Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is shaping up to be a triumphant return to a dark fantasy.
Capcom’s first major expansion for Dragon’s Dogma 2 brings the series full circle with the title Dark Arisen, which shares the same name as the first game’s expanded version. It’s no secret that this sequel launched with its fair share of controversy; from performance issues to its bevy of microtransactions. However, the game also earned its fair share of praise, leading to a passionate fanbase requesting more ways to spend time in this monstrous world.
We played a roughly 20-minute demo of the game at Tokyo Game Show 2026. Here are our impressions of the game:
Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: 9 October, 2026
Publisher: Capcom
Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen Tokyo Game Show 2026 demo impressions
At long last, that fanbase is getting what they want. An all-new region called Norgan is being added to Dragon’s Dogma 2 in the Dark Arisen expansion, giving players 15–20 more hours of gameplay. On top of that, more unique dungeons are coming which take 30 minutes to one hour to complete.
At Tokyo Game Show, we played through one of those dungeons. We were given a selection of different missions to play, and chose a quest that took us into the snowy mountains of Norgan. This bite-sized 20-minute demo quickly shifted from climbing snowy hills and battling zombified corpses to exploring an underground dungeon, where we battled a horrifically disfigured dragon spewing slime onto the ground.
We played a sorcerer, casting spells from afar while our Pawns got up close and personal. The battle proved to be rather intense, as the dragon constantly refilled its health after cutscene after cutscene. Just when I was wondering if I had been doing something wrong or missing a key mechanic, the battle ended with the player being saved by an enigmatic woman.
With the arrival of Dark Arisen, Dragon’s Dogma 2 feels renewed; its performance issues and microtransactions addressed, with the promise of even more content on the horizon. Fans of the sequel might just have their loyalty rewarded, at long last.
