Runescape Dragonwilds release date window, early access, and more

Want to know the Runescape Dragonwilds release date? Jagex, the team behind the long-running Runescape series, is expanding into a new genre with the release of Runescape Dragonwilds. Set in the continent of Ashenfall, players will embark on a journey filled with mysterious monsters, magical abilities, and of course, teamwork.

Runescape Dragonwilds is a standalone survival game which sees groups of up to four players band together to take down the evil dragons in Ashenfall. Dragonwilds can be played as a standalone single player game or co-op, so you don’t need to rely on your mates to go on this adventure.

Runescape Dragonwilds release date window

Runescape Dragonwilds is scheduled to be released in early 2026, according to the game’s Steam page. Jagex estimates that it should be ready by then, but it also states Dragonwilds will be in early access for “as long as it takes”.

The game has been in alpha testing since late 2024, giving Jagex over a year to make any additions to the co-op game during its early access period. There’s a chance the release date could be pushed back; however, that will largely depend on how the early access release is received by the Runescape community.

Runescape Dragonwilds has been confirmed for release on PC, more specifically on Steam. As stated by IGN, Jagex has “hopes for a wider launch (including console) sometime in 2026”. Unlike Runescape which offers a monthly subscription, Dragonwilds will be available as a one-time purchase on Steam, though the pricing has yet to be revealed.

Runescape Dragonwilds early access

The Runescape Dragonwilds early access release date is scheduled for Spring 2025. Summer is considered to span between June to August, so there’s a good chance that Dragonwilds early access will launch within the next two months.

The early access period is set to include the first batch of regions, along with a building system, survival mechanics, and dungeons to explore. You’ll also get a chance to take down General Velgar, the first dragon let loose in Ashenfall. Jagex wants to use the early access period to gather feedback from the community, and it’s planning to release updates that add more content for free throughout early access.

Again, while we don’t know the price right now, the Steam page says the price will be increased when the game leaves early access. Jagex is hosting a deep-dive livestream on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at 9am PST / 12pm EST / 5pm BST, taking a closer look at the game’s mechanics.

Runescape Dragonwilds trailers

There are currently two trailers for Runescape Dragonwilds showing off the world and gameplay. The world trailer gives us a tour of Ashenfall during a sunny day, unveiling a fantasy setting that gives off heavy Valheim vibes. We also get a glimpse of some dungeons and caves, which will undoubtedly be the home to deadly traps and creepy crawlies. There are shots of different biomes at night, including a dark green swamp area, and an ominous peek at a large tower during a lightning storm.

The gameplay teaser comes in at just 25 seconds, giving us a brief look at some of the mechanics we can expect from Dragonwilds. While the teaser primarily focuses on combat, there’s a shot of some characters approaching an elderly wizard, suggesting there are NPCs to interact with.

We see multiple action-focused shots, including a soldier fighting using a bow and arrow, another with a sword and shield, and a mage using magic to fight against orc-like creatures. Magic plays a large role in Dragonwilds, and that is shown in several scenes where it’s used to cut down trees and build structures. The final scene shows a group of three players running towards a large green dragon, presumably General Velgar.

Runescape Dragonwilds gameplay

Runescape Dragonwilds is a survival game with crafting elements, so you can expect to gather resources, build structures, and fight against mobs across the game’s range of biomes. The goal of the game is to kill the Dragon Queen, but first you must take down the rest of her dragon army.

According to IGN, the full game will have “two regions, with five unique biomes”. They also say additional biomes could be added after the game launches, and this aligns with the information on Steam which states Jagex may release post-launch content as paid DLC.

Judging by the trailers, we know there are at least three standard class archetypes to pick from: knight, archer, and mage. The Steam page mentions there are ‘skill spells’—in Runescape, these are magical abilities that aid players outside of combat. The Dragonwilds website talks about a leveling system, which we assume rewards you with experience for completing quests and defeating enemies. There’s also talk of new quests being added to the game on Steam, adding more fuel to the fire that there are quest-giving NPCs to look out for.

Runescape Dragonwilds crossplay

Runescape Dragonwilds does feature partial controller support, and Jagex community manager, Mod Doom, has stated on Reddit that the team used Unreal Engine 5 partially to “future-proof for cross-platform play”. Unreal Engine 5 is known for its scalability, so we wouldn’t be surprised if Dragonwilds made its way onto Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2.

That’s everything we know about the Runescape Dragonwilds release date right now, but stay tuned as the livestream taking place next week is set to reveal much more about the crafting game. Until then, we highly recommend giving our upcoming games list a read to discover more great experiences you have to look forward to.