RuneScape: Dragonwilds – A Surprise Early Access Launch
Jagex stunned RuneScape fans with the surprise release of Dragonwilds into Early Access on April 15th, 2025. This standalone, co-op survival game, priced at $29.99 on Steam, quickly climbed the Steam charts, surpassing expectations. Forget the familiar MMORPG; Dragonwilds throws you into a challenging open-world survival experience.
What is RuneScape: Dragonwilds?
Set on the continent of Ashenfall, Dragonwilds tasks 1-4 players with surviving against the formidable Dragon Queen. The game features classic RuneScape elements like skill progression, crafting, and questing, blended with survival mechanics including building, combat, and dungeon exploration. Early Access buyers receive exclusive Pioneer rewards.
Gameplay and Early Access Roadmap
Currently, players can explore several regions, master RuneScape skills, wield magic survival spells, and battle the fearsome General Velgar, the game's first dragon. Jagex plans a substantial Early Access period, extending until early 2026. The roadmap includes adding new regions (like Fellhollow), dragons, skills (ranged, farming, more magic), quests, lore, gear, and significant improvements to performance, combat balancing, and multiplayer functionality. Player feedback, gathered via the official Discord, will heavily influence development.
Multiplayer and Epic Games Account
Important Note: While purchased on Steam, Dragonwilds requires an Epic Games account for online multiplayer. This is to facilitate cross-platform play in the future, including planned releases on PlayStation and Xbox. Offline single-player is unaffected.
Why Play Dragonwilds?
Dragonwilds offers a unique blend of familiar RuneScape charm and the engaging challenges of a survival crafting game. It's not just another survival title; the inclusion of quests and a rich RuneScape lore differentiates it from the crowded genre. The ability to chop down multiple trees at once with an axe, and the overall improved grind compared to the base game, have been praised by early players.
Conclusion
RuneScape: Dragonwilds presents a compelling new chapter in the RuneScape universe. While still in Early Access, its unique blend of established mechanics and fresh gameplay has already garnered attention. The long Early Access roadmap promises substantial growth and ensures player feedback will shape its future. Are you ready to brave Ashenfall? Purchase Dragonwilds on Steam today!