Black Desert raised the character level cap from 70 to 75 on NA/EU PC with the 8 October 2026 patch. Every level from 70 to 75 now adds +3 Extra AP Against Monsters and +3 Monster Damage Reduction, so a level 75 character carries +18 of each in PvE, and that bonus also reaches any character tagged to it.
Level 75 update: key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Patch date | 8 October 2026, NA/EU PC |
| Max level | 70 raised to 75; EXP no longer increases at 75 |
| Level bonus | +3 Extra AP Against Monsters and +3 Monster Damage Reduction per level from 70, +18 each at 75 |
| Per-kill EXP cap | About 0.01% of a level at 65 and above, cap includes EXP buffs |
| Combat Secret Books | Added after the 15 October maintenance, granted retroactively from 8 October |
| EXP buffs | Body Enhancement 50% to 100%, Adventure's Boon 15% to 30%, 4-part Pearl Outfit 10% to 50% |
| Patch size | 117 updates, about 891 MB |
Pearl Abyss said openly why it made the change: before this patch the game had no real level ceiling, EXP requirements climbed so steeply that further levels were barely possible, and the rewards for them were thin. The revamp turns levels 70 to 75 into milestones with combat value.
The My Information (P) window now shows your current EXP and the amount needed for the next level.
What levels 70 to 75 give you
The new stats only work against monsters. They do nothing in Node War, Arena of Solare or open world PvP, which is why PvP players are less excited than grinders. The official table from the patch notes:
| Level | Extra AP Against Monsters | Monster Damage Reduction |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | +3 | +3 |
| 71 | +6 | +6 |
| 72 | +9 | +9 |
| 73 | +12 | +12 |
| 74 | +15 | +15 |
| 75 | +18 | +18 |
The values replace each other, they do not add up. A level 73 character has +12 in total, not 3+6+9+12. You can see the active values under Detailed Stats in the My Stats window.
The tag rule most players miss
The bonus also applies to a tagged character, whatever that character's own level is. Pearl Abyss's example: if a level 70 character and a level 66 character are tagged, the level 66 one also gets the bonus of the level 70 partner. So one character pushed to 75 can lift the alt you tag with it.
The highest level on the account now matters more than the level of the character you play. One level 75 main tagged to a farming alt gives that alt the full +18 monster AP, so the useful number is "best level on the family", not "level of this class".
Damage reduction from level difference
A second new rule rewards out-leveling a zone. For each level you are above a monster you gain +3 Monster Damage Reduction against it, up to +9 at a gap of three levels or more. Monster name colors were also cut from 11 tiers to 7, and the monster info bar now shows the monster's level.
How Combat EXP changed
The patch changed the EXP needed for every level range, the EXP from all monsters and quests, and the EXP from Black Spirit's Training. The biggest rule is a cap on how much EXP one monster kill can give, with buffs counted inside the cap.
| Character level | Max EXP from one monster (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 1 to 5 | 20% |
| 26 to 30 | 10% |
| 41 to 47 | 5% |
| 50 to 55 | 2% |
| 56 to 61 | 0.2% |
| 62 to 64 | 0.02% |
| 65 and above | 0.01% |
At 0.01% a kill, no single monster can give more than one ten-thousandth of a level once you pass 65. Leveling past 70 is now steady volume grinding plus content rewards, not one lucky pack.
Pearl Abyss also adjusted early quest rewards: finishing "[Mediah] Reliving the Darkness" now takes a character to level 60, and starting the Olvia Academy Combat Course at 60 grants enough EXP to reach 61.
Combat Secret Books: EXP from PvE and PvP content
Combat Secret Books are new family-bound items that give Combat EXP. You need level 60 and the "[To Level 50!] Go Beyond Your Own Limits" quest to use them. Values below are measured at level 66.
| Book | EXP at Lv. 66 |
|---|---|
| Small (S) | 0.20% |
| Medium (M) | 1% |
| Large (L) | 7.5% |
| Extra Large (XL) | 15% |
Where the books drop:
- Black Shrine (Donghae or Hwanghae boss): 1 Small.
- Guild Boss and each Altar of Blood stage: 1 Medium.
- Node War: 2 Medium for a win, 2 Small for a loss.
- Conquest War: 1 Large for a win, 2 Medium for a loss.
- War of the Roses: 1 Extra Large for a win, 4 Medium for a loss.
- Red Battlefield, Guild League and ranked Arena of Solare: 1 Small per win.
The books go live after the 15 October maintenance. Progress from 8 October onward counts retroactively, and Guild Boss kills count from 5 October. So even PvP players get a route to 75 without endless grinding.
How to level from 70 to 75 efficiently
- Stack the buffed EXP sources. Body Enhancement at Campsites now gives 100% Combat and Skill EXP, Adventure's Boon 30%, and a 4-part Pearl Outfit 50% Combat EXP.
- Pick zones by the new info. Monster Zone Info lists the recommended level for each zone and the EXP each monster gives. Use it instead of old spot lists made under the previous EXP table.
- Stay at or above zone level. Being 1 to 3 levels above a monster cuts its damage by +3 to +9 reduction.
- Do weekly content for books. Black Shrine, Guild Boss, Altar of Blood and guild wars add EXP without extra grinding time.
- Level one character first. Because of tagging, the first 75 also strengthens the alt you tag with it.
New and returning players should not skip straight here. HYPERBOOST got a banner in the ESC menu with this patch, and the gear it gives is the base you level with. Our guide on Hyperboost vs buying a Black Desert account explains what it covers.
What level 75 means for account value
Pearl Abyss itself said that past a certain point extra levels used to give few benefits, so buyers judged accounts by Gear Score alone. That has changed. A character at 72 or 75 now has real PvE stats, and a family with a 75 main can share them with a tagged alt.
When you compare accounts, check the level of every main and the AP/DP split, not only the GS line. Our Black Desert gear and Gear Score guide covers what AP the current endgame zones expect.
If you want a character that is already past the grind, browse our Black Desert accounts for sale and look at the level next to the gear. For the full patch history, see the Black Desert updates timeline and the main Black Desert hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is the max level in Black Desert?
Level 75 on NA/EU PC since the 8 October 2026 patch. Before that it was 70, set with Edania Part 2. EXP stops increasing once a character reaches 75.
Does the level 75 bonus work in PvP?
No. Extra AP Against Monsters and Monster Damage Reduction only apply against monsters. They do not affect Node War, Arena of Solare or open world fights against players.
Do the level bonuses stack?
No. Each level replaces the previous value. Level 75 gives +18 monster AP and +18 monster damage reduction in total, not the sum of every level from 70.
Does the bonus apply to my other characters?
Only to a tagged character. When two characters are tagged, the lower one gets the bonus of the higher one's level. It is not family-wide for untagged characters.
When do Combat Secret Books arrive?
After the 15 October 2026 maintenance. Books earned from 8 October onward are granted retroactively, and Guild Boss kills count from 5 October.
Did I lose tagged EXP with the update?
Yes, if you had not claimed it. Pearl Abyss reset all unclaimed EXP in the Tag Characters window during the 8 October maintenance, as announced beforehand.
Prefer to skip the climb to 75? Our Black Desert accounts are hand-checked before listing, come with a lifetime warranty against recovery by the previous owner, and our team will help you choose the right server, class and gear level for the content you want to play.
