This past weekend, developer Pearl Abyss held the Heidel Ball 2026 in Southern California. The event celebrated the game’s 10th anniversary of launching Black Desert Online’s NA/EU servers. The event, which hosted upwards of 400 BDO Adventurers in an intimate all-day event that featured a dinner and live update that was simultaneously streamed online, was similar to Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest, in a good way.
During this time, BDO’s developers introduced their 32nd class, a barrage of quality-of-life updates for PvP and PvE players, new systems, and most importantly, Edania Part II, the new story content that will be coming in their next update.
Get BWT in your inbox!
Get BWT in your inbox!
Having recently launched the massively successful Crimson Desert, seeing just how much Pearl Abyss was putting into active development for new story content, quality-of-life updates, and making the game more accessible to new audiences, with things like Hyperboost, is what a healthy MMO community-developer relationship looks like.
That being said, with such a dense presentation, we’ve pulled out the content’s highlights. If you’re looking for close to everything, head here, and if you want to learn more about the new Agent class, head here. And if you want to know more about Edania Part II, read below.
What is Edania Part II Story Content about?
Presented by Head Designer Jesse Joo, who also introduced BDO’s latest class, the new story elements pick up with Edania Part II. In this new part of the BDO story, players will enter inner Edania and complete the story. In the presentation, it was clear that clashing with gods is the focus of this new story, and Part II will push players to confront the end of a destiny that began in 2014 with the game’s initial launch in Korea.
The new story will also introduce five new domains (and bosses), a new dedicated monster zone, new combat mechanics, three dyes, new accessories, and new in-game Godslayer Armor crafted with Embers of Ynix. This final element can be completed by clearing the bosses in the finale to Edania.
Additionally, the Throne of Edana update will move from having no gear restrictions to requiring a DP-focused increase, which requires Dawn Crystal-All AP, so that it can enter.
New Domain: Agris’s Domain, Aphrodon
Centered around a large golden tree surrounded by the remnants of a past wealth, Aphrodon will feature a new boss, named Agris. Designer Joo explained that players will likely know Agris from “Agris’s Altar” or “Agris Fever.” While she used to bless humanity, now she has to be defeated.
Picture below: the boss wields a giant scythe and burning embers for players to survive and conquer.
New Domain: Markthanan’s Domain, Hermesia
Markthanan was first introduced in Everfrost; players haven’t faced this character in his complete form. Now, players will.
A much darker setting than Aphrodon, Markthanan’s domain is designed to be covered in Black crystals. Markthanan is a Black Dragon who has ruled over the dragons of Drieghan. In this domain, players will see dragons in the sky.
New Domain: Elion’s Domain, Magaia
Built on the Prophesied Land, Elion’s Domain is a grand temple, fit for the gods. The most orderly Domain coming in the new update, the temple’s entire focus is to show faith in Elion, as a golden tree sits in a pool of water beneath the temple.
The temple honors one of the most frequently mentioned gods in BDO’s lore, having appeared in the Valkyries, Seraph, and Enslar tales. The most beautifully designed boss that is coming on the way, the crying angel, is presented as a sacred figure for humanity’s prayers – but also for vengeance.
New Domain: Aal’s Domain, Aresion
Aresion is the ruins of a giant training ground, covered in lava. It attracts those who seek power. A god of War, Aal demands strength more than anything else that we’ve seen in the game.
Aal wields giant dual glaives, adding to his ferocity and focus to overwhelm players.
New Domain: Hadum’s Domain, Voidekaia
Hadum’s Domain will serve as the final adventure in the Edania Part II Story. Much like the goddess in the game that serves as this Domain’s boss, Hadum, at the center of Voidekaia is a black hole that devours everything.
Made to feel like the end of the world, Hadum offers a duality to BDO, as she is the Goddess of despair and birth. She was designed to show that destruction and beginning are intertwined.
Hadum will bring Edania Part II to a close and will represent a closing of that story. As such, we didn’t see an update about her mechanics.
New Boss Mechanics in Edania Part II
When a boss uses a specific pattern, players will need to counter it with the Black Spirit’s Rage skill in order to break their stance. Think of it as a skill that works as a parry of sorts.
Black Spirit’s Rage has existed in BDO already, but it was mainly used to increase the damage output of your character in battle. That said, the skill will now become a strategic resource based on timing. This introduces a new element to combat while also rewarding players who can lock in on the boss’s telegraphs in these new domains, bolstering strategy.
Joo also shared that each of the monster zones will have corresponding combat elements that reflect the domain’s traits. With the examples explained below:
- Hemesia: Built on labor, focused on harvesting the Black Crystals; that resource is key to combat in the domain.
- Magaia: A domain is divided into solo zones (where Elion’s followers gather around a brazier) and party monster zones (work with party members to balance a giant scale during combat)
New Monster Zone: Sulfur Golem
The new monster zone, Sulfur Golem, is right above Calphras, the final zone of Edania Part I, and similar in difficulty to Agris of Part II. The zone itself is located in the upper area of the Valencia Roud Sulfur Mine. Here, players will be able to obtain the Rich Merchant’s Ring Piece like in Olun’s Valley.
Sulfur Golem has also been designed to be a solo monster zone.
Recommended AP/DP for New Monster Zones
- Sulfur Golum: 400/470
- Agris: 400/470
- Markthana: 405/485
- Elion: 410/490
- Aal: 415/495
- Elion (Party): 415/500
- Hadum: 420/510
New Accessories: Ekleta
Ekleta is a signature new accessory that players will find in Edania Part II. To obtain the new accessories in Edania Part II, players will need to use the NOV (IX) Kharazad Accessory to obtain the Ekleta Accessory. Then players will need to convert the DEC (X) Kharazad Accessory into the TET (IV) Ekleta Accessory.
When it comes to the Specs for the Ekleta accessories, players should know that they are the same as the Kharazad Accessories. They cannot be listed on the Central Market. They also cannot be destroyed or downgraded when a Cron Stone enhancement fails.
To enhance the Elekta Accessory, players will need to use the Causality Shardstones for the respective accessories (necklace, earring, ring, belt) and can be crafted with materials found in the Edania Part II Monster Zones.
What is the Edania Part II release date?
Edania Part 2 is currently set to roll out in three phases begining in late July:
- July 29th: Sulfur Golem Monster Zone
- August 12th: All regions and items in Edania Part 2 except Hadum
- September 19th: Hadum Boss and Main Quest
Black Desert Online is available to play now on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
