-focused region, complete with eight epic boss battles. These battles can be repeated at harder difficulties in a new Black Shrine Boss Blitz mode, designed to push players to their limit and earn end-game items.
While we didn't quite like some of the restrictions placed on how often you could grind the mode each week, as well as the lackluster quest design, we adored the story, the region itself and the incredible boss fights.
The reception to the new region has been stellar overall for Pearl Abyss, and the MMO's executive producer, Jaehee Kim, took to the website and social media to thank fans on behalf of the team.
Throughout the development process, Pearl Abyss expressed some concern that the story and setting just wouldn't translate well to a global audience, something Kim acknowledges in the letter.
"As we ventured into the creation of the Land of the Morning Light, we were worried about how you, our adventurers, would receive this unfamiliar story. Yet, your response was beyond what we could have hoped for. Many of you have enjoyed playing the game, fiercely challenging the bosses of the Black Shrine, and immersed yourselves in the folklore while appreciating the landscapes of the Land of the Morning Light. Witnessing your enthusiasm has provided us with newfound experiences and insights."
The update wasn't without its issues, though, and the team is taking the feedback from players seriously, with Jaehee stating that every bit of feedback is being reviewed. And while it's not a guarantee that every amount of feedback will be incorporated, the team is "committed" to using the "valuable insights" from players when and where they make sense.
As a thank you for the reception to The Land of the Morning Light, Kim also mentions that players can expect to see a present in-game after the next maintenance downtime.
You can check out the full letter in the image above. The Land of the Morning Light is available for new and returning players in Black Desert as a free update (though veteran players will need to complete part of the story in order to access the island). The team is also working on the announcements made during the last Festa, something our resident BDO player Lowry is especially excited for.
