Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen Takes the Arisen North, and to Switch 2

In 2013, Capcom gave the first Dragon's Dogma a second life. Dark Arisen, an expanded edition, added Bitterblack Isle, a cursed island of punishing dungeons that turned a flawed cult hit into one of the most loved action RPGs of its generation.

Thirteen years later, Capcom has done it again. Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen launched on October 9, 2026 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The full package, base game plus expansion, costs $49.99; players who already own Dragon's Dogma 2 on PS5, Xbox or Steam can buy the expansion alone for $29.99. It is also the game's first appearance on any Nintendo system.

A quick look back at Dragon's Dogma 2

Dragon's Dogma 2 came out on March 22, 2024, directed by series creator Hideaki Itsuno and built on Capcom's RE Engine. Its hook was the pawn system: AI companions you create, train and lend to other players online, who come back with knowledge of quests and monsters they met in other people's worlds.

Critics loved its sense of adventure. It scored 88 on Metacritic for PC and 86 on PS5 and Xbox, with 92% of critics recommending it on OpenCritic. Its launch was clouded by a row over microtransactions: players discovered items for sale that could also be earned in the game, and Steam reviews briefly turned "Mostly Negative." Critics mostly shrugged, and so did buyers. The game sold 2.5 million copies in under two weeks, 3 million by the end of May 2024 and about 4 million by November 2025.

What Dark Arisen adds

The expansion opens up Norgan, a long-abandoned northern region, where players join a character named Eir to uncover the secret of an undying Fallen Dragon. Exploration is built around relics: forgotten objects that you find and have appraised, which unlock new weapons and skills.

For players who want punishment, there are Lost Rites, 12 new dungeon challenges designed by the Pathfinder, the series' mysterious guide figure. They reward rare equipment once used by past Arisen, the series' name for its chosen heroes. The character creator also adds new hairstyles and tattoos.

The free updates that came first

Capcom softened the road to the expansion with free updates for everyone.

• On June 9, 2026, the day Dark Arisen was announced, an update added a reusable Eternal Ferrystone for easier fast travel, along with quality-of-life changes.
• At the end of August, another update brought improved frame rates, additional save slots and more refinements.

Extra save slots were one of the most requested changes since launch: At launch, Dragon's Dogma 2 offered just one main save file, which made experimenting with different characters awkward.

Switch 2 and the reveal

Dark Arisen was revealed during a Nintendo Direct, a choice that made its Switch 2 version the headline. The Switch 2 edition launched on the same day as the others, as part of a wave of Capcom games coming to Nintendo's console, alongside Onimusha and Devil May Cry 5.

Why it matters

Capcom has spent the last few years turning cult favourites into sustained hits, and Dark Arisen follows the same playbook as Monster Hunter: support a game well after launch, add a meaty expansion, and bring it to new platforms. For Dragon's Dogma fans, it is the content the game always seemed to be missing; for newcomers, the $49.99 bundle is the best way in.

If you like big, stubborn RPGs with a sense of danger, our Final Fantasy XVI story is another action RPG that rewards a second look in 2026.