Pearl Abyss' MMORPG 'Black Desert' launched its 'Hyper Boost' system on July 29. It is a permanent growth system designed to help new and returning players, as well as any adventurer in need of a boost, gain access to major content.

In a long-running MMORPG, events that bridge the gap between existing players and new or returning ones are nothing new. Many games currently run similar events, touting 'ultra-fast growth.'

However, the 'Black Desert' Hyper Boost I experienced was a bit different. There are no potions that instantly grant max level, and you won't find a chest in your inventory filled with endgame gear that you wouldn't normally dream of owning.

Instead, it felt designed to help you adapt to Black Desert's content and growth structure by completing tasks one by one. While there is a clear goal of 'making your character stronger,' the focus is more on the process of gradually understanding the game.

Hyper Boost? Season? It looks a bit complicated at first, but...

Black Desert's Hyper Boost event is broadly divided into four stages. The goal is to follow the steps outlined on the official website and eventually reach a 'combined AP/DP of 750.'

In Black Desert, 'AP+DP' is the sum of a character's Attack and Defense, serving as the primary metric for their combat power. This figure is crucial for choosing appropriate hunting grounds and participating in various other content.

At the recent Heidel Ball where the Hyper Boost was announced, the developers explained that players can begin participating in major content like boss raids and weekly activities once they reach a combined AP/DP of around 730.

To experience this 'Hyper Boost' from the perspective of a beginner, I started by creating a 'Season Character.'

It has been quite a while since Black Desert adopted a seasonal system. At some point, the system was transitioned to a permanent state to help players adapt. You can choose to create a season character in the character selection window, and unless you use special paid items, you can only have one at a time. Once a season character graduates, you can create the next one.

Season characters have the advantage of faster growth using dedicated season servers and gear. This season revamp is the first step of the 'Hyper Boost.'

The core structure—leveling up by completing tasks and graduating from the season to earn rewards—remains the same. However, the tasks required during the growth process have been significantly eased.

The biggest difference is that acquiring gear has become noticeably simpler. Before last December, you had to use 'Naru' gear early in the season, enhance it to the max, and exchange it for 'Tuvala Gear.' Then, you had to enhance that Tuvala gear to the highest level before you could even think about graduating. The season tasks were also complex for newcomers, involving specific enhancement levels or separate requests.

However, starting with this season's 'Hyper Boost,' these requirements have been significantly eased, making it easy to obtain fully enhanced PEN (V) Tuvala Gear just by leveling up. As a bonus, the base stats of Tuvala Gear have been slightly increased, allowing for a relatively smoother hunting experience than before.

As a beginner in Black Desert, there are two main ways to level a season character to 60: following the main questline step-by-step, or choosing 'Simplified Main Quest' and focusing on hunting for EXP.

For players who have never played Black Desert or aren't interested in the story, the simplified main quest is the key to finishing the season quickly. By using EXP-boosting items—which are generously given out in events or can be bought with silver in the Pearl Shop—you can reach level 50+ in under two hours.

However, if you are new to Black Desert, it's hard to know which hunting grounds to visit at which level. If you check the 'Hunting Grounds' section in the ESC menu, you can see which areas are suitable for your character and get directions to them.

As a reporter who has bought enough Pearl outfits in the past to have practically paid for a chair in the Pearl Abyss office cafe, I leveled up by revisiting famous hunting grounds from my memories. At level 30, the Biraghi Den; at level 50, the Catfishmen... these were the textbook hunting grounds back in the day.

Once you hit level 56, the quest to unlock your Awakening weapon becomes available. After easily completing the Awakening quest with the help of the Black Spirit, you reach the 58–60 level range, which can be a relatively(?) high barrier to entry.

But even this section is easy to break through with the gear set provided after the Hyper Boost. After hunting for a while at the 'Crescent Shrine' where undead constantly appear, you'll find yourself at level 60. Even if you do absolutely nothing else but hit level 60, you are given the opportunity to receive all Season Pass rewards and graduate.

And that is the first stage of the Hyper Boost.

Welcome to the Olvia Academy

Once you graduate from the season, you can no longer stay on the season server. You've only leveled up and received gear, but suddenly you're sent out into a much larger world. The world of Black Desert is too vast and wide to face immediately.

The 'Olvia Academy' was created for beginner adventurers who might ask, 'I've graduated, now what?' Located in the quiet Olvia village west of Velia Town, the academy offers various educational courses. The next step of the Hyper Boost is to complete the combat course here.

The goal of the combat course is to obtain five 'PEN (V) Blackstar Weapons'—a growth support system enhanced by this Hyper Boost. However, be careful: the key is to use these five Blackstar weapons to craft the next tier, 'Gunsun Weapons.' If you receive all five of the same type or give them to an alt character, your growth path might get tangled.

The official notice recommends getting two PEN (V) Blackstar main weapons, two Awakening weapons, and one secondary weapon. You can combine two PEN (V) Blackstar main weapons to craft a Gunsun main weapon, and do the same for the Awakening weapon. The secondary weapon can be crafted into a Gunsun secondary weapon using a separate method described later.

So, what do you learn in the Olvia Academy combat department? As the name suggests, you learn combat, but the classes are mostly field trips. You might be asked to eliminate 300 pirates in a specific area or face 150 powerful enemies. The tasks themselves aren't complex, so it doesn't take long to complete.

Once you've completed all combat courses and received your rewards, it's time to head to Velia Town. Meet the alchemist NPC 'Alustin' in town to receive a set of PEN (V) Karazad accessories.

To exchange for an accessory, you need 'Essence of Dawn' and 'Sharp Black Crystal Shards.' Both items can be purchased on the Central Market, so the burden isn't too high. It's a good idea to prepare in advance, as you'll need 60 Essences of Dawn and 300 Sharp Black Crystal Shards to exchange for all six accessories.

Even just by reaching this point, I found my character to be dozens of times stronger than when I first obtained my old Kzarka main weapon and shed tears of joy. However, the Hyper Boost isn't over yet.

The 'Tale of the East' journey starting from the Land of the Morning Light

The next destination is the 'Land of the Morning Light.' You must prepare for a journey to a new land that preserves the scenery of the Joseon Dynasty. If you have a character who has already completed the Magnus quest, you can travel to the Land of the Morning Light via the well; otherwise, you must complete the pre-requisite quest.

With over 10k requests in Black Desert, finding the right one can be a problem. If you press '/' to summon the Black Spirit, you can see tags before the request names that categorize the content. Magnus-related requests are marked '[Magnus]' and Land of the Morning Light requests are marked '[Land of the Morning Light]', so it's easier to find than you might think.

The goal of the 'Hyper Boost' in the Land of the Morning Light is to obtain four types of 'Armor of the Primordial.' Then, you must craft the 'Gunsun Weapon' at the Phoenix Statue located north of Seoul. Since it costs 5 million silver to travel by well each time (which is pocket change, really), it's best to be prepared not to return until you've finished all your missions.

If you are new to the Land of the Morning Light, it's easy to understand it as a region where you experience various stories based on Korean fairy tales and traditional folklore. Bosses inspired by Korean legends appear, such as the Hand-Maiden Ghost, Gumiho, the Golden Pig King, and the Mountain God. The stories in the continuous questlines following each legend are quite impressive.

To obtain all four types of Armor of the Primordial, you must progress through the Land of the Morning Light main questline up to the end of the 'Mountain God' chapter. In fact, this process might feel like the biggest wall in the Hyper Boost.

The armor provided in the Hyper Boost is obtained by defeating powerful bosses in the 'Black Shrine,' which opens after completing the folklore quests. You get one piece of armor each for defeating the Golden Pig King (Level 8 and 9) and the Gumiho (Level 8), and another for defeating the Gumiho (Level 8).

The final piece of armor requires defeating the Mountain God (Level 8). The Mountain God chapter doesn't unlock until you've cleared all the folklore quests preceding it. This means you have to clear the Mudang Wraith, Gumiho, Hand-Maiden Ghost, Doo-eok-sin-i, Bamboo Legion, Guseun-sae, Golden Pig King, Chang-gwi, and Greater Chang-gwi chapters. Considering each chapter consists of about 20 quests, that's a lot of work.

As mentioned earlier, Black Desert's Hyper Boost is not an event where you reach max level and get top-tier gear with the press of a button. There are clear steps you must take.

However, the Land of the Morning Light stories are not just tasks you have to endure to get gear. You might be surprised by the depth of the stories as you play through them. Instead of looking only for the fastest time, it's not a bad idea to proceed slowly at your own pace.

From World Boss raids to carefully curated tasks

Once you craft the Gunsun main and Awakening weapons at the Phoenix Statue and defeat the Mountain God, you will have collected most of the major gear provided by the Hyper Boost. The order doesn't matter much. Now, all that's left is to craft the Gunsun secondary weapon to complete your main gear set.

To craft the Gunsun secondary weapon, you need one PEN (V) Blackstar secondary weapon, one 'Flame of Primordiality,' and one 'Jewel of Twilight.' The Jewel of Twilight can be obtained as a reward for the Olvia Academy combat course as part of the Hyper Boost, but the problem is the Flame of Primordiality.

Normally, the Flame of Primordiality is crafted by heating 100 'Embers of Primordiality.' Before the Hyper Boost, obtaining these would have been quite difficult. However, our amazing Hyper Boost gives you 50 flames upfront by exchanging Olvia Academy Seals.

Where do you get the remaining 50? You have to participate in the Land of the Morning Light World Boss raids.

Black Desert's World Bosses appear at set times. You can check their spawn times by opening the boss menu in the bottom right, and you just need to defeat the bosses that appear in the Land of the Morning Light. Since you get a seal that can be exchanged for 50 Embers of Primordiality just by defeating them once, you can easily obtain the Gunsun secondary weapon.

'Hyper Boost' is just the beginning; more adventures await in Black Desert

If you follow all the steps, your combined AP/DP will reach just under 700. There is still a gap from the final figure promised by the Hyper Boost. The remaining process involves using the provided enhancement materials to enhance your PEN (V) Karazad accessories yourself.

Completing the Hyper Boost-exclusive Adventure Log grants you materials to guarantee the enhancement of the PEN (V) Karazad accessories you received from Alustin. However, there are other Adventure Logs you must complete first to start this one.

Completing the Adventure Logs isn't extremely difficult. In fact, recent updates have significantly lowered the difficulty of some log requests. However, it is true that it might feel a bit burdensome for players who want to reach their target AP/DP quickly.

But you don't have to obsess over the final AP/DP suggested by the Hyper Boost right away. It is more important that you start with gear strong enough to experience major content in a game as vast as Black Desert, where it's easy to feel overwhelmed by where to start.

The Hyper Boost is literally a system that gives wings to the starting point for new and returning players. While there are many gates to pass through before you can see your character become powerful in the blink of an eye, the process allows you to grasp the fun of 'Black Desert' and get a glimpse of the systems it has to offer.

Future adventures are much more vast, and you can choose the direction you want.

You can continue enhancing your Karazad accessories to aim for higher-level hunting grounds. If you liked the Land of the Morning Light story, you can continue to the Seoul region quests, which are Part 2. Players who chose the simplified main quest can go back to the beginning and follow the story of Black Desert, or collect silver through hunting and life content to purchase the gear they want.

What a player stepping into a complex, long-running MMORPG needs might not just be powerful gear. They also need a guide to tell them what to do now and where to go next.

The Hyper Boost I experienced was exactly that—a system that provides a starting line. Once you've finished the four-stage journey, you no longer need to follow the right answer. What kind of adventure you continue in the vast world of Black Desert is entirely up to you.