Amsterdam, The Netherlands — Sept 8, 2026 — Pearl Abyss will bring its MMORPG videogame Black Desert to the Korean Festival at the Grote Kerk in The Hague on Friday, Sept. 11, giving visitors the opportunity to experience the game’s combat and Korean-inspired world firsthand.
At the Black Desert booth, visitors can take on the Land of the Morning Light Black Shrine, a combat-focused challenge featuring a range of formidable bosses inspired by Korean folklore. The booth will be equipped with five gaming stations fitted with 27 inch Samsung Odyssey G60SD gaming monitors, allowing visitors to step into the world of Black Desert and put their skills to the test.
Everyone who visits the Black Desert booth will receive a Traveler Edition, valued at 10 Euro. Visitors who successfully defeat the Black Shrine challenge will also receive a special-edition Black Desert plush as a trophy.
Bringing Korea-Inspired Fantasy to The Hague
Black Desert is a MMORPG developed by Pearl Abyss that combines a wide variety of action combat styles with exploration and an extensive life skills system. Players can travel across a large fantasy world, customize their characters, explore cities and wilderness, sail across oceans, engage in battles, and pursue activities such as fishing, trading, alchemy and housing.
The game’s Land of the Morning Light region draws heavily from Korean history, folklore, architecture and traditional storytelling. Rather than relying solely on conventional monster-hunting zones, the region introduces players to a series of stories and iconic boss encounters based on Korean folklore.
Among the region’s challenges is the Black Shrine, also known as Boss Blitz, where players face bosses with distinctive attack patterns and characteristics. The original roster includes figures such as Gumiho, the fox spirit; the Bamboo Legion; Changui; Mudang Wraith; Songakshi; the Golden Pig King; Duoksini, the king of the Dokkebi; and Sangoon, the tiger king. Players must learn each boss’ patterns and adapt their combat strategy to overcome them.
For players who can't make it to the booth, Black Desert has recently introduced the Hyper Boost content to help players progress faster through the game, so you can easily catch up to other players.
The Land of the Morning Light was introduced as a new region designed around Korean folklore and storytelling, offering players a different approach to exploring the Black Desert world. The region has since been expanded, including the addition of Seoul, the capital of the Land of the Morning Light.
About the Korean Festival Initiative
The Korean Festival, organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, will take place on Friday, Sept. 11, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Grote of Sint-Jacobskerk, also known as the Grote Kerk, in central The Hague. Admission is complimentary, and everyone is welcome.
Organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, the festival marks the first large-scale edition of the Korean Festival in The Hague following Korean cultural events previously held in Amsterdam. The event brings together traditional Korean culture and contemporary Korean creativity through performances, food, workshops, exhibitions and interactive activities.
The festival’s program includes K-pop dance performances, Taekwondo demonstrations by Kukkiwon, Korean classical music and jazz, as well as the final of the Korean Cooking Competition. Visitors can also explore a Korean food market featuring dishes, snacks and desserts, participate in cultural workshops, discover Korean calligraphy and tea, play Korean games, and visit interactive exhibitions and Korea-themed photo zones.
The festival also highlights South Korea’s contemporary innovation across food, technology and lifestyle, with participating companies and brands showcasing products and innovations.
With its focus on both traditional culture and modern Korean entertainment, the Korean Festival provides a setting for visitors to discover different aspects of South Korea including through the Korean-inspired world of Black Desert.
ABOUT BLACK DESERT IP
The Black Desert IP is Pearl Abyss' open-world action MMORPG franchise with cutting-edge visuals and skill-based combat that redefines the genre. With the most developed character customization system of any game currently on the market, players can break out of the norm and make unique characters that truly represent themselves. Its intuitive controls, beautifully designed world, and extensive lore will excite both newcomers and veterans of MMO games and action RPGs. Pearl Abyss is currently servicing the Black Desert IP, which has gained 55 million players across the world on PC, mobile, and console.
ABOUT PEARL ABYSS
Established in 2010, Pearl Abyss is a leading developer in the game industry with its renowned MMORPG franchise Black Desert and the open-world action-adventure game Crimson Desert. All of Pearl Abyss’ games are built on the company’s proprietary engine and are renowned for cutting-edge graphics. Pearl Abyss is currently developing DokeV, and PLAN 8 using its next-generation game engine and is poised to grow its overseas market. More information about Pearl Abyss is available at: www.pearlabyss.com.