What it is
Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is the current name for the Dragon’s Dogma II package arriving on Nintendo Switch 2. It combines the full Dragon’s Dogma 2, first released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC in March 2024, with the new Dark Arisen expansion. The Switch 2 version is not a separate sequel, but it is the first time the main game has appeared on a Nintendo platform in this form.
The Switch 2 release is still upcoming as of 27 September 2026. Existing players on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam can buy Dark Arisen separately, while new players can purchase the complete bundle. It remains a single-player action RPG built around custom characters, flexible vocations, emergent combat and the series’ unusual Pawn system.
- UK release
- Friday, 9 October 2026
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam
- Developer
- Capcom
- Publisher
- Capcom
- UK price
- £44.99 complete bundle; £24.99 expansion DLC on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam
- PEGI
- PEGI 18
- Genre
- Action RPG, adventure
- Game Pass/PS Plus
- No confirmed inclusion; PS5 cloud streaming requires PS Plus Premium
- Online mode
- No — single-player only; online support Pawns can be hired
- Engine
- RE Engine
Story and setting
Dragon’s Dogma 2 begins with the player as the Arisen, a figure whose heart has been taken by the Dragon. The story starts in an underground gaol, with the Dragon’s voice cutting through lost memories, before the Arisen sets out to confront the creature and claim the throne. The main adventure takes place across Vermund, a human kingdom involved in a struggle over succession, and Battahl, a harsh nation populated primarily by the beastren. Elves also inhabit the world, largely apart from the other races, in settlements such as Sacred Arbor.
Dark Arisen adds a separate northern storyline in the abandoned region of Norgan. There, the Arisen joins the mysterious Eir as she investigates an undying Fallen Dragon. The expansion also adds new weapons and skills tied to relics found in the region, with equipment appraised after expeditions through the snow-covered area.
How it plays
You create both the Arisen and a main Pawn, then choose a vocation that determines how you fight. Confirmed vocations include Fighter, Archer, Thief, Mage, Trickster, Mystic Spearhand and Warfarer. The Warfarer is exclusive to the Arisen and can combine weapons and abilities associated with other vocations. Vocations can be changed during the adventure, encouraging experimentation rather than locking the player into one role.
Your party can contain up to four characters: the Arisen, the main Pawn and two support Pawns. Pawns are AI-controlled companions who fight, offer advice and react to the world around them. The two support Pawns can be hired through the internet from other players, but this does not make Dragon’s Dogma 2 a multiplayer game. Combat mixes swords, shields, bows and magick with climbing large monsters, exploiting weaknesses and using the environment to create openings. Physics, enemy behaviour and Pawn intelligence are key parts of the game’s open-world design.
What the trailers showed
The first trailer, released on 24 May 2023, established the Arisen’s quest to slay the Dragon, introduced Pawns and revealed the beastren. Capcom’s June 2023 Showcase went further into the Pawn system, party structure, vocation-based combat and environmental interactions. The November 2023 Dragon’s Dogma 2 Showcase introduced Vermund, Battahl, the Trickster vocation, the Talos construct and the character creator’s human and beastren options. A January 2024 State of Play trailer revealed the Warfarer vocation, vocation maisters and the dragonsplague condition affecting Pawns.
The June 2026 announcement trailer confirmed Dark Arisen, the Norgan region, 12 new dungeon challenges and additional hairstyles and tattoos. Capcom Spotlight on 25 June showed the Relic Expedition Cycle, in which players gather and appraise relics to improve their equipment, alongside the Lost Rites dungeon challenges. The Main Trailer shown during Capcom Spotlight at Tokyo Game Show on 16 September focused on Norgan’s story, new enemies and the Fallen Dragon. Capcom also released the Character Creator & Storage demo for Switch 2, allowing players to prepare their Arisen and main Pawn before launch.
Platforms, editions and UK price
Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen launches in the UK on Friday, 9 October 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam. On Switch 2, the package includes both the base game and expansion. On PS5, Xbox and Steam, the complete bundle is listed at £44.99, while the expansion alone is listed at £24.99 and requires the original Dragon’s Dogma 2. UK Switch 2 listings also show the complete package at £44.99.
The bundle includes the base game, Dark Arisen, the Explorer’s Camping Kit, the Dragon’s Dogma Music and Sound Collection, and the Norgan Fashion Set. The Norgan Fashion Set is listed as a pre-order or early-purchase bonus, depending on format. The Switch 2 version is available to pre-order through Nintendo’s UK store and UK retailers. No collector’s edition or additional UK special edition has been announced.
What we still do not know
Capcom has confirmed the Switch 2 release and its content, but has not published final UK technical details such as resolution, performance targets or the exact storage requirement. The precise UK launch time is also not presented consistently across digital storefronts, so buyers should check their local Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox or Steam listing before launch.
Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen has not been confirmed for Xbox Game Pass or any PlayStation Plus game catalogue. PS5 cloud streaming is supported through PlayStation Plus Premium, but that is separate from catalogue inclusion. For newcomers, the £44.99 bundle is the straightforward option because it includes the complete adventure. Existing players can buy the £24.99 expansion instead, provided they already own Dragon’s Dogma 2.
Not yet confirmed
- The final Switch 2 resolution, performance targets and storage requirement have not been officially published.
- The exact UK launch time is not consistent across digital storefront listings.
- No Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus catalogue inclusion has been announced.
- No collector’s edition or additional UK special edition has been announced.
Dragon's Dogma II: your questions
Is Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen coming to Nintendo Switch 2?
Yes. The Switch 2 version launches on 9 October 2026 and includes both Dragon’s Dogma 2 and the Dark Arisen expansion in one package.
Does Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen have online multiplayer?
No. It is a single-player game. An internet connection can be used to hire two support Pawns created by other players, but there is no co-op mode.
Do I need to play the original Dragon’s Dogma 2 first?
No. The Switch 2 package includes the base game, so it is suitable for newcomers. Existing players on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC can buy Dark Arisen separately.
How much does Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen cost in the UK?
The complete digital bundle is listed at £44.99 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam, with the Switch 2 version also listed at £44.99. The expansion alone is £24.99 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam.
What is new in Dark Arisen?
The expansion adds the snowy Norgan region, a new storyline involving Eir and a Fallen Dragon, a relic-based equipment system, 12 Lost Rites dungeon challenges, and extra hairstyles and tattoo options.
