Greetings Adventurers,

In today's Dev note, we would like to introduce you to the next big update, The Great Expedition. This new addition to the world of Black Desert Online provides new adventure out in the Great Ocean and we would like to give you a sneak peek before it arrives.

Let's begin!

Q. How did the development of the Great Expedition begin?

The great ocean of the world of Black Desert is vast, more so than the size of its land areas, but content for them was limited. That said, there are still many adventurers enjoying various activities in the waters, so we wanted to expand on this to provide you with a whole new area for you to enjoy more seafaring contents. Thus, the Great Expedition came to be.

However, Black Desert Online was not initially designed with the ocean in mind, so a lot of development effort and time went into creating new elements to the game. And now we can finally introduce you to the results of this endeavor.

We are aware that it may not be for everybody, but we hope this will be enjoyable to those who gave us ideas on this over the last few years. We also plan to continue adding new content for the Great Expedition as well.

Q. What is a new core content or system added with the Great Expedition?

Bartering is a new system introduced with the Great Expedition. It is a new trading system where you hand in specific items to barterers to exchange for higher level items with variables such as time and items available for barter, which is a more profound method compared to the existing simple exchange of items you acquire from monsters, gathering, fishing, and other activities.

There are also a lot of islands in the existing world of Black Desert, many of them you probably only visited once or twice to meet the node managers and then forgot about. Bartering could liven up these forgotten islands with players coming to and fro between these islands and explore other previously uncharted areas.

We hope new captains sailing out into the Great Ocean would again feel the excitement of embarking on a new adventure.

Q. With the Great Expedition update, what is the biggest difference compared to the existing ocean environment we have now?

Before the Great Expedition, all you had to do was go forward on your ships. With the update, however, you have to maneuver your ships through chopping waters by reading the ocean current and wind. This is the biggest difference you will face when sailing in the waters of the Great Expedition.

The newly added current and wind system could be a nuisance for you, but could also be beneficial to your travels. They will also allow you to truly feel like you're on an oceanic adventure.

When you board your ship, current and wind information will be displayed at the bottom of your screen as below.

They won't affect your ship as much when near the coastline, but will become a lot stronger as you venture further out into the sea.

If you are able to ride the current, you will reach your destination much faster than others. Meet a headwind or a counter current, however, you will be faced with the raw might of the ocean.

Tip! Sometimes it is better to go around if you're met with a strong counter current.

Tip! You can also open and close sails with the new update. Master this function to conquer the winds of the Great Ocean.

The current version gives current and wind information based on the location of the ship's captain. We do not have a solid method decided yet, but we hope to expand this information to tell you of the current and wind flow of the region the ship is in, so you can plan your journey more efficiently.

A true captain would not hesitate to lead their crew through both calm and rough waters. Unlike the perpetually calm sea you know, the Great Expedition will let you experience the ocean in its true form; currents and winds unpredictable and feisty as a wild horse.

We hope you can overcome everything the ocean throws at you to conquer your own adventures in the Great Expedition.

Q. Will there be new ships added with the Great Expedition?

Yes! Currently the best ships you can have are the Epheria Sailboat and Frigates. With the Great Expedition, you can upgrade them through a new system and acquire new ships.

The build tree for large ships start with the Bartali Sailboat and from there you can go all the way to finally build Epheria Carracks. You can choose to either build ships suitable for either trade or battle, depending on your sailing style and needs. Details on these ships will be shared when the Great Expedition is updated!

With new ships, we're introducing the sailor system.

Sailing the vast ocean on your own is not just lonely, but exhausting. These sailors will be your shipmate and crew to help you on your adventures.

You can hire sailors waiting to set sail and bring them in as your crew. They are valuable to your adventures, but you need to take care of them, as they will weaken when not fed well or fall ill.

They can also find treasures in unexpected places or fetch useful materials or ingredients for you to use.

Q. Will there be new monsters with the update?

With the Great Expedition update, Khan, the Eye of the Great Ocean, will reveal himself to you. Just like Vell, where you fought and defeated him to consume his heart,

Khan will await you in the Great Expedition. Khan can be summoned and defeated by guilds.

By defeating Khan, the Eye of the Great Ocean, you will be able to obtain Khan's Concentrated Magic, which can be used to craft Khan's Heart.

There are three types you can make, Khan's Heart: Destruction, Khan's Heart: Protection, and Khan's Heart: Vitality.

They each provide useful buffs for attack, defense, and life skills, respectively. You can choose which you want to have, depending on your play style.

Q. Many adventurers in Korea and in the Global Lab are already enjoying the Great Expedition. Do you have plans to expand the ocean content in the future?

Since introducing the Great Expedition first in the Global Lab, we have continuously added new content and quality of life updates based on player feedback. We also have plans to add small and large updates related to the Great Expedition. Currently, most of the content can be done through solo play, but we would like to add contents you can enjoy with friends or other adventurers, such as a "fleet" system, and a ship battle content called the "Blue Battleground (placeholder)".

We hope to share with you more information on the Great Expedition soon.

Q. So when can we expect the Great Expedition to be added?

Currently, we are working hard to add more contents to The Great Expedition, while preparing to provide you with an enjoyable update as soon as possible. We're almost there, so please hold on to your helms just a little more!

Q. Lastly, would you like to add anything else?

We take great interest and value in developing the contents of Black Desert Online and have engaged ourselves in numerous discussions for a very long time on how to do this. We would appreciate it if our adventurers understand the Great Expedition as our effort to update and grow the Life contents of the game. Although it is difficult to give such a significant change to other aspects of the game, we will concentrate on not only Life, but also PvE and PvP content, so you the player can enjoy your daily activities in the world of Black Desert. As always, we would like to extend our greatest gratitude to all adventurers and hope you enjoy the Great Expedition.

BDO Team