The game arrived only two weeks after its first trailer was released.
A pleasant surprise for RuneScape fans arrived on Tuesday evening (15 April) when Jagex suddenly released its newest game, RuneScape: DragonWilds, into early access on Steam. Its first trailer had aired just two weeks earlier, and a developer livestream had been planned to reveal more details, including its release date. What fans weren't expecting was for the game to go live on the very same day.
DragonWilds was originally teased back in 2022, then resurfaced in October 2024 when Jagex began looking for testers for a "new survival game set in the RuneScape universe." Despite those early hints and the brief Steam description, details remained scarce.
Jagex has made it clear that community input is shaping the game from the start. Closed alpha tests helped refine the current version, and the team plans to continue gathering feedback from Discord, Steam forums, and social media. According to the Steam page, this collaborative development will continue through to the full release, currently estimated for early 2026.
The early access price will eventually be increased when the full version launches, but updates during this period won’t cost extra. Paid DLC may come later, but for now, the focus is on building a strong core experience.
What is RuneScape: DragonWilds?
During the developer stream hosted by Senior Community Manager Mod Doom, DragonWilds was described as “a brand new RuneScape game to take over your first monitor.” Unlike previous entries, this isn’t an MMORPG. Instead, it’s a standalone, single-purchase survival game that leans into sandbox-style mechanics and long-term progression.
Rather than traditional quests and levelling in a shared world, DragonWilds focuses on crafting, exploration, and survival. Players build their base, gather resources, and face off against wild beasts in the hostile region of Ashenfall.
Why make a survival game?
According to Executive Producer Mod Dutch and Creative Director Mod Rook, development began in late 2021 with the idea of offering something new, without leaving behind RuneScape’s identity. As the team explored different ideas, the survival genre stood out. It offered the kind of freedom, risk, and player-driven moments that the developers felt could naturally extend the RuneScape universe.
“We wanted something MMO-adjacent,” said Mod Dutch. “And survival offered the kind of freedom and challenge we were looking for.”
Where does DragonWilds take place?
The story takes place in Ashenfall, a mysterious, storm-ridden continent shaped by wild magic. Though not part of Gielinor proper, Ashenfall still ties closely into the RuneScape world. Magical weather patterns, twisted ruins, and strange mutated creatures all stem from a phenomenon called the Animat Twist: a force that warps everything it touches, from wildlife to the landscape itself.
Magic in DragonWilds isn’t just for combat. It weaves into daily survival. One early spell, for instance, allows multiple trees to be chopped down in a single swing, turning a typically grind-heavy task into something more efficient.
Gameplay
Players begin with basic survival: chopping wood, cooking food, and building shelters before unlocking deeper systems. RuneScape skills like Woodcutting and Runecrafting return, now tailored to suit the survival setting. Combat feels weightier and more dangerous, especially with creatures like General Velgar, the game’s first dragon boss.
The current early access version includes several of these regions, a range of spells and gear, robust building tools, and dungeons to explore. The team has promised ongoing updates, including new skills, seasonal events, and more regions to uncover throughout the early access period.
Crossplay and multiplayer
Multiplayer is available from the start, but it requires linking your Steam and Epic Games accounts. DragonWilds uses Epic’s Basic Profile service to support crossplay between platforms. For those who prefer to go it alone, the entire game can be played solo without missing out on any content.
RuneScape: DragonWilds is available in early access on Steam.
