Dragon’s Dogma 2’s Dragonsplague and how it works – a mechanic that took over 10 years to implement 

Capcom’s Dragons Dogma 2 launched on March 22, and as players progress in the game, they become aware of the dangers of Dragonsplague – a contagious disease that affects Pawns and can lead to calamity if left unchecked. Some believe that the disease can potentially break your game, making it crucial to look out for signs of infection. The following article contains spoilers related to Dragonsplague. 
 

Dragonsplague is an epidemic mechanic in Dragon’s Dogma 2 that affects Pawns. Infected Pawns display early symptoms such as bold speech and behavior and above average performance. However, once the disease reaches its terminal stage, it causes a “devastating calamity.” The mechanic’s existence was known before Dragon’s Dogma 2’s release, and its eerie description has kept players curious for a while. 
 

But now, the horrific reality of Dragonsplague has finally been revealed – terminally affected Pawns will end up massacring entire towns if undetected. If an infected Pawn stays at an inn in a town, every NPC in that town will be killed. Although several reports suggest that NPCs crucial to the story will be revived after a couple of days in-game, the results of the event are still devastating. Wakestones can be used to revive killed NPCs, but their numbers are extremely limited. Furthermore, the Dragonsplague epidemic seems to be spreading exponentially the more players clear the game and rent out Pawns between each other, leading to a lot of panicked reports from players worldwide. 

Dragonsplague symptoms that have been identified/disclosed officially to date include bold, disobedient behavior by the Pawn and gestures as if suffering from a headache. Another visually detectable symptom is glowing red eyes. There is no cure for Dragonsplague in Dragon’s Dogma 2, so if you detect an infected support Pawn, the easiest way to deal with the situation is to dismiss them or kill them before they become terminal. On the other hand, the disease can also spread to Main Pawns, in which case the only solution is to kill and summon them back via Riftstone (and hopefully patch them up at the Hot Springs).  

According to TheGamer and Windows Central, the infection is transmitted through combat with drakes and dragons, so it may be a good idea to do preventive checks after encountering these enemies. 
 

As the Dragonsplague situation in Dragon’s Dogma 2 escalates, some players are voicing dissatisfaction with how destructive the mechanic is, requesting adjustments from Capcom. On the other hand, the unique epidemic system is also earning a lot of praise for how it deepens the worldbuilding and playing experience. Dragon’s Dogma 2’s director Hideaki Itsuno has mentioned that the Dragonsplague was a concept the developers had ever since the first Dragon’s Dogma, but were unable to implement at the time. In other words, this mechanic realizes Itsuno’s vision from over 10 years ago, and the challenges players are facing right now are likely also a part of that vision. 

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is available for the PC (Steam) and will soon be released for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.        

Written by. Amber V based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2024-03-25 14:49 JST)