Trailers promised a menagerie

Pearl Abyss' trailers for Crimson Desert showed Kliff doing the kind of stuff that makes people pause the video and squint. Bears, wolves, dodo-like birds, dinosaurs, and even dragons appeared as rideable mounts. The marketing approach seemed to be yes to everything, which naturally got players excited about building an army of very strange steeds.

The reality at launch

Now that the game is out, players are discovering that most of those cool ride options are temporary. If you fight and hop on a bear, you get to feel like a bear-riding legend for a little while. As soon as you dismount, the bear goes hostile again. The kuku bird gives you a short ride after a particular sequence, but it does not become a permanent companion.

What about dragons?

The dragon is a late-game quest reward and comes with limits. You can summon it only once per hour, and it stays around for a few minutes so you can fly and breathe fire. It is flashy, but not an all-day transport solution.

Stables are strict about their guests

Try to take any non-horse creature to a stable and you will find the caretakers refuse to register it. Stables accept horses as permanent mounts. Anything else tends to be treated as a short-term novelty rather than something you can put in a stall.

Players are upset

The reaction has been nearly unanimous in player communities. A lot of threads on the Crimson Desert subreddit are asking Pearl Abyss to change the rules. One redditor, WanderingMustache, put it bluntly:

"It's a solo game, who am I hurting if I put the bear in the stables? Or if I want to ride the dragon for 2 hours straight?"

The point resonating with many players is a simple one. In a singleplayer environment, the typical multiplayer balance reasons for restricting powerful mounts do not apply in the same way. The person affected by a player riding a bear around is mainly the stable staff.

What might change

Given how vocal the community is, it would not be surprising to see Pearl Abyss adjust mount rules over time. A likely compromise would be making some exotic mounts permanent but reducing their combat power or adding limitations so the game stays balanced while players get to keep their cooler rides.

For now, players will have to enjoy the short-lived thrill of unusual mounts and hope the developers listen. The sight of a player galloping through town on a bear is a strong case for change.