The much-missed hard mode from the original game has so far been completely absent from the sequel, but the developers have now officially confirmed its return. The new mode will arrive after the Dark Arisen expansion, although it does not yet have a release date.
During the Nintendo Direct broadcast alongside Summer Game Fest 2026, Capcom announced the long-awaited expansion for Dragon’s Dogma 2, titled Dark Arisen just like the DLC released for the first game. The reveal included a substantial list of new features, including the explorable region of Norgan and several new dungeons, but one important detail went unmentioned at the time: the addition of a hard mode.
For some context, the original Dragon’s Dogma from 2012 received a free hard mode after launch, and fans responded very positively to it. Many therefore expected the sequel to receive similar treatment, but the feature was absent at release, never appeared in later updates, and was not mentioned during the DLC announcement either.
On Reddit and across other communities dedicated to the series, it is easy to find fans lamenting the loss of a feature that could have been an excellent addition to Dragon’s Dogma 2. The game currently offers relatively little challenge for players looking to push it further, but those fans have now received some good news.
On the Way, but Still Some Distance Off
Speaking through a translator during an interview, the director of Dragon’s Dogma 2 confirmed that hard mode will indeed return in the future. Based on its current development status, however, it will not arrive alongside the expansion, as work on the feature is still at an early stage.
“We’re excited to announce that we’re working on a hard mode for the base game. We knew many players wanted to see this, and it will be added to Dragon’s Dogma 2 at some point in the future. However, development is currently in its early stages, so we don’t have any further details or a firm release date to share at this time. Please stay tuned for more information about hard mode.”
Longtime fans of the series may remember that the hard mode in the first Dragon’s Dogma was not particularly well balanced. The opening hours were absurdly difficult, but the increased XP and gold rewards allowed players to progress so quickly that the later stages of the campaign became almost trivial. The equipment available near the end still made the mode well worth trying, so it will be interesting to see whether the system receives more careful tuning in the sequel.
Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is scheduled to launch on October 9 as downloadable content on every platform where the base game is already available. On Nintendo Switch 2, it will be released as part of a complete package.
Source: 3DJuegos
