Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen taps series veteran to direct new DLC

Capcom has announced that Kento Kinoshita is the director of Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen during the Jun 25 Spotlight showcase. Kinoshita previously directed 2013's Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, the updated version of the original 2012 game that helped establish the RPG as a cult classic.

Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen was first announced just a few weeks ago during the June 2026 Nintendo Direct. It will be an expanded version of the 2024 game that adds quality of life updates and new content. The main event is the addition of Norgan, a new snowy region that will have an original story as well as unique enemies. The Dark Arisen version will also introduce the Relic Expedition, which allows players to create new weapons and armor with different class skills, bringing a greater level of customization to the game. Twelve challenging dungeons called Last Rites will additionally be added to the game's base map for players to test their strength.

The majority of footage and information Capcom showed of Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen during the Spotlight showcase was a rehash of the expansion's original announcement. The surprise came with Kinoshita's announcement as director. Dragon's Dogma and Dragon's Dogma 2 were both directed by legendary Capcom director Hideaki Itsuno, who has served the same role on nearly every Devil May Cry game. Itsuno left Capcom in September 2024 after over 30 years with the company. That November, PUBG Mobile developer (and Tencent subsidiary) LightSpeed Studios announced Itsuno would lead a new Japan-based studio.

The Dark Arisen version of the original Dragon's Dogma was instead directed by Kinoshita (who also directed the now-defunct MMO Dragon's Dogma Online). That expanded version similarly cleaned up the base game's quirks and added a large new area to explore. While the 2012 release had its fans, Dragon's Dogma didn't shoot into cult classic status until Dark Arisen's release. Kinoshita taking the director's chair yet again for Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is a sign for fans that the expanded version is in good hands.

Kinoshita spoke briefly and cryptically about what is in store for players in the new expansion. He named the Fallen Dragon, the assumed enemy players will be pursuing, and Eir, a woman who appears in the trailer and is also after the dragon. Beyond that, he did not reveal many story details.

Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is set to be released on Oct. 9. Before that, Capcom is rolling out free updates to the base game. A June 10 update introduced an Eternal Ferrystone item that makes fast travel across the world much easier. Future updates will remove certain microtransactions and add more save slots in preparation for the arrival of the new Dark Arisen.