Dragon's Dogma2 is about to release its first DLC, "Dark Arisen," soon. This DLC will add a brand-new large-scale exploration area and 12 unique dungeons. The "Hard Mode," developed alongside the DLC, will also launch on October 9th together with the DLC.
What new gameplay the DLC adds and how much it changes the gaming experience are concerns very important to players. In the original Dragon's Dogma, the DLC also named "Dark Arisen" significantly expanded the game content and was highly praised. Whether Dragon's Dogma 2's DLC of the same name can replicate this success will soon be answered.
During "Tokyo Game Show 2026," Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen also had a booth on-site offering demos. We were fortunate to be invited by CAPCOM to interview two core members of the development team—Game Director Kento Kinoshita and Producer Naoto Oyama—to discuss the design philosophy behind Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen.
Mr. Naoto Oyama (left) and Mr. Kento Kinoshita (right)
Q: After the release of Dragon's Dogma 2, player reviews were quite polarized. Combat, Pawns, and the open world received praise, but criticisms included limited enemy variety, late-game difficulty, and repetitive exploration. Looking back on these past two years, which issues pointed out by players did you feel truly needed changing?
Kinoshita:Over the past two years, we have received various opinions, many of which wereThe passionate calls of "Please don't let this journey end here" are what drove the development of the "Dark Arisen" DLC. Among these opinions, what we felt most needed improvement was: we originally hoped to let everyone enjoy a true adventure and built content around that, but some parts ended up feeling inconvenient to players. We listened to player feedback on these issues and have been improving them ever since.
Oyama:We have always pushed forward with version updates based on received feedback: belonging to Dragon's Dogma2's core systems that needed correction were included in free updates, applicable to both the base game and the "Dark Arisen" DLC; while new content intended to be experienced with a fresh mindset was incorporated into the "Dark Arisen" DLC.
Kinoshita:Specifically regarding feedback, concerningIn response to feedback that "enemies in the late game are too easy," we have added a Hard Mode: even as players become stronger, playing on Hard Mode will continue to provide thrilling experiences. Hard Mode will launch on October 9th alongside the DLC, and can be used in both the base game and "Dark Arisen."
Q: Criticism regarding repeatedly encountering similar enemies and battles during exploration in the base game was also prominent. With the addition of 12 "The Forgotten Trials" dungeons this time, how did you design them to avoid simply placing existing enemies into 12 rooms?
Kinoshita:The 12 dungeons each have different concepts. For example, there are strategy-focused dungeons centered on bombs, requiring extensive use of bombs to defeat enemies, and others with long processes where you collect items while challenging how deep you can explore, each with distinct themes. Furthermore, enemy strength across all 12 dungeons has been generally increased. Players need to face the strategic theme of each dungeon, battle and defeat enemies stronger than those in the base game, and find enjoyment in doing so.
Oyama:A previous version update added a quest involving the"Polluted Chimera" battle; these polluted enemies will also appear in the 12 dungeons.Additionally, recently revealedThe eyeball monster "Evil Eye" seen in the PV will also be added as a new enemy.
Q: Players easily compare "The Forgotten Trials" with Bitterblack Isle from the first game's DLC, "Dark Arisen." Did you deliberately avoid making it a second Bitterblack Isle? Or was the experience from the first "Dark Arisen" DLC an important reference for this design?
Kinoshita:The design concept was different from Bitterblack Isle from the start. We understand why players might compare the two, but it is not a single deep dungeon, but ratherThe 12 dungeons each have different concepts and themes, differing greatly from development philosophy to actual gameplay experience. Each dungeon also features replayability elements, allowing players to repeatedly collect materials to enhance their equipment, but this approach is completely different from that of Bitterblack Isle.
Oyama:The so-called gameplay loop of Bitterblack Isle, where you collect unidentified items, bring them back, identify them, and enhance weapons, was not included this time inthe 12 dungeonsin, but rather placed in the new area, Nogen—What we prepared is an experience that lets players enjoy hack-and-slash gameplay in an open world.
Q: Through the identification of Relic Weapons, Dragon's Dogma 2's equipment system introduced random effects for the first time. Is the DLC deliberately creating a "Diablo"-style loot-grinding loop? And how does this loop coexist with the series' traditional action-exploration experience?
Kinoshita:Although the question uses"Diablo" as an example, but the experience in Nogen is not about repeatedly farming the same dungeon-style instance to get the same Relic Weapons. We deliberately designed it so that players advance their own quests across vast fields, fight enemies encountered along the way, explore various locations, and obtain Relic Weapons while traversing this rich landscape.
Oyama:Not just in combat, but also during exploration of the open fields, you can obtain Relic Weapons. This is one of the pleasures we prepared in response to player feedback regarding exploration enjoyment. Explore Nogen to find Relic Weapons, use good ones to enhance weapons, armor, and skills, and then embark on new explorations—I think we have created this kind of cyclical fun.
Q: A new Hard Mode has been confirmed, which not only increases enemy stats but also adjusts enemy placement and AI behavior. To provide challenge and fun for veteran players without simply inflating numbers, what kind of design is required?
Kinoshita:The core concept of Hard Mode is to let players enjoy a thrilling adventure from beginning to end. Rather than saying Dragon's Dogma 2is an action game, it is more accurate to say it is an"adventure game," where combat occurs within the adventure. We hope players will start considering using items that are rarely used in Normal Mode, raising awareness of items, and adjusting balance around this gameplay experience.
If you start Hard Mode with a new save file, you will definitely be able to maintain a thrilling experience throughout.But if you've already leveled up toLevel 999 players choosing Hard Mode, given the excessively high stats, would likely struggle to feel thrilled. Such high-level players can challenge the new DLC area, Nogen, and the 12 dungeons—we designed them to provide tense and chewy combat even for high-level playerscontent.
Oyama:Save files started on Normal Mode can switch to Hard Mode midway. However, switching back from Hard Mode to Normal Mode requires clearing the game once. Additionally, the launch day update will add a feature to restart from the beginning at any time. If you find yourself stuck in Hard Mode, you can return to the start and restart on Normal Mode. However, since this involves extra steps, please consider carefully before switching to Hard Mode.
Q: This time, instead of adding new vocations, the focus was on strengthening existing ones and expanding skill loadout slots—why was the most straightforward approach of "new vocations" not adopted to ensure freshness?
Kinoshita:I understand that new vocations can indeed bring huge topics and brand-new gameplay experiences. But more importantly, in Dragon's Dogma2, many players have their favorite vocations, so we focused on expanding skill loadout slots and combining them with new skills obtained in Nogen, allowing players to delve deeper into their beloved vocations. Plus, since everyone has waited a long time, we didn't want to make players wait any longer—between creating new fields and enemies to expand content and increasing the play density of beloved vocations, we ultimately did not use "only new vocations matter" as the criterion.
Q: Nogen is a region covered in snow and ice year-round. Beyond visual effects and weather presentation, what specific mechanical changes has it brought to core systems such as grab detection during climbing, Pawn exploration, and monster behavior patterns?
Kinoshita:Whether this counts as a core system, I'm not entirely sure. But the key to the new adventure experience in Nogen is the addition of many elements absent from the base game—So, it's not just about looking cold. For example, blizzards have wind direction; jumping with the wind allows you to fly farther, while moving against the wind slows you down and reduces jump distance. We directly connected the influence of wind to gameplay; these basic mechanics, absent from the base game, are new additions this time.
Oyama:Furthermore, when visibility drops due to blizzards, Beorcans (a group of larger barbarian-type enemies) will appear. They call out to each other in the snowstorm, surrounding and attacking the player. This specialized scenario utilizing sound echoes is also absent from the base game. Additionally, there are dragons capable of manipulating weather to create stronger blizzards.
Q: The Ice Dragon Fimbul is said to be the key monster holding the best Relic Weapons. What is its relationship with the "Dragon of Reason's Outside"?
Kinoshita:The two are completely different in scale. The Dragon of Reason's Outside is a dragon deeply connected to the story, while Fimbul is a dragon inhabiting the Nogen region; their positions and levels are entirely different.
Oyama:It is also possible to obtain powerful Relic Weapons from Fimbul, but it is not actually positioned as the holder of the best Relic Weapons.
Q: Finally, please share a few words with Chinese players.
Kinoshita:Dragon's Dogma2: Dark Arisen is about to be released. We have reached this point thanks to players' passionate messages saying "Don't let Dragon's Dogma 2 end here." We hope core fans will fully enjoy the game, and we also hope players new to Dragon's Dogma 2 will try it out—it is a substantial game including the DLC, so please give it a play.
Oyama:The game is about to be released, so please wait a little longer. While waiting, you can use the already releasedthe "Character Creation & Storage" tool to experience new hairstyles and tattoos in the Nogen style. The Switch 2 demo has also been released, so everyone can create their new look and change into new outfits to prepare for the journey.
Dragon's Dogma2: Dark Arisen will be officially released on October 9, 2026. Just wait a little longer to find out what new experiences this adventure in the ice and snow will bring.