After feedback from the community and lengthy internal testing, Black Desert has increased the monster density on Xbox One and PS4. The move puts the console version of Black Desert on equal footing with PC, which had previously allowed for larger groups of monsters.
To account for the increase in monster numbers, the respawn timer has been "increased proportionally." Last February, the Black Desert team reduced the number of monsters that spawned on consoles to improve the game's performance. Although the density may have been reduced, the spawn timers were also reduced – giving you smaller but more frequent hordes of enemies to cut through. The community wasn't too receptive of the change, and so Pearl Abyss stepped in to make things right.
"Numerous Adventurers have given us feedback that they want the same playing environment as their Black Desert PC counterparts, and thus we worked on improving the overall performance (optimizing memory, etc.) to reflect their opinion," Pearl Abyss said. "After all the hard work, the recent test we have conducted showed that we could provide the same version as Black Desert PC. We would like to extend our gratitude to all who have given us precious opinions, and we will continue to strive to improve the performance and optimization of the game."
The new monster density is now in effect – jump into the game to see a new, bustling world.
This week's update brought more than monsters, as it also reworked a few AP issues for summons and added Core Awakening skills for Nova. The Red Battlefield is also a more enticing locale, as Pearl Abyss permanently increased the amount of Skill EXP you gain from joining in on the event.
Several smaller changes include UI adjustments, a reworked Scarlet Sand Chamber interior, and various bug fixes.
For a full list of changes, head on over to the official Black Desert website.
Black Desert Online is yet to receive a true next-gen update, although you can still play the game on both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.