RuneScape: Dragonwilds is an open-world survival game set in a forgotten continent known only as Ashenfall. Learn more about the game’s plot, gameplay, release date, our first impressions of the game, and more.
Everything We Know About RuneScape: Dragonwilds
RuneScape: Dragonwilds Plot
RuneScape: Dragonwilds is an open-world survival game set in a forgotten continent known only as Ashenfall. After a mysterious phenomenon awakens its dragons, this uncharted world teeming with multiple biomes has no shortage of fangs ready to bite unprepared players.
To survive its many threats, players must harness and upgrade skills spanning combat, fishing, mining, crafting, and more. You’ll also need to build and expand your village where you can store your inventory, improve abilities, and prepare for whatever comes next.
RuneScape: Dragonwilds Gameplay
Gameplay in RuneScape: Dragonwilds is a mix of survival RPG and open-world exploration, but at its core lies the series’ signature progression system, where you grind skill levels to unlock more powerful abilities and stats. Activities like mining, fishing, and combat all contribute to your progression, gradually turning your once-greenhorn hero into an ultimate Dragon Slayer.
There’s plenty to do in its sandbox, from building your own bases to experimenting with different playstyles. You can specialize as a Ranger who favors bows and arrows or take on the role of a Wizard who can conjure powerful spells from afar.
RuneScape: Dragonwilds Release Date
RuneScape: Dragonwilds entered Early Access on April 15, 2025, before receiving its full 1.0 release on September 15, 2026, launching on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
RuneScape: Dragonwilds Review [First Impressions] | An Addictive Old-School Grind Made Even Better
25 Years in the Making
Back when the internet was little more than a collection of websites built by passionate users (with the occasional slice of shock sites thrown in), the early 2000s were some of gaming’s most formative years. New genres began finding their footing, with MMOs emerging as one of the era's biggest discoveries.
When the first RuneScape dropped in 2001, not many expected it to become a mainstream phenomenon. Players were still figuring out what they could do in its world. It was one of the first multiplayer spaces where players could soak in the sights, fish, mine, chop trees, and spend their time however they pleased.
Now, after years of trial and error across its multiple iterations, the franchise has found its identity by respectfully splitting its community between those who love Old School RuneScape and RuneScape 3. But developer Jagex wants more. It wants something ambitious that can prove its budding 2001 passion project can continue to evolve, especially now that the beloved franchise has attracted more than 300 million accounts.
Jagex’s relentless pursuit to keep the franchise alive for 25 years has now culminated in RuneScape: Dragonwilds. Gone are the days of players memeing with the overly tired “Buying GF” joke. What Dragonwilds offers is arguably the most ambitious evolution of the RuneScape formula yet, condensing over two decades of core mechanics and ideas into one survival game, as well as borrowing known mechanics from the titles that came before it.
With RuneScape: Dragonwilds officially out of Steam Early Access just yesterday, my first few hours diving into its 1.0 version felt like Bilbo Baggins embarking on a grand adventure with Gandalf the Grey. It was massive and magical, with dragons waiting to greet me around every corner.
You’re Not in Old-School Gielinor Anymore
The first thing you’ll notice when jumping into the game is that this is no longer the low-poly world you once knew and loved, and you’re definitely not in the same part of Gielinor as before. RuneScape: Dragonwilds is also no longer an MMO with a player-driven economy dictates market value.
This newer version of RuneScape offsets that absence by being a full-fledged survival game that follows the same formula as Iron Gate Studio’s Valheim. So instead of worrying about how much this item costs, you now have to deal with endless activities like building houses, foraging for food, chopping trees, and dying multiple times. Isn’t that what classic RuneScape is all about?
Dragonwilds is still RuneScape at its core despite its fresh coat of Unreal Engine paint. You still start as a bumbling adventurer embarking on a classic “Hero’s Journey,” while grinding skill levels across its wide repertoire of talents. More on that later.
This is Jagex’s answer to two types of players: those who love the classic RuneScape adventure and those who crave the grind of survival games like Valheim and Enshrouded. It occupies that sweet spot between the two, while respecting a player’s time to do whatever they want, however they want.
And to make the journey even fresh, new and old players are taken to the new region of Ashenfall, packed with formidable foes not found on the mainland. This is also where Dragonwilds’ new lore takes center stage, telling a story largely independent of what was established in the original games. Like Bilbo Baggins, you have your very own dragon to take down: the legendary Queen Kuldra, a five-headed beast that’s approaching godhood.
Bits and pieces of lore are scattered throughout the game’s biomes, and you can always take a gander and read through them to piece together the bigger picture. However, it can be hard to keep track of everything when an entire world is waiting to be explored, filled with different characters and stories like your typical open-world game. At least the main story is much more digestible for casual players.
But that’s not to say the rest of the game is simply tied to her story. Version 1.0 still features the five unique biomes to explore, and each has its own stories and threats to tell, including the beginner-friendly Brynmoor and the undead-infested Fellhollow, so you’re not just simply stuck into the same plot thread.
Still, that journey has to lead somewhere. Your main goal is to push through her army of dragons and drive your sword straight into her heart. Update 1.0 has made that quest possible, but getting there takes a whole lot of preparation.
An Upskill in Both Gameplay and Design
If you’ve spent more than 300 hours in classic RuneScape, you can kiss those hard-earned skills goodbye. Dragonwilds throws something new at newcomers and veterans alike, with combat that feels like a mix of Legend of Zelda, Valheim, and maybe even a little Dark Souls thrown in for good measure. Combat requires careful planning and a well-stocked food supply with fifty Rat Meats, so you can’t just simply march straight into Mordor without decent gear.
Thankfully, RuneScape’s classic horizontal progression makes a grand return. Almost everything you do in Dragonwilds, from sprinting to munching on freshly cooked berries, builds up your character’s various talents which opens up the amount of tools you can use. This incrementality ensures that whatever you’re doing, you’re never simply wasting time. Even if you don’t find a particular skill worth focusing on, like brewing potions, you can still see it develop whenever you tinker with your cauldron every now and then.
These skills feel earned because you can actually see the fruits of your labor. Best of all, they complement Dragonwilds’ massive open world because, let’s face it, there’s plenty to do in Ashenfall so there’s no reason not to explore all 12 unique skills. Every now and then, you’ll get constant “Level Up!” pop-ups hogging your screen, and while that might be a pet peeve for some gamers, this is exactly the kind of dopamine rush RuneScape has mastered over the years.
You can focus on leveling one skill at a time, but training multiple talents comes with plenty of advantages, unlocking passive abilities and new moves that help you on your journey. Take Agility, for instance. I spent a good chunk of my time relying on Air Runes to reach hard-to-access areas, only to eventually unlock a double jump simply by putting in the legwork, with a little magic mixed in.
By the time you reach the endgame, your character’s skill levels have grown alongside your own understanding of the game’s massive systems. Higher levels make you a self-sufficient hero, capable of taking on even the toughest challenges and raids. This is the ultimate reward for any RuneScape player, and Dragonwilds still reflects that same sense of achievement, even with its newer survival systems.
Getting Lost in All its Fantasy Busywork
My time with Dragonwilds was completely different than I did with the OG decades ago. These new survival mechanics are undeniably addictive and fit surprisingly well into its open world. My first death came at the hands of some random rat I never saw coming, and honestly, I can only blame my own hubris.
My first few hours playing mostly solo in 1.0 are nothing short of enjoyable, despite the fumbles I have to learn along the way. It's the kind of game that doesn’t treat me like the local idiot who needs to be spoonfed new information. My discoveries across Ashenfall are so unexpected that I sometimes go overboard and overencumber my inventory, resulting in long walks as my character slogs through the wilderness.
I've deeply enjoyed the exploration in this game because everywhere you look, there’s always something to do that helps level up your skills. The only downside is that there are simply too many mobs lurking around. Fodder enemies like Rats and little Goblins make the journey a little less smooth, often disrupting the flow of exploration more than they add to it.
Beyond that little hiccup, however, I’m completely lured into its level design. It’s intentionally built to let you explore its different biomes without feeling too overwhelmed. More often than not, open-world games throw you straight into the action, but Dragonwilds takes things slower, almost like the opening hours of Elden Ring, minus the first boss waiting at the end. This makes it especially welcoming for newcomers to the genre. Even its environment helps with this feeling since you can feel the subtle shift in atmosphere with every biome, signaling when it’s time to assess the new area and get ready for whatever comes next.
And even when I’m not exploring Ashenfall or progressing through its main story, the activities at your base are just as addictive. There’s always something to do, whether it’s hunting nearby animals to cook food, managing your hydration by stocking up on clean water, creating new Runes for helpful spells, or crafting better gear by turning animal fur into leather. It’s constant busywork that never really runs out of steam, and that’s a good thing because it’s helped me stay prepared for some of the game’s tougher encounters.
That’s not even the most fascinating part, though. Base-building is so meticulous that I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of my measly abode, which had nothing but a single bed inside. I’ve seen what other players can create in games like this, and I still can’t fathom how much time and dedication it takes to build something truly impressive.
So far, I have yet to discover more of RuneScape: Dragonwilds’ newer 1.0 content, but I’m already enjoying my time across the game’s first few biomes, and I can’t wait to see where my character ends up next. Something tells me this game is going to have me in a chokehold for the next few days.
Game8 Reviews
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RuneScape: Dragonwilds Product Information
 |
|
| Title | RUNESCAPE: DRAGONWILDS |
|---|---|
| Release Date | September 15, 2026 |
| Developer | Jagex Ltd. |
| Publisher | Jagex Ltd., H2 Interactive Co.,Ltd., Graph |
| Supported Platforms | PC, PS5, XBXS, and NS2 |
| Genre | Open World, Survival |
| Number of Players | 1-4 Players |
| ESRB Rating | T |
| Official Website | RuneScape: Dragonwilds Official Website |
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