If you’ve spent any time following upcoming open world RPGs, you’ve probably heard the endless hype around Crimson Desert. Pearl Abyss, the studio behind the wildly popular Black Desert Online, has spent almost a decade building a gritty, lore-heavy world full of complex characters, high-stakes conflict, and gorgeous landscapes to explore. But none of that immersion would land if the characters felt flat, and a huge part of what makes the game feel so real is the talented cast behind the lines. This guide breaks down every confirmed crimson desert voice actor, their past work, and what makes their performances stand out from other RPGs on the market.
Lead Crimson Desert Voice Actors for Playable Characters
The core playable cast of Crimson Desert is made up of veteran performers with decades of experience across film, television, and high-budget video games. The lead protagonist, Kliff, a gruff mercenary leader fighting to protect his found family after a devastating war, is voiced by Gareth David-Lloyd. You might recognize him from his role as Ianto Jones in Torchwood, or his fan-favorite performance as Solas in the Dragon Age franchise. David-Lloyd brings a perfect balance of world-weary cynicism and quiet loyalty to Kliff, making even his most harsh decisions feel understandable and human.
Next up is Mara, the exiled warrior princess fighting to reclaim her kingdom from occupying forces, voiced by Sumalee Montano. Montano has an extensive resume in video game voice acting, with credits including Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us Part II, and Horizon Forbidden West. She brings a quiet, unshakable strength to Mara’s character, balancing her fierce combat skills with moments of vulnerability that make her feel far more than a generic “warrior princess” archetype.
The third core playable character, Jax, a sarcastic rogue with a mysterious past and a knack for getting in and out of trouble, is voiced by Robbie Daymond. Daymond is best known for his work in anime and JRPGs, including roles in Genshin Impact, Persona 5, and Demon Slayer. His signature snarky delivery fits Jax perfectly, and he’s responsible for many of the game’s most memorable comedic one-liners. You’ll notice most lead VAs have extensive experience in both live-action and high-budget video game projects, which is why the performances feel so grounded, even in the game’s more fantastical moments.
Pearl Abyss worked with the lead cast for over two years, recording both voice lines and motion capture at the same time to make sure every line delivery matches the character’s body language. The only downside to this thorough process? The voice and motion capture files take up almost 15 GB of extra storage space, so you’ll want to clear room on your console or PC ahead of launch.
Supporting Cast and NPC Voice Actors You’ll Recognize
The lead cast gets most of the spotlight, but any open world RPG lives or dies by the quality of its side characters and NPCs. Crimson Desert doesn’t cut corners here, even for characters that only have a handful of lines. The studio cast professional, well-known voice actors for every speaking role in the game, from the starting town blacksmith to the random bandits you fight on the side of the road. Some of the most recognizable supporting cast members include:
Even minor NPCs, like the farmer who asks you to rescue his sheep from wolves, or the city guard who complains about his 12-hour shift, are voiced by experienced performers. Pearl Abyss made a conscious choice to cast professional voice actors even for 10-line roles to keep the world feeling consistent and immersive. I tested a 3-hour demo of the game last year, and I found myself stopping mid-quest just to listen to two random villagers argue about crop prices, because their delivery felt so natural and unscripted.
You won’t find any generic, low-quality voice lines for random enemies either. Every bandit, soldier, and monster you encounter has unique voice lines recorded by professional voice actors, so you won’t hear the same three grunt sound effects repeated every time you get into a fight. It’s a small detail, but it makes a huge difference in how immersive the world feels during long play sessions.
What Makes the Crimson Desert Voice Acting Stand Out From Other RPGs
Plenty of RPGs have talented voice casts, but Crimson Desert’s production process makes its performances feel uniquely authentic. Most big-budget games record voice lines in separate booths months after motion capture is finished, which can lead to line deliveries that feel disconnected from the character’s movements and facial expressions. Pearl Abyss did things differently: every voice line was recorded at the same time as motion capture, with the actors wearing full motion capture suits while they delivered their lines.
This meant the actors could use their body language to inform their delivery, and adjust their lines on the fly if a movement didn’t match the tone of the script. The cast was given full freedom to ad-lib lines that felt more natural for their characters, which is a rare move for large studio games where scripts are usually locked in months before recording. For example, Gareth David-Lloyd added a few dry, sarcastic one-liners for Kliff that weren’t in the original script, and the team liked them so much they adjusted several cutscenes to fit the new, more playful tone of the character.
The localization process is another standout feature. Crimson Desert is being localized into 12 different languages, and each language’s cast is made up of native speakers who are familiar with fantasy RPG tropes and the game’s specific lore. That means you won’t get that awkward, stilted line delivery that plagues a lot of Korean-developed games when they’re localized for Western markets. The team also worked closely with each localization cast to make sure jokes, cultural references, and emotional beats land correctly in every language, rather than just translating lines word for word.
If you prefer to play games with their original audio, you’re in luck. The game lets you switch between the English dub and the original Korean voice cast at any time, no restart required. The Korean cast includes some of the biggest names in Korean voice acting, many of whom worked on Black Desert Online, so long-time Pearl Abyss fans will recognize a lot of familiar voices.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Game’s Voice Cast
We get a lot of questions from fans about the crimson desert voice actors, so we’ve rounded up the most common ones here to save you time searching for answers.
First, will there be dual audio options? Yes, as we mentioned earlier, you can switch between English and Korean audio at any time, with more language options being added in a free post-launch update. Each language pack is optional to download, so if you only plan to play in English, you don’t have to waste storage space on other language files.
Second, are any Black Desert Online voice actors returning for Crimson Desert? Yes! Several VAs who voiced iconic NPCs in Black Desert Online returned to voice related characters in Crimson Desert, as the two games share a loose connection in their lore. It’s a fun Easter egg for long-time fans, but you don’t need to have played Black Desert Online to understand the characters or their stories.
Third, can I meet the cast at gaming conventions? Pearl Abyss has been bringing members of the English and Korean cast to major gaming events like Gamescom, PAX West, and Tokyo Game Show for the past two years, and they plan to continue doing so after launch. Many of the cast members also stream on Twitch and YouTube occasionally, where they talk about their work on the game, answer fan questions, and even play through demo builds.
Fourth, will post-launch DLC add new voice actors? The dev team has confirmed that three new playable characters will be added in free post-launch DLC over the first year after release, each with their own dedicated voice actors. They’ve teased that they’re in talks with several high-profile performers for these roles, but they haven’t announced any names yet. We’ll update this guide as soon as more details are released.
The level of care Pearl Abyss put into casting and recording the crimson desert voice actors is just one sign of how committed the studio is to making the game feel as immersive and alive as possible. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the cast’s previous work, or you just want to know who’s behind the character you’re going to sink 100+ hours into, knowing the people behind the voices adds a whole new layer of appreciation for the game. As more cast members are revealed ahead of launch, we’ll keep this guide updated with all the latest details, so you can stay in the loop about every performer involved in the project.