Crimson Desert Dev Has Traded EVE Online Back for a Boatload of Cash and Game Crypto

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After the positive reception to their open-world game, Crimson Desert, Pearl Abyss has changed its business focus and has sold CCP Games back to its CEO, Hilmar Veigar Pétursson.

In 2018, Pearl Abyss bought CCP Games, the creators of the space games EVE Online and EVE Frontier, for $225 million upfront, plus potential bonuses of up to $200 million based on performance. However, because the gaming world is changing quickly, Pearl Abyss, the studio behind Crimson Desert, is now reviewing its investments.

Pearl Abyss Sells CCP Games Eight Years After Acquiring It


EVE Frontier

Pearl Abyss recently sold CCP for $100 million in cash, plus another $20 million in tokens. While this initially appears to be a poor return on their investment, the specifics of the token agreement are still unknown.

The agreement includes rights to acquire EVE Tokens ($EVE), the in-game currency for EVE Frontier. CCP Games believes these tokens, which they call “utility tokens,” will be essential to the game’s player-driven economy for many years.

Considering this recent sale and the popularity of Crimson Desert, Pearl Abyss is probably using the extra revenue to fund the creation of new games.

Pearl Abyss initially believed the investment was a good decision, but after considering long-term plans, they’ve decided selling the company to its current management is the best path forward for everyone involved.

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Although the two companies might work together again in the future, CCP is moving forward with completing the ownership transfer. Pearl Abyss stated that while buying CCP seemed like a good plan to expand globally and offer more games, things have changed significantly in the gaming world and their own company goals have evolved.

Pearl Abyss is probably making extra money to fund the creation of new games.

Following the massive success of Crimson Desert – selling over five million copies in just one month – and the sale of CCP, Pearl Abyss is likely focused on continuing this positive trend by investing in the creation of new, highly successful games.

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2026-05-05 22:09