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dragon looming over the town of Melve
Screenshot by The Escapist

Dragon’s Dogma 2 Players Claim Infectious Mechanic Ruins the Game

When it comes to challenges in Dragon’s Dogma 2, the Arisen has plenty, from conspiracy plots to hulking ogres. Your Pawns stick by your side through thick and thin, but recent posts from DD2 players on Reddit and X indicate that could be a problem. Allegedly, your Pawns could ruin your playthrough without any warning signs.

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Dragonsplague is seemingly a silent killer in Dragon’s Dogma 2, lacking any obvious symptoms and putting everyone (even your playthrough) in danger. The disease afflicts Pawns and is highly infectious, easily passed from one to the other if you happen to unknowingly hire an infected one. Now, when the disease is left unchecked, players report entire villages and towns apparently disappear overnight when the infected Pawn goes on a killing spree.

It’s devasting in-game, but players are also claiming that it bricks your save, leaving many to wonder if the mechanic is truly that punishing. Mordred_Morghul on Reddit explained that the game saves on rest, so you’re stuck with the results of your Pawn’s massacre once you awake at the inn, which is frustrating if you’re hours into your playthrough. JollyIvo on X also shared that NPCs respawned in the first game, but pondered whether that changed with DD2. However, some are urging players not to panic, claiming that key NPCs will revive after an in-game week.

Other players have pointed out that there are ways to recognize Dragonsplague before it gets to that point. The signs are subtle, though. Reddit user, Rakuanu, commented that the massacre is preventable if you know what to look for, such as Pawn disobedience or noticing whether they’re holding their heads. More ways to cure Dragonsplague are popping up as well, as the community bands together to avoid the devasting calamity of the disease.

Though we might not know every detail about this mechanic yet, it’s clear everyone is looking at their Pawns differently going forward.


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Alyssa Payne
Alyssa Payne is the Weekend Editor for The Escapist. Her first-ever video game was Super Mario World back in the '90s, and these days, you'll find her playing World of Warcraft and chipping away at her backlog of indie horror titles and cozy games. Alyssa got her start in the games journalism industry in 2022 and in March 2024, she joined The Escapist. Her previous work can be seen at GameGrin, The Punished Backlog, TheGamer, and GameSkinny.