Pearl Abyss, the Korean developer of hit MMO Crimson Desert, has sold Eve Online developer CCP Games back to its CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson for $100 million in cash and “the right to acquire $20 million in tokens”, eight years after buying it for $225 million in cash plus $200 million in performance-related payouts. The figures were reported by Korean outlet Digital Today.
The “tokens” are believed to refer to blockchain-based survival game Eve Frontier, for which CCP raised $40 million in 2023, in a funding round lead by crypto-enthusiast VC firm Andreessen Horowitz. Frontier is currently available in pre-release form for those who purchase Founder Access, and its Terms of Service refer to “on-chain” tokens it terms “Alpha Tokens” while expressly disclaiming “to the fullest extent possible in law any liability regarding the nature or value of these Alpha Tokens or wallets.”
In a statement to Korean outlet Inven Global, a Pearl Abyss spokesperson said that “after exploring various mid-to-long-term growth strategies, we concluded that selling the company to its current management is in the best interest of both parties’ futures” and that the price was “determined objectively by comprehensively considering CCP Games’ current business structure and market conditions.”
“While the acquisition was a sound strategic decision at the time to secure global IP and diversify our portfolio, the global gaming business environment and our company’s strategic priorities have shifted significantly since then.”
In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, CCP said it was “aware of external reporting regarding CCP Games and our ownership structure.”
“CCP is currently in the process of finalising legal and regulatory steps related to a change in ownership,” the firm stated. “This is a change in ownership and governance only, with no impact to CCP’s teams, products, or development plans. We will share further details when appropriate.”
The firm has made multiple efforts to expand the Eve IP beyond its venerable MMO, and had previously cancelled two shooter spin-offs prior to the Pearl Abyss acquisition in 2018. Its other publicly-announced project, extraction shooter Vanguard, is currently listed as launching later this year following a public trial in October 2025.
Pearl Abyss has seen huge success from Crimson Desert, which has reportedly sold over five million copies since its launch in March. Its most recent financial report showed Eve Online delivering around a third of company revenues, with the remainder coming from the company’s prior MMO Black Desert.
