Black Desert Online cranks up the heat with new Expansion, Valencia Part One, out today

Black Desert Online has officially launched its massive Expansion, Valencia Part One, which brings a host of additions to an already massive MMO. The most notable addition is that the game world is 30% larger thanks to an all new desert area to explore that's rife with harsh weather conditions, simulating extreme heat during the day and intense cold during the night so players must prepare and take care before venturing forth.

There's also a ton of new weapons, armor, and accessories, like the Rocaba Armor and Rosar weapons, as well as camel and elephant mounts alongside hundreds of new additional quests.

Developer Pearl Abyss also provided an update on the game's Castle Siege and Node warfare modes saying:

"Reported issues are currently being addressed, and a second test period will be announced before these PvP modes are permanently added to the game."

Here's a list of key features that have been added with the Valencia Part One expansion:

• More than 500 new quests
• New areas to explore
• Upgraded enchantment system (+20)
• Guild housing
• New mounts to ride (Camel and Elephant)
• Whale hunting
• New crops and crafting recipes

If you want to stay up to date on all things Black Desert Online, you can head over to the game's official forums here. And if you've seen enough to make you want to take the plunge, head over here to buy Black Desert Online.