Dragon’s Dogma 2, Capcom’s latest high-fantasy action role-playing game, lets you romance all sorts of non-player characters. From a city leader to a town fool, a brothel host to a young blacksmith, there’s plenty of love in the air between you as the Arisen and the game’s many NPCs. You can’t romance the Pawns, though, a disappointing fact for the many players begging to date their loyal servants.
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In Dragon’s Dogma 2, you can raise your affinity level with just about everyone you come in contact with. Doing things for the characters you meet makes them like you more, which raises their bond with you for the game’s romance system. Save an elf’s sister from a rampaging ogre? That elf will become smitten with you and may ask you out on a date—eventually. Give an herbalist a bouquet of flowers? Similarly, that herbalist will grow an affection toward you. Unfortunately, Pawns, the game’s (mostly) obedient retainers that you create or hire, aren’t part of this love equation. No matter what you do, traveling with them far and wide or showering them with gifts, they will never be romanceable. Though such actions do raise their affinity level with you, some players still want a fling with their faithful retainers.
“Why can’t we romance our pawns,” asked redditor floopydoop90 in a post on r/DragonsDogma that’s slowly gaining some traction. “We spent every second together. They greet us after a rest in our beds. We create them with an incredible robust character creator. There can be beneficial combat or support buffs from having romanced your pawn. Bigger heals, stronger attacks when done together.”
“Are pawns romanceable now?” asked redditor Talia_Rosethorn in r/DragonsDogma with a video of their main Pawn blushing when they speak. “My girl is showing symptoms of max affinity and there are barely any posts about it so far.”
“Spent 50k changing hairstyles and hair colours and now my main pawn blushes when we talk,” said redditor Infamous_Touch2339 with an image of their main Pawn blushing just like Talia_Rosethorn’s did. “Is there a hidden romance with pawns?”
Much like in the 2012 game, you can’t romance Pawns in Dragon’s Dogma 2. There isn’t an explicit reason, though the theory is you can’t date them because their only goal is to help you, the Arisen, reclaim what is rightfully yours, and it would maybe be a bit weird for the game to let you date someone who lacks any soul or will of their own. Still, that hasn’t stopped one redditor from arguing there are hints that the Arisen and their Pawns aren’t keeping things strictly platonic.
“Players are always alone with their main pawns at their own houses, sleep at the same time, and most likely sleep on the same bed, plus main pawns sometimes blush before and after sleep,” theorized redditor TianAnMen_8964 in a lengthy post on r/Dragons Dogma. “I think the hinting here is crystal clear. Of course you can still think the opposite in your head canon, but I don’t think you can [deny] the hints. And yes, I would like a pawn romance update, how did you know?”
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I wondered this same thing when I awoke to my main Pawn hovering over me in bed one time, his cheeks flushed as he talked about loving the “quiet moments” he shared with me. It’s kinda weird, though, because my Pawn is modeled after my cat, and I certainly wouldn’t wanna date or sleep with my cat no matter how much he saves my ass from dragon griffin attacks. We’re just monster-slaying partners. Nothing more. I’m merely The Arisen, after all, not The Bachelor.