Did You Know That Black Desert Online Is Free-To-Play Outside Of America and Europe!?

Most players know that Black Desert Online is a buy-to-play MMORPG. The game costs $10. Most players in America and Europe, that is. Because elsewhere — specifically in South Korea, Japan, and Russia — Black Desert Online is actually free-to-play.

This regional split is strange, is it not? That is not a common practice. Pearl Abyss runs the game globally but uses different business models for each region. Instead of one unified pricing structure, the company adapts to local markets, competition, and cultural preferences. That is why players in North and South America and Europe must buy Black Desert Online up front, while everyone else gets it for free.

And that in itself is unusual, because the game has been made free several times since launch. The first time was between February 27 and March 2, 2020, when Steam offered the base game at 100% off. Then it happened again, almost five years later, when Pearl Abyss let players claim the game permanently in January 2025, and once more in July 2025 during a “Limited Free Promotional Package” event. There have also been occasional free weekends over the years. Outside of those windows, Black Desert Online is almost always on sale. The cheapest recorded non-free price was $1. That is not technically free, but come on.

In its home country of South Korea, the game launched as a free-to-play title. Korean players are accustomed to MMOs being free at the start — nearly every major title in the region follows that model, monetizing instead through cosmetics, convenience buffs, or premium memberships. Asking for an upfront fee there would have limited the audience from day one. The game quickly became one of South Korea’s top MMOs, thriving on microtransactions and café-based play sessions rather than retail sales.

Japan and Russia followed the same formula. In both markets, Black Desert Online is still available to download for free, with optional paid items such as outfits, pets, and “Value Packs” that grant experience and trading buffs for thirty days. While $10 is not much, players in those regions can fully explore the open world, fight bosses, build empires, and sail across the sea without spending a single cent.

And yet, the Western version remains buy-to-play to this day. When Black Desert Online debuted in 2016, its Western publisher, Kakao Games, wanted to avoid the “free-to-play stigma.” The team promoted it as a premium one-time purchase game —no subscription fees, no paywalls, just a single upfront cost. When Pearl Abyss later took over publishing duties, they decided to keep that same approach.

For many Western fans, that trade-off is acceptable. The buy-in adds a sense of exclusivity and, in theory, discourages bots and gold sellers. It also aligns with player expectations in Europe and North America, where gamers often view “free-to-play” as synonymous with “pay-to-win.” By charging upfront, Pearl Abyss can market Black Desert Online as a fairer, more premium experience — even though the in-game shop is identical to the free regions.

Still, it is a fascinating contradiction. We are playing the exact same game — the same world, the same mechanics, the same combat. That $10 entry fee might not sound like much, but it is an important psychological threshold. In free regions, anyone can jump in with zero friction, leading to a larger, faster-growing player base. In paid regions, the audience is smaller but potentially more invested. Pearl Abyss likely calculated that Western players would tolerate the price if it helped frame Black Desert Online as a “serious” MMO rather than free-to-play slop.

Cultural norms play a role as well. In Korea and Japan, internet cafés remain central to PC gaming. Games must be quick to access — you sit down, log in, and play immediately. Free-to-play ensures no one has to buy the game on the spot. Western gaming culture, on the other hand, centers around personal ownership. Players prefer buying a copy once and keeping it forever. The developers tailored their monetization to fit each lifestyle.

It is worth noting that even in “free” regions, monetization still exists. Korean and Japanese players buy pets, costumes, and boost items to enhance gameplay or save time. Meanwhile, Western players spend money the same way — except after a $10 cover charge. The irony is that both sides end up paying similar amounts in the long run.

Honestly, this is just a long-winded way of me wondering for the umpteenth time how and why the heck Black Desert Online is not free-to-play yet.