Some characters in Dragon's Dogma 2 have a tragic past. One of them ended up as a member of a syndicate due to mishaps in life. Still, you might be able to find a better life for him. Here's our guide on how to free Hugo in Dragon's Dogma 2. Likewise, please be reminded that this guide contains minor spoilers.

How to free Hugo in Dragon's Dogma 2

Hugo's fate is tied to two quests: Mercy Among Thieves and Off the Pilfered Path. The arc itself can get a little muddled due to potential issues and unknown triggers.

Mercy Among Thieves: Your first meeting with Hugo

The first time you meet Hugo in Dragon's Dogma 2 is upon exiting the gate in Checkpoint Rest Town. A man will tell you about Coral Snakes ransacking oxcarts, and you should decide to help out. Just along the path, you'll meet a kid named Toumi who asks for food. Give him any kind of (unspoiled) food that you have twice, and Hugo will appear to thank you.

Mercy Among Thieves: The Coral Snakes hideout

While tracking the quest to learn about the Coral Snakes, you'll see Hugo darting off into a tunnel. Continue following him until you reach a massive cavern: the Coral Snakes hideout. One of the guards from Battahl, Benjamin, will aid you in the upcoming battle. Be forewarned that you're going to face dozens of enemies here, so be ready for a slog.

Once you reach the end of the tunnel, the leader of the Coral Snakes, Lanzo, will push Hugo off a scaffolding. He'll end up captured by Benjamin and the guards.

Important matters upon arriving in Bakbattahl

Upon arriving in Bakbattahl's inn, Benjamin might appear to inform you that Hugo is imprisoned and you might be able to chat with him. Before you do that, however, we suggest tracking the Nation of the Lambent Flame main quest. This tasks you with going to a tavern called the Rockmouse's Burrow to speak with Menella.

Menella will give you a residence pass, which allows you to explore Bakbattahl without guards being wary of you. Apart from that, you should check in front of the tavern to overhear two people talking about how another member of the Coral Snakes was captured.

Off the Pilfered Path: Talk to Hugo in his cell and bribe the guard

With the residence pass and after overhearing the talk about the captured syndicate member, you should be able to head to Bakbattahl's gaol at the eastern edge of the city. The jailer, Ekratt, will let you pass. You should be able to speak with Hugo, who will tell you about why he joined the Coral Snakes in the first place.

Next, talk to the younger guard, Dietrich, who informs you there might be a way to give Hugo his freedom. If you speak with Ekratt and pay him a bribe of 1,000 gold, he says that he'll pull some strings.

Off the Pilfered Path: Potential bugs

There are a few issues that you might encounter while doing the Dragon's Dogma 2 Off the Pilfered Path quest. First, it's possible for Ekratt and the other guards to attack you if you're in the gaol. We believe this occurs if you entered the area without getting the residence pass from Menella.

Another issue is that you could try to free Hugo immediately by using a Makeshift Gaol Key. He then asks you if there's a place where he could go. If you haven't discovered wherever that place might be, he'll just walk off into the distance.

Lastly, if you wait for a few days to pass and talk to Ekratt again, he'll ask for 2,500 gold as a bribe. If you continue to wait, no matter how many days, he just keeps saying that "these things take time."

Hearing the tales of captured Coral Snakes members

Certain events can also trigger if you plan to free Hugo in Dragon's Dogma 2. These involve the aforementioned guard, Benjamin, who will sometimes speak with you as you're exploring Bakbattahl (in front of the inn or at the marketplace area). He'll claim that other members of the Coral Snakes have been caught, and you can talk to them. Here are three notable examples:

• One will divulge what really happened to Hugo's parents. You can choose to tell the truth to Hugo or keep quiet.
• Another will say that the Coral Snakes have found a new hideout in the Ancient Battleground.
• There's another fella who can be tricked with a lie, but this particular option is related to one of Menella's side quests (not Hugo's arc).

Potential point of no return

In our playthrough, we were further along in the campaign, mostly completing various side quests. This is how things transpired:

• We told Hugo the truth about what happened to his parents.
• We heard the Coral Snakes' new hideout is in the Ancient Battleground.
• The young jailer, Dietrich, told us that Hugo managed to escape already, but the quest marker for the Ancient Battleground was still active.

Ancient Battleground: The new Coral Snakes hideout

The Ancient Battleground is due north of Checkpoint Rest Town. You have to follow the winding pass along the ravine, which leads to an open field where a Dragon and a Cyclops are fighting. Past that point, there's a ruined castle, the Cenotaph, which has a passageway that takes you to the Sphinx's Mountain Shrine.

When we revisited the Ancient Battleground/Cenotaph, there was no one there even though the quest remained active. The next time we returned to Bakbattahl, a guard approached us saying that most Coral Snakes have escaped. They also found two bodies: Hugo's and Lanzo's, and the two may have mortally wounded one another.

We believe that this might be due to (a) telling Hugo the truth about his parents, (b) not going to the location as soon as we received the quest (passage of time), or (c) a hidden trigger.

As of now, these are our attempts to free Hugo in Dragon's Dogma 2. The tale did not end well, so we'll try to update this article to see if we can save Hugo from a terrible fate.

Fierce foes and loyal companions await you as you journey onward in Dragon's Dogma 2. For other tips and strategies, you can visit our guides hub.