Gab Hernandez 
Dragon’s Dogma 2 continues the Capcom renaissance and the game’s platform, release date, and performance details are all officially known.
As the long-awaited sequel to the 2012 cult classic, Dragon’s Dogma 2 puts the player in the role of the “Arisen,” a hero marked by a dragon that they must defeat. Before that, the Arisen must brave through diverse regions rife with monsters to slay and conflicts to settle.
It’s been over a decade since the release of Dragon’s Dogma, and Capcom’s gone through a lot of evolution in the time since. The company was struggling in many ways when the original game came out, as new IPs like Lost Planet were floundering and classics like Resident Evil were on a critical decline. But in 2024, the company is releasing smash hits one after another.
Old fans might need a refresher on some of the game’s nuances and new fans definitely need a crash course. Here’s all the essential information regarding Dragon’s Dogma 2, from its release date to the platforms it will launch on.
All Dragon’s Dogma 2 platforms
Dragon’s Dogma 2 will launch on PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.
Like all modern Capcom games, the game runs on the RE Engine, a successor to MT Framework, Capcom’s previous engine. The absence of the older-generation consoles makes it clear that Capcom is focusing on current-gen hardware.
It is currently unknown if there are plans to bring Dragon’s Dogma 2 to the Nintendo Switch or the upcoming Switch 2. There’s no question that the existing Switch lacks the technical capabilities to run the game but its successor will have better specs and a large user base that could incentivize Capcom to make a port work.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 release date confirmed
Dragon’s Dogma 2 will be released on March 22, 2024.
Capcom revealed the title in June 2022 during a Capcom showcase. Although the original title was a success for Capcom, the schedules for key figures in the sequel’s development didn’t align for a long while.
Capcom assigned Dragon’s Dogma director Hideaki Itsuno to Devil May Cry 5, which took up most of his time during the 2010s. Once that game launched, Itsuno was finally available to return to the series. Dragon’s Dogma 2’s release date was leaked in November 2023 before being officially confirmed by Capcom with a simultaneous worldwide release coming across all platforms.
Will Dragon’s Dogma 2 have DLC?
Dragon’s Dogma 2 currently has no confirmed DLC.
It’s worth noting the first Dragon’s Dogma featured an extensive list of DLC releases, from new cosmetics to new questlines. Given Capcom’s love of microtransactions, it’s highly likely that Dragon’s Dogma 2 receive numerous DLC releases of all shapes and sizes.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 class system
Classes in Dragon’s Dogma are called “vocations.” Each vocation features different playstyles that give players plenty of flexibility regarding how they want to play the game. The list of starting classes includes the traditional RPG classes of fighter, mage, thief, and archer.
As the player progresses, they can also avail of advanced vocations. Currently, only fighter and mage have confirmed advanced vocations; warrior and sorcerer, respectively. These advanced vocations are essentially more powerful versions of the starters.
Hybrid vocations mix mechanics from different starter vocations, such as giving spells to martial vocations, but players will need to unlock them. The known hybrid vocations are mystic spearhand, magick archer, trickster, and warfarer.
Is Dragon’s Dogma 2 a Soulslike?
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is not a Soulslike game.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 features many hallmarks of a Soulslike, including a dark fantasy world, difficult enemies, and a stamina system. However, the gameplay itself is markedly different from Dark Souls. Most of the similarities are only on the surface level.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 plays more like a traditional action RPG, as opposed to the grittier combat of Dark Souls. For example, dodge rolls don’t consume stamina like in a Soulslike game. There’s also the Pawn system, which lets the player utilize NPCs in combat, a feature that didn’t appear in Soulsborne games until Elden Ring.
What are the minimum and recommended system requirements for Dragon’s Dogma 2?
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a next-gen game and requires a bit more power to run well on a PC. The specs are comparable to the likes of other Capcom titles that run on the RE Engine, including Resident Evil 8 Village and Resident Evil 4 Remake.
Given the game’s scale, which is estimated to be four times larger than the first title, those beefy specs may be non-negotiable.
Minimum
- OS: 64-bit Windows 10 or 64-bit Windows 11
- CPU: Intel Core i5 10600 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600
- RAM: 16 GB
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 / AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT with 8GB VRAM
- DirectX: Version 12
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
Recommended
- OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)/Windows 11 (64-bit)
- Processor: Intel Core i7-10700 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 / AMD Radeon RX 6700
- DirectX: Version 12
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
Can I play Dragon’s Dogma 2 on Steam Deck?
Dragon’s Dogma 2 can run on Steam Deck, though it might not be the ideal way to experience the game.
Although the Steam Deck meets the minimum specs, Capcom hasn’t made any statements about compatibility with the platform. Even if the game can run on Steam Deck, quality of life and accessibility features like text size and controls may be under-optimized, and players will likely have to run it at low settings.
However, Capcom’s track record with Steam Deck compatibility has been good dating back to the early days of the platform. Recent releases such as the Resident Evil 4 remake and Street Fighter 6 run well on the Steam Deck and have “Great on Deck” billing from Valve. The only caveat is none of these games match the scale of Dragon’s Dogma 2’s world.
But even a game like Starfield, which had minimum specs that exceeded those of the Steam Deck, was playable enough that it was one of the most-played games on the portable PC after its launch. With that in mind, players can expect Dragon’s Dogma 2 to run on Steam Deck at some point, even if it’s not amazing at launch.
Will Dragon’s Dogma 2 have multiplayer?
Dragon’s Dogma 2 will not have multiplayer at launch.
The first Dragon’s Dogma did not feature any multiplayer and Itsuno himself states that the game was built with a single-player focus in mind. He states it will “feel like a co-op game” thanks to the Pawn system, but official materials including digital storefronts explicitly label it as a single-player.
Even so, Capcom didn’t close the door on the possibility and it’s something that could hypothetically be added in the future. It’s just unlikely and unclear what it would look like even if it happened.
Games like Elden Ring and Monster Hunter show that tense fights in epic worlds don’t have to be fought alone. It’s ultimately up to Capcom, but with Monster Hunter Wilds releasing soon after, it might be a tall order.
Does Dragon’s Dogma 2 run at 60fps?
Dragon’s Dogma 2 has an uncapped framerate on all machines.
In a social media post, Itsuno confirmed an uncapped framerate for the console version of the game. That means it allows GPUs to output as many frames as possible. In theory, uncapped framerate enables faster speeds and reduced lag.
An uncapped framerate can also result in unstable performance. The uncapped framerate may have motivated Capcom’s choice to release the game exclusively to next-generation consoles. If modern consoles already struggle, the headache with less powerful machines might not be worth it for Capcom or the players. Review copies saw the framerate hover around 30fps, which doesn’t bode well for weaker machines.
What is the best platform for Dragon’s Dogma 2?
PC is the best platform for playing Dragon’s Dogma 2.
The uncapped framerate could mean unstable performance on consoles. There will undoubtedly be performance-improving patches after its initial release date but the higher horsepower ceiling and greater modularity of PC gaming make it the ideal platform both at launch and beyond. Even the first game, over a decade old at this point, suffered from framerate issues due to the scale of the world and all the flashy effects.
Modern consoles have features like built-in variable refresh rates, which seamlessly change the framerate without user input. It could mitigate some of the more unstable elements of Dragon’s Dogma 2.
Regardless, PC gaming provides far more control over the framerate, which helps with optimization. On top of that is the modularity of PC gaming and the inevitable slew of mods that will be released.
