Crimson Desert’s latest patch changed one small thing that has a massive impact on how you fill out your knowledge journal. Version 1.18.00, released August 15, 2026, now lets you gain knowledge of certain animals by picking them up instead of killing them. That means you can complete your collection without turning every rabbit, fox, or bird into a corpse. This guide walks you through exactly how to do it, why it matters, and why the old “just kill them” approach is now the wrong one for any serious completionist.
The patch note is short. “Improved the knowledge system so that knowledge of certain animals can be gained by picking them up, instead of killing them.” One sentence. But it rewrites the rules for how you interact with the game’s wildlife. Before this patch, you had to kill animals to unlock their knowledge entries. Now you can approach them, press the interact button, and scoop them up. The knowledge registers immediately. The animal lives. You move on.
What animals can you pick up? The patch says “certain animals.” Based on the official patch notes and community testing, these are primarily small, non-hostile creatures: rabbits, foxes, small birds, rodents, and similar fauna. Larger predators or aggressive animals still require combat. But for the majority of the “animal” knowledge category, picking up is now the only way to get the entry without bloodshed. The video commentary from the developer’s patch review confirms this: “Picking up the animals instead of killing them to get the knowledge – very cool.”
How to Pick Up Animals for Knowledge
The mechanic is straightforward. You find a small animal in the wild. Walk up to it. When the interact prompt appears, press the appropriate button (E on keyboard, Square on PlayStation, X on Xbox). The character lifts the animal. A brief animation plays. The knowledge entry unlocks. That’s it.
You don’t need any special skill, tool, or quest. The animal doesn’t fight back. It doesn’t run away any faster than it already does. The key is getting close enough before it scampers off. Approach slowly. Crouch if you have to. The game’s lock-on options, which were also expanded in this patch, can help you keep your camera steady while approaching. Use the new “Manual” lock-on setting to track the animal without losing your ability to rotate the camera freely.
If you already completed a quest that required killing a specific animal, don’t worry. The patch also mentions that “certain quest knowledge entries will be granted retroactively if the corresponding quest has already been completed.” So if you killed that rabbit three months ago, the knowledge for that animal might already be in your journal. New players or those starting fresh should aim to pick up every small animal they see.
Where to find animals? The patch also improved the map. Here’s the direct quote: “Improved the map so that areas revealed by ringing the bell can be visually distinguished from areas explored directly.” Use the bell to reveal foggy areas. Those newly revealed zones often contain clusters of animals. The map now shows a clear visual difference between bell-revealed terrain and player-explored terrain. Stick to the bell-revealed areas first. Animals there are untouched and less likely to be already killed.
Why Picking Up Animals Is the Better Approach
Three reasons make this the superior method for knowledge hunters.
First, it’s faster. Killing an animal requires chasing it, attacking, maybe multiple hits, and then waiting for the loot animation. Picking up is a single button press. No combat. No cleanup. The animal is right there. You lift it, knowledge pops, you move on. In a game where you need to collect dozens of animal entries, the time saved adds up.
Second, it preserves the ecosystem–in a practical sense. Some animals in Crimson Desert are tied to specific quests or future content. The patch notes mention moving the “Baker’s Note” item and changing quest requirements. If you kill a unique animal, you might break a future quest line. The game has already shown that it retroactively grants knowledge, but that only applies to quests already completed. For new animals, you risk being locked out of knowledge if you kill them and the game later requires a live specimen. Picking up avoids that entirely.
Third, the change aligns with the game’s broader design philosophy. Crimson Desert has always pushed for player choice. The lock-on camera options now have three settings instead of two. The stable lets you equip horse gear directly. The research system switched from silver to camp funds to make your camp more useful. These are all small quality-of-life improvements that reward thoughtful play over brute force. Picking up animals instead of killing them fits that trend. It’s the intended path.
The One Counterargument – and Why It Fails
Some players will argue that killing is more reliable. They’ll say certain animals are aggressive and attack you on sight, making it impossible to pick them up without first fighting. They’ll also claim that killing gives you loot – meat, hides, crafting materials – while picking up gives you nothing but knowledge.
That argument misses the point. The patch specifically says “certain animals” can be picked up. If an animal is aggressive, it’s probably not one of those “certain animals.” You’re not meant to pick up a wolf or a bear. You kill those. The change applies to passive wildlife. And the loot argument? The knowledge entry is the reward. If you need materials, go kill a different animal. But for the knowledge journal, picking up is the only way that works for those specific creatures. The patch note says “instead of killing them” – meaning the knowledge is now tied to the non-lethal action. If you kill a rabbit, you might get meat, but you will not get the knowledge entry. The old method is obsolete for that goal.
So the counterargument collapses. You can’t claim killing is better for knowledge when killing no longer gives knowledge for those animals. The game changed the rules. The only way to get that knowledge is to pick them up.
What About Animals That Can’t Be Picked Up?
Not every animal is pickable. The patch says “certain animals.” Large predators, aggressive creatures, and bosses are not included. For those, you still have to fight. The patch also improved “the wording of certain boss knowledge entries,” so those entries are still combat-based. The picking-up mechanic is strictly for small fauna.
That said, the patch notes hint at further improvements. There’s a fix for “Sir Catfish repeatedly performing a specific action” – a named NPC animal. That suggests the developers are paying attention to animal behavior. The picking-up feature might expand in future patches. For now, treat it as the primary method for all small, non-hostile creatures.
Tips for Maximizing Animal Knowledge Collection
- Use the bell to reveal new areas. The map improvement makes it easy to spot unexplored bell-revealed zones. Those areas are fresh.
- Approach slowly. Animals flee if you sprint. Crouch or walk.
- Use the new camera lock-on options. Set lock-on rotation to “Manual.” This lets you keep the animal centered while you move your camera to watch for threats.
- Check your knowledge journal regularly. The new “Quests” category includes sub-categories like “Investigation Quests” and “Daily Life Quests.” Some animal knowledge might be tied to those quests, not just the animal itself.
- Don’t kill small animals unless you need materials. If you accidentally kill one, the knowledge might be lost. You can’t get it from that corpse. Wait for a respawn or find another.
The Bigger Picture: Why This Change Matters
The animal pick-up mechanic is a small line in a patch that includes dozens of bug fixes, UI improvements, and localization corrections. But it signals something larger. The developers are paying attention to player feedback about non-lethal gameplay. The video commentary from the patch notes says “a lot of people are going to be thankful for this one.” They’re right.
The change also complements other updates in 1.18.00. The research system now uses camp funds instead of silver, which makes your camp more than just a storage hub. The stable lets you equip horse gear directly. The map now distinguishes bell-revealed areas. All of these push the player to explore, manage resources, and interact with the world in a thoughtful way. Picking up animals fits that ethos.
One nuance that hasn’t been discussed: the retroactive knowledge grant might not apply to every animal. The patch only guarantees it for quest knowledge entries. If you killed a random rabbit that wasn’t part of a quest, you might still need to find a live one and pick it up. That means old saves aren’t automatically safe. If you’re coming back to the game after a break, check your knowledge journal. You might be missing entries that you thought you had.
The shift from killing to picking up animals is a quiet revolution in Crimson Desert’s design. It rewards patience over aggression, exploration over grinding. For completionists, it’s a gift. For players who just want to level up, it’s a faster path. And for those who argue that killing is more efficient – well, the game just proved them wrong.
