A new update has made significant changes to Dragon’s Dogma 2, leaving almost nothing untouched.

Capcom released the first of two planned free updates for Dragon’s Dogma 2, paving the way for the October 9 release of the Dark Arisen expansion, which will also launch on Nintendo Switch 2 on that date. The update includes improvements to travel, pawns, the interface, shops, and combat stability. Undoubtedly, the most convenient new feature is the Eternal Ferrystone, which players can now obtain automatically after speaking with Brant during the Seat of the Sovran quest. With the Ferrystone, players can travel to any Portcrystal without worrying about using it up. Those who have already completed the quest will find the item in their inventory. Fast travel has also been expanded to include new Portcrystals in Melve, Checkpoint Rest Town, and Volcanic Island Camp. The Monster Culling quest now grants a Portcrystal as a reward as well.

Travel by oxcart has also undergone significant changes. Capcom introduced oxcart stops and shortened the wait time before the “nap” command becomes available. They also extended operating hours, so oxcarts now run from morning until night. For those who prefer walking as in the base game, the update reduces stamina consumption while sprinting outside of combat and prevents players from losing progress on the stamina bar when loading an autosave after being defeated. Variety in exploration and builds has also been improved. Some dungeon gear stats have been improved, and several new options have been added. These include a free camera for photo mode and toggles for Wyrmfire upgrade patterns, helmet visibility, and settings to prevent unrecruited pawns from approaching the player or high-fiving after a battle. Capcom has also introduced a new Guardian pawn specialization that helps prevent attacks on oxcarts and enables pawns to defend camps more effectively.

The economic system has also become more favorable. In several towns, inn rates have decreased, barber services have become more affordable, and the price of filled lamps has dropped. Additionally, Ferrystones are cheaper in normal mode, while their sale price is significantly higher than before. Additionally, Capcom increased the rewards for certain missions, adjusted the contents of treasure chests and enemy loot, and improved shop and inventory management to simplify day-to-day operations.

Regarding the user interface, the update enables direct Ferrystone use from the map via Portcrystal selection, enhances player icon visibility, and displays a warning when camping gear is destroyed during a raid. Other interface changes include better handling of pawn status effects, simplifying the transfer of items between the Arisen and their pawns, clarifying notifications for timed quests, and redesigning the loading screen to display tips instead of mission progress. The update includes numerous bug fixes affecting nearly every major system in the game. Capcom fixed issues related to the Mage, Sorcerer, and Trickster vocations, as well as numerous pawn behavior bugs, NPC and enemy bugs, and mission progression issues that occurred in the Monster Culling, Saint of the Slums, The Guardian Gigantus, and A Scholarly Pursuit missions.

Overall, this update is a significant step toward making the Dragon’s Dogma 2 experience more flexible and less taxing, an issue that was undoubtedly present in the base game. The next update, expected in August, will improve frame rates, provide additional save slots, and introduce further quality-of-life improvements, including changes to the Dragonsplague, companions, enemies, and the user interface.

Source: WCCFTech