Dragon's Dogma 2 is getting a DLC expansion along with long-overdue performance and balance patches — but will they be enough to pull me back in?

A warrior confronts a massive, menacing dragon emitting blue fire in a dark, cavernous setting, evoking a tense and epic fantasy battle atmosphere.
Prepare to fight undead dragons in Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen (Image credit: Capcom)

Capcom fired on all cylinders during Summer Game Fest 2026. It revealed the long-awaited remake of Resident Evil: Code Veronica, Monster Hunter Wilds' highly anticipated DLC expansion, and an unexpected DLC expansion for Dragon's Dogma 2, titled Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen.

This expansion to Capcom's fantasy action-RPG will bring a new region for players to explore, new cosmetic options, twelve new Dungeon Challenges, and many more features based on the players' feedback when they played the base game.

Dragon's Dogma 2 content roadmap in the lead up to its DLC in October 9, 2026. (Image credit: Capcom)

However, players won't have to wait for the Dark Arisen DLC expansion when it launches on October 9, 2026, for new content.

Capcom is rolling out two major title updates for the base game Dragon's Dogma 2, which will add some gameplay adjustments people have been begging for since the game's launch, like improved fast-travel, performance optimization, balance changes, and many other quality-of-life features.

One of these title updates, 3.1, launched on June 10, 2026, and it brought forth the following changes (as stated on the Dragon's Dogma 2 website):

Windows Central's Take

Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen - Announcement Trailer - YouTube Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen - Announcement Trailer - YouTube
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Personally, I'm happy Dragon's Dogma 2 is getting another shot at life with these updates and DLC expansion because the base game has loads of potential to be one of Capcom's best games thanks to its in-depth combat system and massive open-world riddled with quests and secrets.

However, contrary to my colleague Jez Corden's 4.5/5 Star review of Dragon's Dogma 2, where he praised it for "rewarding the patient and creative with its deep systems and infectious combat," I feel the game is currently held back by some major issues that prevented me from finishing the game, one of which is its subpar performance.

When I played this game back in 2024 on Xbox Series X to help my colleague make strategy guides for it, Dragon's Dogma 2 frequently dipped between 30 and 20 frames per second. This made the controls during combat feel sluggish, and the visuals looked like a stuttery mess when there were too many characters and particle effects on-screen.

Running around Dragon's Dogma 2's massive open-world to chase after the Sphinx with limited fast-travel options was a nightmare. (Image credit: Windows Central)

Another major issue I had with the game at launch was that traveling in the open-world map was a giant pain because you had limited modes of transportation, running outside of combat consumed too much stamina, and fast travel was only possible through limited resources called Ferrystones.

I understand the game wants to immerse players in its grand world by making them walk through most of it instead of fast traveling everywhere.

However, with my limited free time and giant backlog of games to play, I don't want to waste it running miles across the country to complete trivial fetch quests or waste vital fast-travel resources to chase after Sphinxes to solve their Riddles.

So, I'm glad we don't have to worry about that anymore thanks to this 3.1 Title Update, which has given players an Eternal Ferrystone that will let them fast-travel to any location with a Portcrystal without being consumed upon use like a regular Ferrystone.

Dragon's Dogma 2 - Launch Trailer | PS5 Games - YouTube Dragon's Dogma 2 - Launch Trailer | PS5 Games - YouTube
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However, the update that may convince me to give Dragon's Dogma 2 a second chance will be the 3.2 Title Update at the end of August, which will bring the performance refinements the game so desperately needs.

Not to mention it will bring improvements for its save system, character actions, and the infamous Dragonplague mechanic, adjustments to the UI, Pawns, and enemy stats, and many bug fixes.

If this performance patch can fix Dragon's Dogma 2's stuttery framerate, then I'll be fully on board to return to this game and prep for its DLC expansion when Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen launches on October 9, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam.

Dragon's Dogma 2 (Xbox)
Rise up Arisen!
Dragon's Dogma 2 (Xbox): $27.61 at Amazon


Embark on a grand adventure with your Pawns to save the world from the indomitable Dragon in Dragon's Dogma 2, the long-awaited sequel to Capcom's cult fantasy action-RPG.

Xbox Store Page
Steam Store Page

🗨️ Over to you

What do you think of Dragon's Dogma 2's upcoming title updates in the lead-up to its Dark Arisen DLC expansion? Will they convince you to replay the game, or are you holding off until the DLC expansion arrives?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know through the poll below, the comments section, or our Reddit page.


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Alexander Cope
Staff Writer - Deals/Gaming News

Alexander Cope is a gaming veteran with over 35 years of experience who primarily covers Xbox and PC gaming news and spotlights discounts on the best laptops, peripherals, and other electronics. He's also a diehard fan of JRPGs, action games, beat em’ ups, and Capcom’s Monster Hunter series

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