In a world where even the smallest audiences are being catered to with sequels like Neo: The World Ends With You and No More Heroes 3, there’s basically no game that doesn’t have a chance to come back in some form. In one of the latest examples, a small but passionate fanbase has been waiting patiently for a sequel to the very ambitious Dragon’s Dogma. This action RPG came out next to some stiff competition in 2012, and despite having some great mechanics and systems plus a re-release, it never hit mainstream success. With the creator and director moving on to work on other games, this series was presumed dead for a long time.
As soon as Capcom announced that it would be celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Dragon’s Dogma, fans immediately predicted the announcement of a sequel. After all, why else would Capcom celebrate an anniversary for a franchise it had no intention of continuing? As it turns out, we were all correct. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is finally being worked on. The excitement of this announcement has spilled out beyond the fans of the original, leading many to wonder why they should be excited about this sequel. For all that and more, here’s everything we know about Dragon’s Dogma 2.
Release date
Capcom confirmed what the leaks suggested and that Dragon’s Dogma 2 will be released on March 22, 2024.
Platforms
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is confirmed to be coming to the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.
Trailers
Dragon’s Dogma 2’s reveal came during a special 10th-anniversary video for the first game hosted by Itsuno. In the video, he expresses his gratitude to all the fans and shares details about how that original title was made.
You can check out the video yourself, but it is almost a short history of Itsuno’s career and inspirations. It is all very interesting but not exactly related to Dragon’s Dogma 2.
The very end of the video, however, is where they make their important unveiling of Dragon’s Dogma 2 via T-shirts with the game’s logo. Itsuno says he’s “Sorry to keep you waiting. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is currently in development!”
While this seems strange, it isn’t the first time Capcom has revealed a game this way. Resident Evil 2: Remake was also initially revealed via a T-shirt, so perhaps this is a new marketing tactic for the company.
The first true trailer came in May 2023. This gave a glimpse at the world, some characters, and even gameplay. Nothing solid was shown about the story, except that the Arisen seems to be a major player in the world.
The November showcase dedicated exclusively to Dragon’s Dogma 2 ran through many aspects of the game. The world will once again be filled with NPCs to talk to and do quests for, as well as creatures pulled from myths of all cultures to fight, like drakes, dullahans, medusas, griffins, and more. The main plot is still unclear but appears to be far more complex in terms of politics, kingdoms, evil dragons, and destinies.
As the title suggests, the action trailer doesn’t give any new information regarding the story. However, it does at least show off some new locations and monsters to look forward to slaying.
Gameplay
Dragon’s Dogma 2 will be developed on the RE Engine, which has powered such titles as all the Resident Evil games from RE: 7 onward, as well as Street Fighter 6 and more.
The footage in the first trailer looks exactly what fans hoped a Dragon’s Dogma 2 would be. There are massive monsters, large environments, tons of weapons and builds, and cities to explore. The ability to climb and attack these beasts like a mini-Shadow of the Colossus is back and looks more fun than ever. We even see some small amounts of destructible environments and what looks like some magic to create objects to cross gaps.
In addition to your traditional swords, many magical options are on display, including massive spells and a bow that fires homing magic arrows.
Some outlets were able to preview Dragon’s Dogma 2 ahead of launch and report on the game in progress. New features highlighted include new ways Pawns can aid the player in the environment, such as giving a boost to climb ledges. Combat appears mostly unchanged, with both light and heavy attacks, plus a set of four skills or spells you can activate. A new mechanic, called the Covation Action, is unique to your character is job, such as fighters getting a block and thieves a dodge.
One new vocation shown off early is the Trickster. This class can summon illusions to confuse enemies or buff pawns. Another will be the Warfarer, which is a mix of a strength and magic-type character. They will use a greatsword but also be able to cast powerful magic and create illusions, and even use weapons from other vocations. This vocation can only be used by the player character and is described as the “ultimate vocation.”
The character (and pawn) creator will return in Dragon’s Dogma 2 with far more options than before.
Multiplayer
If Dragon’s Dogma 2 is like the first, multiplayer will be completely asynchronous. However, if Capcom wants to go beyond just the pawn system and let players team up, we’d be all for it. At the very least, multiplayer will probably be an optional feature, much like in the Souls games. We see large parties in combat and even some minor celebratory interactions between characters, so it may go full-on co-op.
Preorder
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is available now to preorder ahead of release on all platforms. You can get either a Standard or Deluxe edition.
Standard Edition – $70
- A copy of Dragon’s Dogma 2
- The Superior Weapons Quartet
Deluxe Edition – $80
- Everything in the Standard Edition
- Ring of Assurance
- Explorer’s Camping Kit (must be purchased in-game)
- 1,500 Rift Crystals
- Dragon’s Dogma Music and Sound Collection
- Wakestone
- Art of Metamorphosis
- Harpysnare Smoke Beacons
- Ambivalent Rift Incense
- Heartfelt Pendant
- Makeshift Gaol Key
