How to start the Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen expansion
Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Dark Arisen expansion introduces Norgan, a new northern region shrouded in snow and danger. To begin the DLC content, players must speak to Captain Brant at The Stardrop Inn in Vernworth during nighttime hours. Capcom recommends reaching at least level 40 before venturing into this new territory, which features numerous monsters and mysteries awaiting exploration.
One important restriction applies to players who have already progressed significantly through the base game: if you’ve reached the Unmoored World in the main story, you cannot start Dark Arisen until you begin a New Game+ playthrough. This gate prevents access to the expansion content during certain late-game phases, requiring players to either start a fresh run or have prepared for the DLC earlier in their progression.
Vernworth is accessible relatively early in the main story, making the expansion available to players at various stages of their journey, provided they meet the level recommendation and haven’t triggered the story gate.