'Why didn't anyone think of this before?': Former Elder Scrolls Online boss loves Crimson Desert, but making 'a singleplayer MMO is almost like cheating' to him

Crimson Desert - Dog — (Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

Matt Firor has been in the MMO business since 2001, the days of Dark Age of Camelot, and ran The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Online Studios until 2025. Firor resigned in response to the cancellation of in-development MMO Blackbird and the mass layoffs that followed.

Firor still plays The Elder Scrolls Online in secret, he told MinnMax in a wide-ranging interview, but his current obsession appears to be Crimson Desert—not an MMO, but certainly designed like one.

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For Pearl Abyss, though, it was almost accidental. Crimson Desert was originally conceived of as a prequel to MMO Black Desert Online, and it was going to be another MMO. It then underwent a slew of changes during development—contributing to a pretty haphazard feel—which included a pivot to pure singleplayer. The ghost of the MMO it was going to be is still very much present, though.

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Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.