How to pickpocket in Crimson Desert

Working out how to pickpocket in Crimson Desert might have you a bit stumped. After all, the system in this game is very different to any I’ve seen before—you can’t simply sneak up behind someone and have a rummage about in their rear compartment. Nope, there’s a trick you need to pickpocket beyond simply crouching and trying to look sneaky.

You’ll also need a mask to commit any petty crimes, so I’ll explain how to get one of those down below, too.

How to pickpocket in Crimson Desert

You can buy a mask at any Back Alley Shop (Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

Just like stealing in Crimson Desert, you’ll first need a mask in order to pickpocket. You can buy these from Back Alley Shops such as the one in Hernand, though you can also earn one through your first bounty mission to capture Jeffrey in Chapter 2, or sometimes loot them from enemies and bandits.

Once you have a mask, you simply have to bump into someone to pickpocket them. When you do, you’ll spot a little prompt that appears, either E on mouse and keyboard or X on controller, which lets you quickly pilfer an item from them. This is random, so you’ll often end up with somewhat useless stuff, but you’ll get better loot if you pickpocket nobles. You can even pickpocket gold bars from them, so it can be lucrative, RNG willing. You can find a load of nobles around the bank in Hernand, or at the various manors in the city limits, so be sure to try your luck.

You have to bump into people for the pickpocket prompt to appear (Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

The only problem with pickpocketing is there doesn’t seem to be a way to do it without getting detected. Guards won’t arrest you, per se, but you will have to run outside of the red witness circle or wait for the timer on your crime to run out. You’ll also slowly accrue a fine and lose Contribution, though only the same five points you lose for stealing items. So, while it’s not worth pickpocketing everyone, it’s not a bad idea if you’re flush with Contribution points and spot a noble approaching.

About