In October, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is set to receive a major expansion called Dark Arisen. In preparation for the new content, Capcom is finally removing some of the annoying microtransactions from the store.
There were quite a few surprises at the recent Summer Game Fest. An Ocarina of Time remake, Resident Evil Veronica, and thereturn of console exclusivitywere just a few of the topics that sparked a lot of discussion in the gaming community.
In addition to the Resident Evil remake, Capcom had a few other major announcements up its sleeve. The Japanese publisher not only unveiled an expansion forMonster Hunter Wildsbut also announcedDark Arisenfor early October—a massive DLC forDragon’s Dogma 2that takes us to the icy region of Norgan. At the same time, the 2024 RPG is set to launch as a complete package on the Switch 2.
It has now been revealed that Capcom is also removing many of the highly controversialmicrotransactions from the game that were present at the launch of Dragon’s Dogma 2. In addition, as part of the marketing campaign for the upcoming DLC, the base game will receive a permanent price reduction.
Shop items removed
With this move, Capcom is, in a sense, addressing one of the biggest issues with Dragon’s Dogma 2. Although the action RPGscored highly in our reviewfor its extensive content, creative Vassal AI, and plenty of medieval charm, it facedsignificant criticism at launch for the design of its microtransactions.
On the one hand, fans were upset that such transactions were included at all in a full-price single-player title; on the other hand, they also significantly disrupted the gameplay flow of Dragon’s Dogma 2. This is because certain parts of the game could simply be bypassed using in-game items purchased with real money.
As Capcom announced on Twitter, starting June 24so-called Wakestones for reviving, Rift Crystals, Port Crystals for fast travel, and character customization items, among other things, will be removed from the digital real-money store. The developers officially cite the development of additional content and adjustments for the upcoming title update
—namely, Dark Arisen.
To prepare for the release of Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, we’ll be discontinuing the Deluxe Edition of Dragon’s Dogma 2, as well as certain DLC items on June 24 at 5 p.m. PT / June 25 at 1 a.m. BST.
Also, the digital version of the base game will receive a permanent discount—check… pic.twitter.com/giXfPnmB7B
— Dragon’s Dogma (@DragonsDogma) June 11, 2026
From the very beginning, the purchasable advantages of these items contradicted Dragon’s Dogma’s game design, which emphasized arduous journeys and their consequences. Those who paid bypassed the actual game. This was a design flaw, because in exchange for revenue from in-game store transactions, Dragon’s Dogma undermined its own narrative integrity.
In addition to the spring cleaning sale in the store, Capcom is also permanently lowering the price of the standard digital version. However, the discount promotion and the reversal on microtransactions are no coincidence; they’re likely part of a carefully calculated strategy by Capcom. As a marketing move for the upcoming DLC, they’re removing a few pain points from the main game, which could help attract some new customers.
The removal of microtransactions doesn’t change the actual gameplay, however. All items are still obtainable through normal gameplay in Dragon’s Dogma 2—just much more slowly. You can no longer buy fast-track progress in the real-money store; after two years, the balance is finally as it should have been from the start.
Before the launch of Dark Arisen, a minor update is set to arrive in Dragon’s Dogma 2 at the end of August, bringing several quality-of-life and performance improvements.
