Upcoming 2026 RPG Features Dragon Riding and a Map Double the Size of Skyrim
Yesterday marked the debut of the New Game+ Showcase, where a group of content creators decided to skip the usual hype and dive straight into showcasing a plethora of games. While the event faced some criticism for feeling more like a podcast than a traditional showcase, it did offer intriguing glimpses of several upcoming titles, including what’s being touted as one of the largest open-world RPGs set to release in 2026.
Crimson Desert, the expansive action-adventure game from the creators of Black Desert Online, is scheduled to launch on March 19. During the showcase, PR representative Will Powers was asked about the actual size of the game world, especially since early previews suggested that the stunning landscapes might just be a small part of a much larger map. Powers delivered an impressive response:
“It’s twice the playable area of Skyrim. It’s larger than the map of Red Dead Redemption 2. The continent of Pywel that you’ll be exploring is absolutely massive.”
To be fair to Pearl Abyss, this isn’t an outrageous claim for a developer known for a hugely popular freemium MMORPG, especially considering that Crimson Desert appears to blend MMORPG elements with a single-player action experience (which is essentially what happened). Regardless, that’s a significant amount of game—or at least a vast game world.
The trailers and previews released so far showcase a beautiful environment and engaging combat, and I’m always on board for any game that lets you ride a dragon. However, there’s the concern of whether this expansive space will lack meaningful content. Powers attempted to address this concern directly, stating, “Size doesn’t really matter if there’s nothing to do. Open-world games are about having activities and distractions, so we aimed to create a world that’s not only massive but incredibly interactive.”
Streamer Luality actively engaged during the interview, pressing Powers on the types of interactions players can expect in this vast world, inquiring about the ability to battle dragons or romance NPCs. Powers responded by highlighting “all sorts of deep crafting systems.”
This brings us to a critical point about making claims regarding map size in 2026: it’s become a somewhat meaningless metric. A game world as large as Australia sounds impressive, but if it’s filled with empty space, it doesn’t hold much value. It’s essential to create meaningful experiences within that space, which is why games that make their environments significant, like Death Stranding 2, deserve praise. It’s also a reason to approach claims about map size with a healthy dose of skepticism, especially when the focus is on the size rather than the substance within it.
