Dragon’s Dogma 2, which launched in 2024 to positive critical reception, is coming back later this year as Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, adding a new region to the game and bringing it to Switch 2. However, fans of the series (or, honestly, anyone who’s even heard the titles of the games in the series) might notice that it’s the same subtitle given to a similar expanded version of the first Dragon’s Dogma game. When I asked producer Naoto Oyama why they went with the same name, he said they actually didn’t plan it from the start.
“We decided on this title after finalizing the ideas of the content we were creating.” Oyama said. “So it wasn’t title first and context next. First, we decided on the content, and then decided the name. And there [were] three main reasons for the subtitle ‘Dark Arisen.’ First, it has strong affinity with the story that unfolds in the Norgan area.” According to the Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen website, the story kicks off when a cursed dragon comes back to life, and “Almost as if in response to the call, another Arisen appears.” There will literally be a Dark Arisen in Dark Arisen, so that part seems like a given.
Next, Oyama said, “And second, the presence of the loop-based gameplay cycle, similar to the original Dark Arisen. […] You can do a dungeon crawler on the Bitterblack Isle in the original Dark Arisen, but in Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, you have that new Relic Exhibition Cycle in the open field.” While they didn’t provide much new information, the developers spent a good amount of time in this interview emphasizing this relic system’s significance, . It seems like players will be devoting a lot of time to collecting new, rare pieces of equipment to progress in this new region.
Lastly, Oyama’s third reason is the most obvious, but worth acknowledging. “[Finally, we] chose a familiar name because it was the easiest way to convey to everyone what kind of new elements will be added and players can expect.”
Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is out on October 9 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and the game (plus its expansion) is debuting on Switch 2 on that same day. For more on the game, read about the developers’ thoughts on the recent and upcoming updates to the base game, then check out why I think the game is better without having fast travel.