Dragon’s Dogma 2 players distraught as Dragonsplague plays havoc with their playthroughs

A Pawn-only illness known as Dragonsplague is sweeping through Dragon’s Dogma 2 and destroying perfect playthroughs and the DD2 community has already felt its destructive effects less than a week into the game’s lifetime. If left untreated, Pawns won’t follow commands, will go rogue, and threaten to spoil your session.

In Dragon’s Dogma 2, your Pawns are your allies—they’ll fight for you, die for you, and help you uncover valuable treasures and resources. However, if Dragonsplague infects them, this mechanic can, as players have warned on the game’s subreddit this week, utterly break your playthrough. “You immediately go to sleep so you can do your quests during the day. You wake up and every NPC is fucking dead,” the post’s author said, demanding the feature be removed or reworked immediately.

Not only does Dragonsplague make the inflicted Pawns stronger, but they will become more volatile, unresponsive to commands, and snarky. If left unchecked, they will transform, decimate towns, and leave a trail of bodies in their wake—and in doing so, ruin any chance of progressing several key quests. Even if you think that a town surely won’t have anything game-breaking, some do as they may contain items for specific quests, NPCs for Vocations, or crucial quests to the main story. If these towns are destroyed, so is your playthrough and you’ll need to reload an earlier save point where your Pawns don’t have Dragonsplague or start over again.

As the plague is spreading like wildfire, many players are in a panic, with one declaring they’re “no longer looking forward to the game” because of it. Although it can destroy your playthrough, it’s important to note that there are signs to look for, like Pawns complaining of a headache, making snarky comments, not following your commands, or a red tinge to their eyes. 

If your Pawns are experiencing any of these “symptoms,” you’ll either need to dismiss them if they’re summoned or kill them if it’s your main pawn. It doesn’t matter how: You can push them off a cliff, let monsters kill them in battle, or, as one player recommended, throw them in the ocean to drown as soon as they make any sassy comment or look remotely funny. As long as they’re dead, they can be resummoned at a Rift Stone, Dragonsplague-free.

Even though this mechanic can break your game, some players agree it is pretty interesting. One piece of criticism supporters of the Dragonsplague share is that they wish the mechanic had been “communicated a bit better.” There is a pop-up the first time you come into contact with Dragonsplague; however, after that, you simply have to watch for the signs and hope you don’t miss them.

So, if you’re worried about your Pawns contracting Dragonsplague, be on the lookout for the signs and symptoms, and if they look even remotely shifty or slightly disobedient, kill them. It’s safer that way.