Crimson Desert Unlocks Ascended Skills Through Trials
Players can earn upgrades to existing abilities by completing boss rush encounters in the Garden of Trials.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Gaming
In Crimson Desert, players can unlock Ascended Skills, which upgrade existing abilities, by completing Garden of Trials encounters. Most of the upgrades provide simple bonuses, such as reduced Spirit or Stamina costs.
Why it matters
Ascended Skills give players a way to refine their combat builds across the game's playable characters. The Garden of Trials adds a structured, repeatable challenge format to progression.
Kliff has 10 Ascended Skills, while Damiane and Oongka each have four. Garden of Trials battles disable healing items, though players can lower difficulty and summon other playable characters for assistance.
The players
Crimson Desert
An action-adventure game released March 19, 2026 across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
The details
Garden of Trials encounters are boss rush challenges introduced through a dedicated Faction Quest under the Charting the Unknown category. Completing them unlocks Ascended Skills, and summoning other playable characters can assist during battles.
Timeline
March 19, 2026: Crimson Desert released on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Season Trajectory
The Ascended Skills system in Crimson Desert extends the game's ability progression through structured boss-rush challenges rather than open-ended grinding. Its dedicated Faction Quest framing places the Garden of Trials at the center of mid-game progression.
Players on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S can access Ascended Skills by completing Garden of Trials encounters. Those playing on Xbox should note the game requires about 150 GB of storage.
The takeaway
Spending time in the Garden of Trials is the most direct route to stronger ability upgrades for each playable character. Players who want a lighter challenge can lower difficulty during these fights.
Further reading
Explore more gaming news and guides for additional context on in-game progression systems.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Game Rant.
