Crimson Desert New Game Plus Guide — NG+ Changes, Builds & Strategies
What is New Game Plus?
New Game Plus (NG+) is Crimson Desert's endgame replay mode, unlocked after completing the main story for the first time. It lets you start a fresh playthrough while retaining most of your progression, while facing tougher enemies and discovering new content that was hidden on your first run.
NG+ is not just a simple difficulty bump. Pearl Abyss has designed it as a full second playthrough experience with new story beats, alternate boss patterns, hidden areas, and equipment tiers that were locked behind first-playthrough progression gates. If you enjoyed your first 40-50 hours in Pywel, NG+ adds another 20-30 hours of meaningful content.
To unlock NG+, complete the final main story quest "The End of All Things" and watch the credits. You will be prompted to create a New Game Plus save file. Your original save remains intact — NG+ creates a separate save slot, so you can always go back to your endgame character.
Crimson Desert's NG+ includes a "Story Fast-Forward" option that lets you skip dialogue and cutscenes you've already seen, while playing new and alternate scenes. This cuts the NG+ playtime roughly in half if you just want to experience the new content.
NG+ Changes & Differences
New Game Plus introduces several mechanical changes that make the second playthrough feel distinct from your first run. These range from enemy behavior tweaks to entirely new systems that only unlock after the credits roll.
| Feature | First Playthrough | New Game Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Enemy Level | Scales with story progress | Starts at level 40, scales faster |
| Enemy HP | Base values | +80% base HP |
| Enemy Damage | Base values | +50% base damage |
| New Attack Patterns | Base moveset | All bosses have NG+-exclusive attacks |
| Abyss Gear Tier | Up to +9 | Up to +12 with new Abyssal+ tier |
| Skill Tree | Three trees | Fourth "Awakened" tree unlocks |
| Companions | Story-based recruitment | All companions available from Chapter 2 |
| Secret Areas | Mostly locked | 12 new explorable dungeons |
Difficulty in NG+ ramps up fast. Even if you crushed the final boss on Hard mode, the first few hours of NG+ will feel challenging. The early game spike is intentional — you're supposed to use your carried-over gear and skills to power through, but enemy damage output will test your defense.
What Carries Over to NG+
Most of your endgame progression carries into New Game Plus. This is what makes NG+ satisfying — you get to unleash your fully upgraded character on the world from the very beginning.
Carried Over
- Character level and all skill points
- All weapons, armor, and accessories
- Refinement levels and enchantments
- Abyss Gear and Abyssal Skills
- All consumables, materials, and silver
- Cooking recipes and crafting blueprints
- Companion affinity levels
Does NOT Carry Over
- Main story quest progress (reset to prologue)
- Side quest completion status
- Bell Tower and world boss clear status
- Camp upgrades (you start with a basic camp again)
- Map exploration fog of war
New Content in NG+
New Game Plus isn't just a difficulty bump — it adds significant new content that was intentionally hidden on the first playthrough. Here's what you can look forward to discovering.
1. The Awakened Skill Tree
NG+ unlocks a fourth skill tree called "Awakened" that sits alongside Combat, Vitality, and Utility. This tree focuses on advanced techniques that fundamentally change how you approach combat. Key abilities include:
- Perfect Dodge Counter — A perfectly timed dodge triggers an automatic counter-attack
- Abyssal Surge — Spend 30% health for a 50% damage boost for 10 seconds
- Mercenary Command — Issue squad orders during combat for tactical advantages
- Soul Bond — Companions share 15% of their stats with Kliff when active
2. Abyssal+ Gear Tier
Beyond regular Abyss Gear, NG+ introduces Abyssal+ — a new tier of equipment with unique "synergy" bonuses. Abyssal+ pieces gain additional stats based on how many other Abyssal+ pieces you have equipped. A full Abyssal+ set grants a 30% damage bonus to all abilities, making it the endgame goal.
3. 12 Hidden Dungeons
Twelve dungeons that were inaccessible during the first playthrough unlock in NG+. These are found in obscure locations and typically require specific items or abilities to enter. Each dungeon contains unique loot, including Abyssal+ crafting materials.
The first hidden dungeon is in the Hewstone sewers. Look for a crack in the wall near the "Welcome to Pywel" sign. Inside you'll find the Abyssal+ Weapon Recipe — crafting it early makes the entire NG+ much easier.
Difficulty Scaling in NG+
Enemy scaling in New Game Plus follows a different curve than the first playthrough. Understanding how enemies scale helps you decide when to push forward and when to stop and farm upgrades.
| Chapter | Enemy Level Range | HP Multiplier | Damage Multiplier | Compared to 1st Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prologue | 40-42 | 1.8x | 1.5x | Similar to Ch.3 difficulty |
| Chapter 1 | 42-48 | 2.0x | 1.6x | Similar to Ch.4 difficulty |
| Chapter 2 | 48-55 | 2.2x | 1.7x | Harder than final boss |
| Chapter 3 | 55-65 | 2.5x | 1.9x | New challenge tier |
| Chapter 4 | 65-75 | 2.8x | 2.1x | Endgame challenge |
| Final Boss (NG+) | 80 | 3.2x | 2.5x | True final challenge |
The "hardest" difficulty spike happens between Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 of NG+. At this point, enemies start using their NG+-exclusive attack patterns more frequently, and the HP pool jumps significantly. This is a natural stopping point to farm Abyssal+ materials and upgrade your gear before pushing further.
Best NG+ Builds
With the Awakened skill tree and Abyssal+ gear, several new build archetypes become viable in NG+. These are the three strongest builds for tackling the toughest content.
Build 1: The Abyssal Reaper (Berserker)
A high-risk, high-reward build centered around the Abyssal Surge awakened ability. You trade health for damage and use lifesteal from Abyss Gear to stay alive.
| Slot | Gear | Stat Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Abyssal+ Shadow Reaper | Critical Damage + Lifesteal |
| Chest | Abyssal+ Dreadplate | Max HP + Damage on Low HP |
| Accessory 1 | Berserker's Ring | +25% damage below 50% HP |
| Accessory 2 | Vampire Fangs | 10% lifesteal on critical hits |
| Primary Tree | Awakened (Abyssal Surge + Soul Bond) | |
Build 2: Unbreakable Wall (Tank)
The most survivable build in the game. With full Abyssal+ defense gear and the Awakened tree's damage mitigation passives, you can literally stand in boss attacks and out-heal them.
Build 3: Shadow Dancer (Perfect Dodge)
Built around the Perfect Dodge Counter awakened ability. Every dodge triggers an automatic counter that deals massive damage. This is the highest skill-ceiling build but also the most rewarding.
NG+ Tips & Strategies
These tips will help you get the most out of your New Game Plus experience, whether you're going for a clean completion or rushing to the true final boss.
1. Rush to the First Hidden Dungeon
The Hewstone Sewers dungeon gives you the Abyssal+ Weapon Recipe within the first hour of NG+. This weapon is significantly stronger than anything from your first playthrough and will trivialize the early game. Don't waste time with other content until you have it.
2. Don't Skip Side Quests
NG+ side quests have different rewards than first-playthrough quests. Many of them give Abyssal+ crafting materials or awakened skill points. The "Mercenary's Oath" side quest in Chapter 2 alone grants 3 awakened skill points — that's a massive power spike.
3. Use Story Fast-Forward Selectively
The fast-forward option is great for skipping scenes you've seen, but many scenes have alternate dialogue or completely new content in NG+. If a cutscene starts playing normally instead of fast-forwarding, it means there's new content — watch it.
4. Farm World Bosses Weekly
NG+ world bosses drop Abyssal+ cores on a weekly lockout. Make sure to clear all of them every week — it's the most reliable way to get endgame gear. Set a reminder and don't let your lockouts go to waste.
After beating NG+, you unlock New Game ++ (NG++) with even harder scaling and a third secret ending. Each additional playthrough adds new layers — Pearl Abyss designed this game for multiple runs. If you loved your first NG+, there's always another challenge waiting.