Dragon's Dogma 2 is an action and role-playing game released in 2024 by Capcom. It is the follow-up to Dragon's Dogma, a game from 2012, and takes place in a fantasy world similar to the first game. Players guide a character they can customize through an open world while fighting a dragon that has chosen them as the "Arisen" during a conflict between groups. They complete tasks, earn new tools, and receive help from companions called "Pawns."
The game was available on PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on March 22, 2024. Critics gave it mostly positive reviews, and by November 2025, it had sold 4 million copies.
Gameplay
Dragon's Dogma 2 is an action role-playing game played from a third-person perspective. The player controls a character called the "Arisen," a hero chosen by a dragon they must defeat. The Arisen explores the game world, completes quests, fights monsters, and becomes involved in a conflict between two kingdoms. To help in these tasks, the Arisen is aided by allies called "Pawns," which are non-playable characters controlled by the game's artificial intelligence. These Pawns act like player-controlled characters, helping in battles, sharing information about enemies, and guiding the player through quests. Each player can create and customize their own Arisen and Pawn characters, choosing different genders, appearances, and races. Additionally, players can recruit two Pawns created by other players.
Both the Arisen and Pawns have a "vocation," which is a class that determines the abilities and equipment they can use in battle. Vocations are divided into basic, advanced, and hybrid types, with hybrid vocations only available to the Arisen. Only the Arisen and their Pawn can switch vocations. The game includes many vocations, some returning from the first game, while others, like Strider and Ranger, have been changed to Thief and Archer. New hybrid vocations include Mystic Spearhand, a variation of Mystic Knight that uses a weapon called a duospear, and Trickster, who casts spells to confuse enemies and help Pawns in battle. Using vocations improves their abilities, unlocking new skills for combat.
The game takes place in a seamless open world that is four times larger than the map in the first game. This world is a parallel version of the one from the previous title and is divided between two kingdoms, Vermund and Battahl, which are home to humans, catlike beastrens, and elves. Players can travel quickly using ferrystones and oxcarts, and they can set up camps at night at campsites across the world. Unexpected events may occur, requiring players to adapt, such as using destructible environments to defeat enemies. A day-night cycle affects which creatures appear and how strong they are.
Plot
The story of Dragon's Dogma 2 begins at a mining site, where the player character, known as a Pawn, is forced to clear rubble with other Pawns. When the camp is attacked, the player escapes with the help of a mysterious figure called the Pathfinder. The Pathfinder reveals the player is not a Pawn, but the Arisen. After escaping, the player reaches a ruined town called Melve. A flashback shows how the player fought the Dragon there and was chosen by the Dragon to become the Arisen.
The Arisen is believed to be the only person who can summon and command Pawns, defeat the Dragon, and become the king of Vermund. However, the Arisen’s rule ends when they die, and the Dragon returns. Many people pretend to be the Arisen, and since a new Arisen is about to be crowned, the player is assumed to be an imposter. Soldiers escort the player to the capital city, Vernworth, where they meet Brant, the captain of the palace guard. Brant believes the player is the true Arisen and that the current regent-to-be is a fraud. Brant gives the player quests to gain the trust of the people. After completing all quests, Brant plans to interrupt the coronation of the false Arisen, using the Pawn as proof of the player’s true identity. However, the Pawn suddenly cannot enter the palace, and the plan fails.
Brant sends the Arisen to the neighboring country of Battahl. There, the player learns about Godsway, which is the crystallized souls of former Arisen. Godsway can mentally control Pawns. Lord Phaesus, head of the Forbidden Magicks Research Lab, studies Godsway to control the Dragon and end the cycle of the Arisen and the Dragon forever. The player is later called back to Vermund after a mysterious shrine rises from the seafloor. At the shrine, they meet Rothais, a former Arisen who killed the Dragon but became paranoid and refused his duties. Rothais gives the player the Godsbane Blade, forged from his own soul.
The player returns to Battahl and meets Ambrosius, a researcher working for Phaesus. Ambrosius refines the Godsbane Blade to make it usable but refuses to return it. The Pathfinder appears again and convinces Ambrosius to change his mind. The Pathfinder sends the Arisen to stop Phaesus.
When the Arisen reaches Phaesus, they are protected by the false Arisen and mind-controlled Pawns. Phaesus uses his Godsway staff to summon a weak imitation of the Dragon. The real Dragon arrives, kills the imitation, and challenges the Arisen to a final fight. If the player accepts, they climb onto the Dragon’s back, and the Dragon flies toward the arena. A battle follows, the Arisen kills the Dragon, and they are crowned king. The player can explore the throne room, but the game ends when they sit on the throne.
The Pathfinder is also present in the throne room. If the player approaches them, the Pathfinder asks if they are satisfied with the ending and disappears. If the player follows them, the Pathfinder sends them back to the flying sequence before the final fight. The player can fight the Dragon again or use the Godsbane Blade on themselves, causing both the Arisen and the Dragon to fall into the ocean. Underwater, the Arisen meets the Pathfinder, who blames them for breaking the cycle and causing the world to end. Red clouds form in the sky, raining fire.
The Pathfinder explains the world now has no cycle to follow, and the player’s choice to end the cycle has led to its destruction. The player searches for answers and finds the underwater shrine where Rothais lived, now untouched by the red clouds. The water has vanished, revealing a hidden town. The player must tell kingdoms and towns about the safe haven and defeat specific monsters to delay the end. After killing all monsters, a red beam appears at the shrine. Touching it starts a scene where the red clouds form a giant dragon. The player’s Pawn transforms into a shadow-like dragon, attacks the player, and carries them to the giant dragon’s back. The player climbs to the dragon’s neck, and the Pawn attacks the dragon’s eyes, flipping it over and throwing the Arisen into the sky. The Arisen falls toward the dragon’s chest, where the Pawn creates a hole for the Arisen to reach the dragon’s heart. The Arisen uses the Godsbane Blade to kill the dragon and finally break the cycle.
Development
Dragon's Dogma 2 was directed by Hideaki Itsuno. A major goal for the development team was to improve the gameplay mechanics from the first game and add features that were not possible before because of limited technology. Itsuno explained that "the sequel may not include as many completely new or different elements, but will be more polished and improved to create a more immersive role-playing game and action adventure experience." For example, the team added more dialogue for the pawns based on player feedback. The game world is inspired by medieval Mediterranean Europe, with the human region resembling Sicily during the time between ancient and medieval Europe; the feline region is inspired by the territories of the Arab Mediterranean world. Itsuno stated that the team was influenced by Grand Theft Auto V when designing the game world and the way players can explore and interact with it.
Release
In June 2022, Capcom announced Dragon's Dogma 2. A video showing the game was shared during a PlayStation Showcase event in May 2023. In November 2023, a special event for Dragon's Dogma 2 revealed that the game would be available on PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on March 22, 2024.
Reception
Dragon's Dogma 2 received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to Metacritic, a website that collects game reviews. OpenCritic reported that 92% of critics recommended the game. In Japan, four critics from Famitsu gave the game a total score of 32 out of 40, with each critic giving it an 8 out of 10.
Critics praised the game for improving gameplay from its first version, its active and detailed game world, and its ability to create unique stories as players progress. The pawn system, which allows players to control companion characters, was highlighted as a strong feature. Some criticism focused on the game's performance issues, limited variety of enemies, and weak artificial intelligence for allies.
The game’s inclusion of microtransactions (small purchases within the game) and technical problems caused mixed opinions on Steam. PC Gamer’s Harvey Randall called the microtransactions "bafflingly silly," noting that many items can be obtained easily by playing the game. IGN’s review said the microtransactions were frustrating but did not change their overall positive view of the game.
In Japan, Dragon's Dogma 2 sold 68,592 copies during its first week, making it the second best-selling game behind Princess Peach: Showtime! By April 2, 2024, the game had sold 2.5 million copies worldwide. By May 28, 2024, sales reached 3 million copies. By March 31, 2025, sales totaled 3.7 million copies. It was the twelfth best-selling game in the United States in 2024.
Dragon's Dogma 2 won the Award for Excellence at the Japan Game Awards 2024. The Selection Committee praised the game for "exploration elements unique to the open world and a high degree of freedom."