Everyone around the block is talking about Capcom being on a legendary run in 2026 with their big releases, and while that’s been objectively true, I’ve been on a separate journey with their games myself. I just wrapped up my second playthrough of Dragon’s Dogma 2 after initially playing it on PS5 a couple of years back, all for a very simple and gratifying reason: I’m counting down the clock for the Dark Arisen expansion.
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Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Dark Arisen expansion is just around the corner, and being a massive fan of both the original entry and the sequel, the list I’ve prepared today goes into extensive detail about all the things you need to do or be aware of to get ready for the expansion. So without further ado, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty to get you prepped for this new adventure, my fellow Arisen brethren.
7
Get a Head Start for NG+
But Make Sure You Don’t Progress Into Unmoored
This one’s obvious, so it goes without saying too much here; my personal suggestion is to revisit the game properly before the DLC arrives, like genuinely doing a half-playthrough just to get your bearings. You’ll get to access the DLC immediately after arriving in Vernworth, but honestly, if you’re one of those players who hasn’t played the game in a very long time, it will help you get familiar with everything again by doing some of the early quests again, just so you can get back into the flow of the gameplay/combat.
Also, the game is (finally) getting a Hard Mode again, so if you feel like you melt those world bosses easily, get ready for at least some form of challenge or tenacity at each encounter. If you want to hold off your playthrough just so you can apply the Hard Mode setting to it, that’s also completely understandable. Either way, just don’t progress too much, because I know how addicting Dragon’s Dogma can be to some of the longtime players.
6
Level Up Your Pawn and Their Vocations
The Higher the Better
This one’s another obvious inclusion, but also one that I know many may just ignore. I strongly advise taking your Pawn and possibly yourself to as high a level as you can. The recommended level for the Dark Arisen expansion in Dragon’s Dogma 2 (from the official reveal streams and detailed information) is level 40, so I’m sure that’s not a huge value for any of the seasoned players. But for any newer players who are finally checking out the game, it would serve you well to get to work before the DLC is out.
Heck, that’s partially the reason why I even recommend tackling the expansion in NG+ so you can properly get a vanilla playthrough experience beforehand. Regardless, without straying far from the point, make sure your Pawn’s Vocations also get the same treatment as yours so that you can ensure they have extra augments to boost their viability in battle as much as possible.
5
Explore Certain Regions or Areas
Throw a Port Crystal, Too
Even though the game added various permanent Port Crystals to some key locations with later updates, you may want to take your time to once again explore some key areas before the DLC launches. This includes going out of your way to visit the Sacred Arbor again and maybe placing a Port Crystal there to warp and get your equipment enchanted with Elven upgrades. Even better, you could also go to the southern side of Battahl and place the Port Crystal outside Medusa’s cave to farm her whenever she may respawn (7-14 in-game days).
It’s mostly a matter of preference or priorities, since you may not even need to do this, but this list is mainly for returning players who may not be aware of these things. So if you’re still waiting for the DLC in a fresh playthrough, try to revisit any key areas or regions that you want, just so you can clear them off the checklist and focus on the Dark Arisen content when it eventually launches.
4
Stock Up on Useful Consumables
You’re Going to Need Them
I know we all tend to just hoard and throw most of our consumables in the item box because we’re never going to use them, but for this DLC, I’d strongly advise at least having quite a few of these topped off, whether it’s your traditional healing potions or even the status ailment curatives. There can be any situation that may demand using them that can help save your Arisen’s life, even if you have a pawn or two on standby to aid you.
More importantly, it doesn’t hurt to craft or get your hands on a few extra all-heal elixirs, since having these will mean you can instantly get topped off to full health and stamina amidst a grueling fight or encounter. Again, the average player probably won’t need these if they’re going with the usual normal mode, but for someone like me who’s diving in with the Hard Mode addition, yeah, it’s probably for the better to be cautiously prepared just in case.
3
Unlock and Level Every Vocation You Want to Try
If there’s a particular Vocation you’ve been meaning to try in Dragon’s Dogma 2, now is probably the time to unlock it. The Dark Arisen DLC is going to give you plenty of new bosses to fight, as well as things to explore (the Lost Rites dungeons, to be exact), so you don’t want to jump into the expansion only to realize that the Vocation you’ve been eyeing is still under-leveled.
Even if you’ve already settled into a favorite, as I have, it’s still worth unlocking the others you have access to and experimenting with them before Dark Arisen arrives, especially since a couple of unlockable Augments from them can heavily benefit your main Vocations. It also doesn’t hurt to keep a variety of Vocations on standby if one doesn’t prove useful.
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2
Finish Important/Missable Quests
Like Those Darned Riddles
This is another thing that can technically get traced back to your base game playthrough, but generally speaking, even if you’re not going for a full playthrough and are leaving it just before triggering the Unmoored World state, I would still advise you to complete any important quests or interactions before jumping into this large-scale DLC. And yes, that even includes unlocking all of your Vocations’ Maister skills or even completing any character-related side quests just in case you find them as your favorite.
And if you haven’t already, completing all the Sphinx’s riddles is also worth doing solely because of the rewards she provides, especially when you (optionally) take her down for the big chest on the second set of riddles. It also helps that these otherwise important quests in the game can provide meaningful or unique rewards, which may just help you a bit in some way when exploring the new dungeons of the Dark Arisen expansion or just the Norgan region as a whole.
1
Don’t Upgrade Your Equipment
It Eventually Gets Power-Crept
The Dark Arisen expansion has a handful of new weapons and armor that you can get your hands on, and much of what’s offered here easily outclasses your fully min-maxed base weapons and armor—yes, even the Unmoored world ones that you get for your hard-earned Wyrmcrystals, at their max enhancements. Not only is that because of the newly introduced Gear Appraisal system, but also because of higher-rarity armor coming equipped with special skills that can boost your base Vocation’s existing kit; it’s ridiculously good.
I really mean it: this is one of the most valuable things to keep in mind as we get close to the DLC’s release, which is why it’s at the top of the list here. The first game’s Dark Arisen stuff did pretty much the same thing: it made your base game gear feel incredibly inferior to the newer ones you found through your turmoil on Biiterblack Isle.
Obviously, I can’t state much here for DD2, but the point is: try to get a footing with your existing gear and don’t spend too many of your resources upgrading them because, sooner or later, you’ll get access to the required materials and blueprints to craft the new gear found in the icy cold mountains of Norgan, especially if you’re planning on starting your journey there ASAP.
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Released
October 9, 2026
ESRB
Mature 17+ / Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Language