Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen
Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen

Rumors of a sequel for Capcom’s cult-classic RPG “Dragon’s Dogma” have been making rounds on the internet for years now, but recent leaks revealed that “Dragon’s Dogma 2” may actually be in development with a possible E3 announcement later this June.

The original “Dragon’s Dogma” was released back in 2012 when it was met with a favorable reception, albeit with some strong criticism regarding questionable game mechanics. It was later re-released in 2013 together with its expansion “Dark Arisen” for PC and consoles. Fans assumed the game was never going to get any updates after the expansion, but a cyberattack on Capcom suggested otherwise.

Capcom faced a massive ransomware attack back in November 2020, which revealed plans for a “Dragon’s Dogma” sequel, Game Rant reported. The plans were neither confirmed nor denied by Capcom, sparking hope in the game’s many fans.

Fans have begun speculating possible features for “Dragon’s Dogma 2,” with some hypothesizing that the sequel will run on the latest version of the RE Engine, the same game engine used for “Monster Hunter Rise” and the latest batch of “Resident Evil” games and remakes.

The PC version of Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen

The PC version of Photo: Capcom

YouTuber AestheticGamer tweeted that it’s very likely that “Dragon’s Dogma 2” is getting built around the RE Engine.

Capcom has a tendency to use one proprietary engine for each game “generation” regardless of the franchise in question. Such was also the case for “Monster Hunter World,” which used the latest version of the MT Framework engine that was also used for “Lost Planet 2” and “Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3.”

Using the RE Engine for an open-world RPG can prove to be troublesome, however. The “Resident Evil” games primarily feature claustrophobic environments that can make the most use of the engine’s capabilities without sacrificing performance. Running a game world as large as “Dragon’s Dogma’s” in the same engine will require an immense amount of work and optimization.

Capcom has already been confirmed to be a part of the virtual E3 2021 conference. The company is expected to deliver more news regarding “Monster Hunter Rise’s” upcoming updates and its other upcoming titles. However, fans remain hopeful that some information will be shared regarding the future of “Dragon’s Dogma” at this year’s conference.