Dark Arisen is out today, October 9, 2026, and it doesn’t appear on its own. You have to find a specific NPC in Vernworth and pick the right dialogue option. This guide covers the exact steps, the level and story requirements, the save warning that catches a lot of players, and the launch details.
Quick Reference
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release date | October 9, 2026 |
| Platforms | PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 |
| Requirement | Base game Dragon’s Dogma 2 |
| Starting NPC | Captain Brant (spelled “Brandt” in some guides) |
| Location | Vernworth, at the inn/tavern, at night |
| Main DLC quest | Chilling Tidings |
| Dungeon quest | Lost Rites |
| Recommended level | 40 (main story), 20 (Lost Rites) |
| Expansion price | $29.99 / €29.99 |
| Bundle price (base + expansion) | $49.99 / €49.99 |
How To Start: Step By Step
- Load a save that can reach Vernworth. The city is available early in the main story, so you don’t need to be near the end.
- Travel to Vernworth and go to the inn. PC Gamer names it the Stardrop Inn, while another guide calls it Vermund’s Inn and a third just says the tavern in Vernworth. All three point to the same place.
- Wait until night. Captain Brant only gives the DLC dialogue after dark, so rest or pass time if it’s daytime.
- Talk to Captain Brant and choose one of the new dialogue options (see below).
- Follow the quest marker. For the main DLC quest, Brant tells you to spend a night at the inn. You’ll have a nightmare, and after waking up you follow the markers.
Dialogue Options At Captain Brant
| Dialogue option | Quest it starts | What it leads to |
|---|---|---|
| “About the new Arisen…” (also described as “ask about the other Arisen”) | Chilling Tidings | The main Dark Arisen story in the snowy north |
| “About the uncovered ruins…” (also described as “ask about Lost Rites”) | Lost Rites | The first of 12 new endgame challenge dungeons |
You can take both. Defeating the first Lost Rites dungeon reveals where the rest are located.
Level Recommendations
| Content | Recommended level | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Main DLC story (Chilling Tidings) | 40 | One guide says players can manage from the mid-30s |
| Lost Rites dungeons | 20+ | Difficulty varies by dungeon |
Both numbers are guidelines. The content can be started earlier by talking to Brant, but you’ll be under-leveled for the harder encounters.
Warning: The Unmoored World Lockout
This is the most important requirement to check before you load in.
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| You haven’t reached the Unmoored World in the main story | You can start the DLC normally |
| You’ve already reached the Unmoored World | The DLC is locked until New Game+ |
How to start New Game+ from a finished save
- From the load screen, select Change save slot.
- Hold X on a controller (or Shift on keyboard).
- This starts a new playthrough from your existing save.
What carries over and what doesn’t
| Carries over | Resets |
|---|---|
| Level | Quest progress |
| Equipment | Quest items |
| Items |
PC Gamer also warns that your original save becomes inaccessible once you begin New Game+. Back it up or use a separate save slot first if you want to keep it.
Where The Expansion Takes Place
Guides disagree on what to call the new region, and some use more than one name.
| Name used | Source |
|---|---|
| Norgan | PC Gamer, RPG Site |
| Forsaken Dominion | Noobfeed |
| Battahl (also “The Desolate Lands”) | PlayNews |
All of them describe the same thing: a snowy, mountainous region in the long-abandoned north of the kingdom. The setting is more vertical and open than Bitterblack Isle from the original game’s Dark Arisen.
What You Get In The Expansion
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| New story | A separate campaign centered on an undying Fallen Dragon |
| New ally | Eir, who works with the Arisen to uncover the dragon’s secrets |
| Challenge dungeons | 12 Lost Rites dungeons, roughly 30 to 60 minutes each, with rare gear once used by previous Arisen |
| Relic system | Find or loot relics, then have them appraised in settlements to unlock stronger weapons, armor and skills |
| Companion | A direwolf that helps locate buried relics during specific story moments; it doesn’t replace your pawn |
| Enemies | Icy monster variants, corrupted versions of original enemies, undead versions of existing bosses, returning Evil Eye bosses |
| Combat changes | Weapon skill slots go from four to six; existing vocations get new and upgraded skills |
| Difficulty | A hard mode is included |
| Character creator | New hairstyles, tattoos and facial options |
| Length | 20+ hours (one source says at least 25) |
Platforms, Pricing And Editions
| Platform | How it’s sold |
|---|---|
| PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X|S | Expansion alone for $29.99, or the bundle with the base game for $49.99 |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Only the bundle with both games, since the base game is new to the platform |
Pre-order and edition bonuses
- Pre-order: Nordic Attire cosmetic set (also listed as Nor Fashion Set and Northern Attire in different guides).
- Complete package: Explorer’s Camping Kit and a music and sound collection.
Release timing: Steam’s listing showed October 8 at one point, while Capcom’s announcements and the official French site say October 9. No exact unlock time has been published.
Free Base Game Update: Arise Again 3.2
Alongside the expansion, the base game gets a free update.
| Change | Detail |
|---|---|
| Optimization | Performance and quality-of-life improvements |
| Save slots | More slots than before |
| Pawns | Changes for afflicted pawns |
Earlier updates this year added the reusable Eternal Ferrystone (June 9) and improved frame rates with extra save slots (late August).
PC System Requirements
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-8500 or Ryzen 5 3500 | Intel Core i7-10700 or Ryzen 5 3600X |
| GPU | GTX 1660 or RX 5500 XT | RTX 2070 Super or RX 6600 XT |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Target | 1080p | About 60 FPS at 1080p with DLSS/FSR, about 45 FPS at 4K |
Pre-Launch Checklist
- [ ] Own the base game (or buy the bundle on Switch 2)
- [ ] Check your save: have you reached the Unmoored World? If yes, plan a New Game+ run
- [ ] Back up your old save before starting New Game+
- [ ] Reach Vernworth and go to the inn at night
- [ ] Talk to Captain Brant and pick Chilling Tidings, Lost Rites, or both
- [ ] Aim for level 40 for the main story, level 20 for Lost Rites
Sources: PC Gamer, The Big Lead, Noobfeed, RPG Site and PlayNews. Where guides disagree on names, levels or details, the differences are shown above.