Key Takeaway
No, Dragon’s Dogma 2 doesn’t have a multiplayer mode.
However, the game does feature a Pawn system, in which players create their own NPC that can be hired by other players to travel with their party. These Pawns can be swapped in and out at will, and it’s possible to search for and hire your friends’ Pawns.
Exploring an expansive world and challenging its many formidable foes is something most players wouldn’t want to do alone. Footage of the game shows the Arisen alongside a group of other warriors on their quest, so can you expect to find co-op multiplayer in Dragon’s Dogma 2?
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Can You Play Dragon’s Dogma 2 With Friends?
Unfortunately, Dragon’s Dogma 2 does not offer a multiplayer mode. The game is entirely a single-player experience, so don’t jump in looking for any co-op gameplay.
The game’s director, Hideaki Itsuno, has gone on the record to state that no multiplayer was ever considered for the highly-anticipated sequel.
“I think online games have their good sides; just as offline games have their own,” Itsuno said to Automaton. “But the concept of the original game was to incorporate fun gameplay elements not found in conventional offline games while removing all the ‘hassles’ of online games. This is one of the basic original ideas of the first game that I don’t plan on straying from.”
WarningInstead of actual co-op multiplayer, Dragon’s Dogma 2 features a Pawn system. You create an NPC that can be hired by other players around the world to accompany them on their journey.
Interacting With Other Players With the Pawn System
Those who played the original Dragon’s Dogma will be familiar with the Pawn System, which returns in the sequel.
After designing your Arisen, you’ll be tasked with designing an NPC called a Pawn. This AI-controlled character will travel alongside you and assist you in combat and exploration. They can even be assigned their own Vocation, and this can be changed at will.
You can have up to four characters in your party, so where do the other two come from? You can hire other players’ Pawns thanks to the game’s online connectivity. As you explore, you’ll come across Riftstones. Interacting with these structures will transport you into the Rift where you can find new Pawns to hire.
NoteAlthough you can’t play with your friends directly, you can hire their Pawns by entering the Rift and examining the Riftstone. Here, you can select “Friends’ Pawns” to pull up the Pawn of everyone on your Friends List.
You can also find a Pawn by selecting “Search by Pawn ID.” Each Pawn is assigned a random collection of letters and numbers. Entering this code will summon the Pawn to the Rift.
Some players will likely be disappointed by the lack of multiplayer in Dragon’s Dogma 2, but the Pawn system is a unique way to interact with other players, albeit in a roundabout way. In the game’s lore, there can only be one Arisen at any given time, so grouping four together would be a little immersion-breaking, don’t you think?
