Crimson Desert is off to a strong start. Pearl Abyss‘ open-world RPG launched on March 19 and wasted no time making an impression, topping Twitch with nearly 500,000 concurrent viewers and crossing 131,000 concurrent players on Steam.

It’s currently sitting above Marvel Rivals, ARC Raiders, and Overwatch on Steam’s most-played chart, which is no small feat for a brand-new release.

That said, the reviews have been a bit of a mixed bag. Crimson Desert currently holds a 78 on Metacritic, based on 98 critic scores. Some outlets gave it a perfect score, while others weren’t as impressed; the lowest score so far sits at 45.

The market had been hoping for something closer to the mid-to-high 80s, and when that didn’t happen, Pearl Abyss felt the impact. According to the Seoul Economic Daily, the company’s stock dropped by nearly 30% following the review scores.

It’s still early days, though. The player numbers are there, and if the community responds well, Crimson Desert could build some solid momentum going forward. For now, Pearl Abyss will be keeping a close eye on how things develop.

Want more updates like this? Check out the gaming news section!