RuneScape: Dragonwilds 1 Year Anniversary Update
RuneScape: Dragonwilds just hit its one year mark since shadow-dropping into Early Access on April 15, 2025, and the Dragonwilds 1 year anniversary update is a perfect time to take stock of how far this game has come.
What started as a scrappy survival game built by a small team has grown into one of the most talked-about co-op survival crafters on Steam – with two massive new regions, new skills, skill capes, dedicated servers, and an ambitious 2026 roadmap that’s still picking up speed. Here’s everything that’s changed since launch, what’s coming next after the Dragonwilds 1 year anniversary!
From Humble Beginnings to Very Positive on Steam
The Dragonwilds 1 year anniversary update is a chance to look back at where it all started. The team behind Dragonwilds set out with a simple idea – create a survival game that brought the RuneScape experience to life in a modern engine. A true Ironman-style experience that the community had been asking about for years. Players had always said that survival and life sim mechanics were what they’d want from a new RuneScape game, and Jagex ran with that vision.
Looking at early development footage compared to the current state of the game, it’s honestly wild how far they’ve come. The team acknowledges how rough the early builds were – but the DNA was there, even back then. And the cabbits were there too, which is really all that matters.
The game’s Early Access launch on April 15, 2025 was a shadow drop – nobody saw it coming. Jagex themselves admitted they didn’t expect the game to take off the way it did, and the momentum kept the team scrambling to keep up with community hype and feedback. On Steam, the game currently sits at Very Positive with over 19,000 reviews – a solid showing for an Early Access survival crafter.
The Alpha Testers Who Shaped Dragonwilds
One of the biggest reasons Dragonwilds has evolved so quickly is the alpha testing community. Jagex started recruiting testers from the RuneScape community around September 2024, and tens of thousands of players volunteered – both active RuneScape and Old School RuneScape veterans. Some of those original alpha testers are still around and actively playing today.
The feedback from that early testing period was clearly massive for the game’s direction. A bunch of specific changes came directly from alpha tester input – burning food while cooking, crossbows being added, nostalgic hit splats, and even the music. Community feedback has been the backbone of every major decision the team has made, which tracks with what we’ve seen from the monthly updates throughout 2025.
Dragonwilds 1 Year Anniversary – Everything That’s Changed
So what exactly has changed in a year of Early Access? The list is genuinely impressive. Here’s what’s landed in Dragonwilds over the past 12 months:
Two new regions – Fellhollow dropped in December 2025 as the first major expansion, bringing a hauntingly beautiful region ruled by decay and the Wither Rot. It introduced a huge new boss encounter with Imaru, new quests, rot-afflicted enemies, the Soul Rift status effect, and even mounts (starting with the Terrorbird via a Fellhollow questline). Then Dowdun Reach arrived on March 31, 2026 – a Zamorakian fortress region featuring the Black Knight Titan, Blue Dragons, and Mithril-tier gear crafting. Dowdun Reach also brought dedicated server support through Shockbyte, bumping the player cap from four to six.
New skills and skill caps raised to 99. Farming launched alongside Fellhollow in December 2025, reimagined with a magical twist that puts sorcery into the survival loop from the jump. Skill caps for all skills were raised to Level 99 with the Dowdun Reach update – a massive community request since day one. Yes, you can rock those iconic Skill Capes now. Fishing is coming next as part of the Dragonwilds 1 year anniversary celebration, expected in the April update alongside new quests, skill spells, decorations, and fish to catch and cook.
Heaps of smaller updates. Beyond the headline expansions, the team has added hundreds of decorations, a whole load of quests through minor monthly updates, cooking overhauls, crossbows and ranged combat, creative mode, world settings, full controller support, and tons of quality-of-life improvements. They’ve shipped minor updates almost every month since launch, which is a pace most Early Access survival games don’t hit.
Community Feedback That Actually Made It Into the Game
This is the part of the anniversary update that really stands out. Jagex has called out specific community-driven changes that shaped Dragonwilds into what it is today:
Burning food while cooking
A classic RuneScape mechanic that alpha testers pushed for and the team delivered. It’s a small detail that makes the cooking loop feel way more authentic to the RuneScape identity.
Crossbows and ranged combat
Ranged was a huge community request that eventually landed as a full skill with its own combat tree, crossbow weapons, and the fletching workbench.
Nostalgic hit splats
The team added classic RuneScape-style hit splats based on player feedback, which is a perfect example of how small touches can make fans feel at home.
Dedicated servers
Players were excited about the possibility of persistent worlds, so Jagex fast-tracked dedicated server support. It launched with Dowdun Reach and supports up to six players through Shockbyte hosting.
Skill caps raised to 99 with Skill Capes
The grind is real, and the community wanted it. The team heard players asking for higher skill caps almost from day one and delivered skill capes that let you flex your commitment.
Honestly, whatever you think about the state of Early Access games in general, the Dragonwilds team has walked the talk when it comes to listening to players. The pace and specificity of these changes is pretty rare.
What’s Coming after Dragonwilds 1 Year Anniversary?
Looking ahead, the 2026 roadmap is stacked. Here’s what’s confirmed coming to Dragonwilds in the months ahead:
1. Fishing (April 2026). Landing as part of the Dragonwilds 1 year anniversary celebration, Fishing was originally planned for the Dowdun Reach launch but got delayed so the team could polish it up to 99-cap standards. Expect new fish to catch and cook, fishing-related Skill Spells, decorations, and quests that take you back to where it all started.
2. Umbral Sands (Late Q2 2026). A vast desert region with a dynamic environmental system – the sun drains your health during the day, making shade and timing critical. Nighttime brings its own threats. The elemental Kot’Haar enemies roam during the day, while entirely different dangers come out at night.
3. Scorned Wilderness (Late Q3 2026). This is where Kuldra’s Saga reaches its climax. You’ll finally face the God Eater herself – the five-headed dragon queen who’s been the big bad looming over the entire game. Rune Armor will be available at this point, marking the true endgame push. The team says this region will be a cataclysmic landscape of ancient power where Anima has torn the land apart.
On top of those three major updates, Jagex is committed to continued monthly minor updates with new quests, activities, and quality-of-life improvements throughout the year. The team is also growing to meet demand, with more developers being brought on to deliver on this ambitious schedule.
A Genuine Thank You to the Community
As part of the anniversary update, Jagex took a moment to thank the community directly. Two years ago, the team was dreaming about how to make a game that could grow the RuneScape universe and bring new players to Gielinor. A year ago, they were watching the first adventurers step into Ashenfall and were already blown away by the response. The message is simple – thank you for signing up for alphas, giving feedback, wishlisting, and diving in.
More RuneScape: Dragonwilds Resources
If you’re jumping into Dragonwilds or returning after a break, browse all of our walkthroughs and tips on the MetaForge Guides page. Find anything you might be looking for with the help of our Interactive Map and join our Discord community to discuss RuneScape: Dragonwilds and more!
