Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen launches October 9, with Hard Mode in Title Update 4
Dark Arisen, the paid expansion for Dragon’s Dogma 2, launches on October 9, 2026. On Xbox Series X|S and Steam it unlocks at 00:00 UTC on October 9 — that is 8:00 p.m. EDT and 5:00 p.m. PDT on Thursday, October 8, per Capcom’s own launch-timing map. Capcom’s map covers Xbox and Steam only; check your platform’s store for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 timing.
What the expansion adds, per Capcom:
- Norgan — a long-abandoned, snowy northern region with a new story, alongside the character Eir, centred on the undying Fallen Dragon.
- Relic appraisal — forgotten relics found in Norgan are appraised to unlock new weapons and skills.
- Lost Rites — 12 dungeon challenges in the main area, holding rare equipment once carried by past Arisen.
- Character Creator additions — new hairstyles and tattoos for your Arisen and pawns.
Title Update 4, free for everyone
Arriving with the expansion on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam:
- Hard Mode.
- An option to start the game over from the beginning while carrying over your current save data.
- A new pawn specialization, Orienteer.
- Forgotten riftstones now give 90 rift crystals instead of 30 — and riftstones you have already used pay out the difference the first time you load the game after the update.
- Thermal properties on some armour, plus a round of pawn, UI and quest bug fixes. On Steam, FSR 3 Frame Generation, DLSS 4.5 Super Resolution and multi-frame generation are added.
Our Dragon’s Dogma 2 progression route covers the base game end to end. Norgan will be added as a new final phase once the expansion is played and verified, rather than as a rewrite — Dark Arisen does not change the base progression.