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Dragon's Dogma 2 will finally be handed a hard difficulty mode, hopefully putting one of the game's most prominent issues to rest.
The game has a very uneven difficulty curve as you level up, to the point where the vast majority of enemies that you encounter become incredibly easy to defeat.
The combat system itself is superb — but it can feel like the longer you play, the less you actually have to engage with its mechanics.
As such, a dedicated hard mode has been heavily requested since the open world RPG first launched back in 2024 — but Capcom never really acknowledged the widespread demand.
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However, the developer's approach changed when it announced the Dark Arisen expansion earlier this year, with key members of the team — including director Kento Kinoshita — responding to ongoing fan feedback.
And now, Kinoshita has confirmed that the officially named Hard Mode is happening, as per a new question and answer article on Steam.
"We're working on a Hard Mode that will provide a satisfying challenge for seasoned players whose stats have reached, or are approaching, the level cap," he reveals.
Producer Naoto Oyama adds: "Please stay tuned for further updates regarding the details of Hard Mode and its release window."
When the Dark Arisen DLC was announced, there was no mention of Hard Mode being included — and so it's assumed that it'll arrive after the expansion's release on the 9th October, as part of an additional update.
Having said that, Kinoshita does point out that the development team's still busy with the DLC: "We’ve gone a little beyond our original plans in production, and we’re working hard to deliver the best possible product right up to the very last minute to meet everyone’s positive expectations."
I'm hesitant to read too far into that comment, but I suppose it's possible that Hard Mode ends up dropping before or alongside the DLC. After all, there's a major update launching at the end of this month, which already promises some game-changing improvements and adjustments.
Indeed, Title Update 3.2 will include sweeping changes to combat, as well as pawn and enemy behaviour. It's also promising big performance enhancements, additional save slots, and much more.
I'll almost certainly be diving back into Dragon's Dogma 2 for all of this stuff, but what about you? Have you been waiting on Hard Mode? Summon your most loyal pawn in the comments section below.