Black Desert Online developer Pearl Abyss is taking over publishing duties of its MMORPG from Kakao Games in North America and Europe just one day after the publisher announced a major investment in Kadokawa.
It's been five years since the launch of Black Desert Online. This MMORPG quickly gained notability for an in-depth character creator that allowed players to make some truly stunning avatars for the time. While it hasn't quite attained the popularity of some other MMORPGs, it's done well enough to recently celebrate its five-year anniversary.
This time of celebration also brings changes — Pearl Abyss is taking over publishing duties from Kakao Games according to a press release. Notably, Kakao also recently made an investment of its own as reported on ResetEra — it now holds a 7.3% stake in anime giant Kadokawa (which also happens to own From Software), making it the largest shareholder in that company.
The change in publishers doesn't just mean that a label or two is changing, either — Kakao Games currently manages player data for Black Desert Online. That means that you're going to have to go through a process to transfer it. If you don't, your account data could be deleted forever.
How to Transfer your Black Desert Online Account
The process to transfer your Black Desert Online account is fairly straightforward; you simply have to follow the process listed on a specific web page. The launch of the account transfer page is also debuting a deadline for players to get it done (along with some other changes).
Here's what's going on with BDO accounts over the next few months according to the account transfer page:
- January 27, 2021 – Account Transfer Registration page opens.
- February 3, 2021 – Termination of sale of Gift Packages.
- February 10, 2021 – Termination of sale of Black Desert Online Game Packages, Kakao Cash and in-game Pearl Boxes.
- February 24, 2021
- Termination of Kakao Games’ Black Desert Online service and transfer of service to Pearl Abyss.
- Remaining web coupon items to be distributed via in-game mail.
- Account Transfer Registration page temporarily closes.
- All received Account Transfer Registrations will be processed.
- February 25, 2021 (tentative)
- Pearl Abyss’ Black Desert Online service is live.
- Account Transfer Registration page re-opens.
- Any further Account Transfer Registrations will be processed immediately.
- May 31, 2021 – Account Transfer Registration page closes permanently.
- June 1, 2021 – All non-transferred data will be deleted permanently.
This means that you have until June 1, 2021, to transfer your Black Desert Online account from Kakao Games' Service to Pearl Abyss' upcoming service. If you don't manage to do it by then, your account will be deleted forever.
You can transfer your Black Desert Online account via its official website. If you haven't yet jumped into this MMORPG, you can start playing Black Desert Online for just $9.99 or your regional equivalent.
What do you think of Pearl Abyss taking over publishing duties for Black Desert Online? Do you like how the game has progressed over its first five years? Let us know in the comments below!
