It was Dark Arisen that first made Dragon's Dogma truly popular. Now, Japanese developer and publisher Capcom is building on that success, taking Dragon's Dogma 2 to a whole new level with the Dark Arisen expansion.
Released in March 2024 and having sold more than 4.2 million copies to date, Dragon's Dogma 2 is getting a major expansion titled Dark Arisen. The first game in the series also received an expansion of the same name that expanded and improved the game, and it is likely that this expansion will do the same.
The expansion sends players to the long-abandoned northern region of Norgan, where they must team up with Eir to unravel the mysteries of the fallen immortal dragon. Along the way, players will dig up and examine forgotten relics to unlock new weapons and abilities. In addition to the icy landscape, the main area features 12 new Lost Rites dungeon challenges. These trials are designed to hone players' skills and reward them with rare or unique equipment.
The character creation system offers new options as well © Capcom
The potential of the relics collected by the Awakened is only realised once they have been examined by Jiera, the matriarch of the Norgan Settlement. Although certain relics may appear similar at first, their final form can differ considerably. Not only do weapons and armour obtained through appraisal offer improved stats depending on the rarity of the original relic, they can also grant new abilities or refine the existing abilities of the Awakened and their vassals.
The main game is also being overhauled. A June update made fast travel more accessible by introducing reusable Eternal Travel Stones and included further usability improvements in various areas of the game, as well as removing many of the controversial microtransactions. The second update, released at the end of August, improved performance on all platforms, added extra save slots, and made adjustments to the Dragon Plague. It also increased the number of weapon skill slots from four to six.
Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen © Capcom
The Dark Arisen expansion for Dragon's Dogma 2 is set to launch on 9 October 2026, priced at €29.99, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, which includes Dragon's Dogma 2 and all the Dark Arisen expansion content, will also be released on the same day for the Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam for the first time. The Norgan Mod Set – Clothing of the North is available as a pre-order bonus and can be accessed via the in-game save file upon release.
Dark Arisen introduces new challenges and adventures, while also making significant changes to the main game. It's a great expansion!
