RuneScape: Dragonwilds vs HIRAETH

• Base Building: Snap-Grid Modular Construction
• Crossplay: Full Support (PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch 2)
• Max Multiplayer Capacity: 6 Players (Dedicated Servers)
• Progression System: 99-Level Granular Skill System
• World Type: Handcrafted Static Map (Ashenfall)

• Perspective: First-Person
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Desolate Alien Planet (Ahra Prime)
• Platforms: PC (initial), with Mac/Linux planned
• Early Access Release: 2025-09-03
• Unique Feature: A highly ambitious solo-developed survival game with a dual-mode structure, combining a hardcore survival sandbox with a deep, episodic narrative campaign.

• Magic Carpet: Allows players to hover over the Umbral Sands, mitigating severe heat exhaustion penalties.
  Enchanted Object
• Spectral Axe: Summoned via Axtral Projection to rapidly fell trees in a wide radius.
  Magical Construct
• Revenant Pets: Rare cosmetic followers dropped by bosses to denote elite player status.
  Undead Minion

• Fire Cape: Awarded upon successful completion of the wave-based Fire Caves in the Umbral Sands.
• Scorned Wilderness Cape: Guaranteed drop upon the first defeat of Queen Kuldra.
• Draconic Vis Wax: Complex crafted collectible material necessary for endgame textile refinement.

• Resources: Found by scavenging the environment and hunting alien wildlife. These are essential for the game's deep crafting system.
• Lore Notes: Scattered notes and logs that provide environmental storytelling, allowing players to piece together the history of the failed colony on Ahra Prime.

• Survival Crafting
• Fantasy
• MMORPG Progression
• Base Building
• Cooperative Multiplayer
• Dark Fantasy

• Sci-Fi
• Survival
• First-Person
• Open World
• Crafting
• Story Rich
• Immersive Sim
• Indie
• RPG
• Action
• Adventure
• Simulation

• Dragon Scimitar: Melee (Slash)
  An iconic, uncraftable red blade dropped exclusively by Kuldra. Boasts immense slash damage and a dedicated special attack.
• Dragon Crossbow: Ranged
  The absolute pinnacle of ranged weaponry, capable of penetrating heavy armor. Earned as high-tier boss loot from Kuldra.
• Rune Greatsword: Melee (Slash)
  A heavy, two-handed blade forged from Runite Bars requiring high stamina commitment but offering massive visceral attack scaling.
• Abyssal Whip: Melee (Slash)
  Crafted from the spine of an Abyssal Demon, this mid-game powerhouse offers incredibly fast attack speeds and unparalleled spacing control.
• Ancestral Wand: Magic
  Crafted from Magic Wood, this endgame wand allows mages to remain highly mobile while continuously stacking elemental debuffs on targets.
• Imaru's Talon: Melee
  A rare drop from Imaru the Revenant Dragon, this weapon offers unique self-healing capabilities, though notoriously difficult to farm.

• Dragon Full Helm: Protection Level: 9, Durability: 1750. Uncraftable Boss Drop.
• Runite Med Helm: Protection Level: 8, Durability: 1750. Requires 4 Rune Bars, 4 Black D-Leather, 1 Vis Cloth.
• Steel Armor Set: Protection Level: 4. Grants a massive early-game defensive spike; distinguished by its plumed full helm.
• Ancestral Robes: Magic Boost: High. Requires complex textile crafting involving Vis Cloth and Draconic Vis Wax.
• Adamant Greataxe: Melee Damage Level: 7. Forged from Adamant Bars sourced in the Umbral Sands.

• EVA Suit: The Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) suit is the player's primary piece of gear. It serves as armor and a life support system. It can be upgraded with different modules to enhance its durability, power, and oxygen capacity.

Eschewing traditional survival-game tech trees, Dragonwilds ports the granular 99-level progression system directly from its MMORPG roots. Skills like Woodcutting, Mining, and Agility are leveled organically through continuous action. Rather than rewarding players with mere passive numerical buffs, achieving level milestones unlocks game-changing 'Skill Spells' driven by a complex rune economy. For example, high-level woodcutters can cast Axtral Projection to instantaneously fell entire groves, while agility masters unlock Windstep to dash across massive chasms. The Artisan skill drastically overhauls base building, introducing critical quality-of-life logistics like the Storage Ledger, which automatically sorts loot into categorized chests, completely mitigating the inventory-management friction typically found in the survival crafting genre. This deeply intertwined skill ecosystem makes every action feel permanently rewarding.

Progression is based on a deep crafting system and progressive skills and perks. The core of survival is managing the player's EVA suit, which requires maintaining oxygen, power, and durability. Players must also manage personal stats like health, stamina, fatigue, and hydration, and can suffer from afflictions like radiation sickness.

Unlike traditional survival titles that rely on algorithmic procedural generation, Dragonwilds features the statically handcrafted continent of Ashenfall. This deliberate topographical design creates strict environmental gating and tightly curated discovery. Players initiate their journey in the temperate Fractured Plains before expanding into the densely forested verticality of Brynmoor and Ghornfell. The difficulty spikes aggressively in Fellhollow, a region defined by decaying, corrupted environments and sunken cemeteries overflowing with undead. Late-game progression forces players into the Umbral Sands, a vast desert enforcing severe heat and hydration mechanics. The absolute pinnacle of the map is the Scorned Wilderness, a 1.0 endgame raid environment featuring floating islands, toxic waterfalls, and crumbled cathedrals that can only be navigated utilizing advanced agility mechanics and magic, offering a fundamentally different scale of environmental challenge.

The game features a large, explorable open world with a full day-night cycle and dynamic weather, including snow and sandstorms. The world includes both surface and underwater environments. The playable area is planned to be gradually expanded throughout the Early Access period.

• Goblin: Humanoid/Monster
  Early-game hostile entity that teaches basic combat and drops rudimentary resources.
• Poisonshot Archer: Goblinoid
  Mid-game ranged threat that forces players to utilize blocking mechanics and stamina management.
• Zogre: Undead Ogre
  Massive undead brute found in Fellhollow acting as a heavy melee gear check.
• Kalphite: Insectoid
  Swarming desert dwellers found in the Umbral Sands, requiring crowd-control tactics.
• Stormpact Demon: Demon
  Elite adversary found in Dowdun Reach that utilizes complex magical attacks.

• Commander Zilyana: Quest Giver / Ally
  An Icyene general serving the god Saradomin who leads the defensive front against the draconic corruption.
• Wise Old Man: Tutorial Guide
  Located in Bramblemead Village, he dispenses the foundational Dragon Slayer questline and guides players through basic mechanics.
• Queen Kuldra: Final Boss
  The God-Eater, a colossal five-headed Black Dragon responsible for fracturing the world with wild Anima.
• Imaru the Revenant Dragon: Mid-Game Boss
  A punishing draconic boss heavily contested by the community due to the brutal 1/10 drop rate of its signature weapon.

• Dragon Slayer: Tutorial / Main Quest
  Establish basic shelter, craft rudimentary stone and bone tools, and survive early Goblin encounters.
• The Fire Caves: Combat Trial
  Survive intense, escalating waves of Kalphites and Blazing Black Knights in the Umbral Sands to earn the Fire Cape.
• Regicide: Endgame Raid
  Infiltrate the corrupted Scorned Wilderness, solve elemental Anima puzzles, and defeat the God-Eater Kuldra.

• ETERNAL Mode
  A pure, endless survival sandbox. The only objective is to survive for as long as possible against the harsh environment and deadly creatures of Ahra Prime.
• REVELATIONS Mode
  A five-chapter, narrative-driven campaign that follows the player's journey to uncover the secrets of the abandoned colony while being guided by the mysterious Charon.

Multiplayer functionality completely abandons peer-to-peer architecture in favor of robust dedicated servers. This allows up to six players (with plans to expand this cap) to occupy a single persistent world. The persistence ensures that massive time-gated activities—such as crop cultivation, automated smelting via Artisan upgrades, and base structural integrity—continue evolving even when players are offline. The 1.0 update also solidifies cooperative raid mechanics, explicitly demanding tight party synergy to survive the Scorned Wilderness. While the core experience is entirely cooperative PvE, the game also offers a low-stress Creative Mode with unrestricted building and deactivated enemy aggression, catering to architectural enthusiasts who wish to bypass the grueling combat and material refinement loops.

Jagex has positioned RuneScape: Dragonwilds aggressively in the market with a baseline digital edition priced at $29.99 across Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live. For enthusiasts, a $9.99 Deluxe Edition Upgrade is available, offering exclusive cosmetic base-building decor and the highly sought-after Gilded Paladin armor set. Physical media collectors can purchase a premium Physical Deluxe Edition for consoles, which includes a collectible Steelbook case, three embroidered patches representing the core Melee, Magic, and Ranged combat triangles, a physical cloth map of the Ashenfall continent, and an exclusive Gold Trim Rune Armour figurine produced in partnership with Youtooz. To ensure massive day-one server populations, the game is also accessible via major subscription platforms like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PlayStation Plus Extra.

The game will be a single, one-time purchase. This will grant access to the full game, including the 'ETERNAL' sandbox mode at the start of Early Access, and all five chapters of the 'REVELATIONS' story mode as they are released over time. There will be no price changes during Early Access.

The version 1.0 release is explicitly designated as the conclusion of the introductory narrative, with a vast, multi-year roadmap already formalized. The first major content drop is the free 'Luminance Update' slated for Winter 2026. This expansion will introduce the highly anticipated Prayer skill, functioning as a hybrid support mechanic where players bury bones and construct altars to toggle powerful passive buffs that drain a new Prayer point resource. Looking further ahead to 2027, Jagex has confirmed the 'Shadows of Ashenfall' expansion, which will introduce entirely new corrupted biomes and story content. Furthermore, the development team is actively iterating on a highly requested Hardcore Mode, which will implement permanent death and aggressive enemy scaling to fundamentally alter the survival calculus for veteran players.

The game will follow a phased release model. After the initial Early Access launch with the 'ETERNAL' sandbox mode, the five chapters of the 'REVELATIONS' story campaign will be released cyclically. The developer also plans to add vehicles and expand the world map.

• Q: How does RuneScape: Dragonwilds perform on the Nintendo Switch 2?
  A: To run the dense Unreal Engine 5 environments, the Switch 2 version aggressively upscales a native 540p resolution to 1080p when docked. While it maintains a locked 30 FPS, players will notice significant visual compromises, including texture compression and reduced shadow quality compared to PC and current-gen consoles.
• Q: Is the game fully cross-platform?
  A: Yes. Dragonwilds features completely frictionless crossplay across PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch 2. Players can easily join dedicated servers together using an integrated, in-game world invite code system.
• Q: How do I get Dragon Armor?
  A: Unlike lower tiers such as Iron, Steel, Adamant, and Runite, Dragon Armor cannot be crafted. It is earned exclusively as high-tier loot drops by defeating the final boss, Kuldra, and by successfully extracting from the Scorned Wilderness raid.
• Q: Do I have to manually organize all my loot in chests?
  A: No. By leveling up the Artisan skill, players unlock the 'Storage Ledger' capability. This allows you to automatically sort items from your inventory into linked base chests that already contain a stack of that item, drastically reducing base management friction.
• Q: Does the game feature permanent death (permadeath)?
  A: At the 1.0 launch, the game features standard survival death mechanics where you drop your loot and must retrieve it. However, a highly requested 'Hardcore Mode' featuring permanent death and aggressive enemy scaling is currently in development for a future update.
• Q: Do I need to have played Old School RuneScape to understand the story?
  A: Not at all. While veterans will recognize iconic characters like Commander Zilyana and legendary items like the Abyssal Whip, Dragonwilds is designed as a standalone survival spin-off with its own distinct narrative arc, making it highly accessible to newcomers.

• Q: What is ☵ HIRAETH?
  A: HIRAETH is a single-player sci-fi survival game being created by a solo developer. It features two modes: a hardcore, endless survival sandbox and a five-chapter story campaign.
• Q: When will it be released?
  A: The game is scheduled to launch into Early Access on PC on September 3, 2025. The full 1.0 release with all story chapters will be at a later date.
• Q: Is it a difficult game?
  A: It is designed to be challenging, with deep survival mechanics. However, it will feature four difficulty levels, including an easier 'Wayfarer' mode for players who want to focus on the story.
• Q: Is the developer really just one person?
  A: Yes, the game is primarily the work of a single solo developer, Paweł Tomkowiak, under the studio name Jade Horse. This is a key aspect of its development.

Powered by Unreal Engine 5, Dragonwilds boasts dense environmental geometry, dynamic volumetric lighting via Lumen, and complex atmospheric effects that elevate the survival genre's visual standards. On high-end PCs, the game renders incredibly detailed armor textures—like the metallic sheen of a Dragon Kiteshield—and lush, wind-reactive foliage. However, this high visual ceiling necessitates heavy optimization scaling on weaker hardware. The Nintendo Switch 2 version has faced significant scrutiny; to maintain a locked 30 FPS, the game renders at a native 540p resolution heavily upscaled to 1080p using DLSS, resulting in noticeable texture compression, blurred visuals, and an over-reliance on bloom lighting. Despite these handheld compromises, the core visual art direction masterfully blends the high-fantasy aesthetic of Gielinor with the gritty, grounded reality of a survival sandbox.

Audio design plays a critical role in both immersion and combat execution. The 1.0 combat overhaul introduced vital audio cues for the new parry mechanics; successfully executing a visceral parry triggers a distinct, heavy metallic resonance that serves as an immediate auditory reward and signals the burst-damage window. Environmentally, the soundscape transitions seamlessly from the serene, wind-swept ambiance of the Fractured Plains to the oppressive, echoing groans of the Fellhollow cemeteries. Musically, Jagex has masterfully re-orchestrated classic Old School RuneScape MIDI tracks into sweeping, cinematic orchestral arrangements tailored for Unreal Engine 5. The iconic 'Sea Shanty 2' and 'Harmony' themes return as dynamic ambient tracks that swell during base-building moments and seamlessly transition into high-tempo battle anthems when hostile entities initiate combat.

The User Interface in Dragonwilds has been meticulously designed to handle the complex logistical demands of both an MMORPG and a survival crafter. A defining UI triumph is the integration of the Artisan 'Storage Ledger.' Instead of manually opening dozens of individual chests to deposit loot after a long expedition, players can interact with a central ledger UI that automatically siphons corresponding materials from their inventory into designated, pre-sorted containers. The combat UI has been streamlined to clearly telegraph stamina pools, special attack meters, and elemental buildup debuffs without obscuring the action. On portable devices like the Steam Deck and Switch 2, the UI utilizes dynamic scaling to ensure text readability and inventory management remain perfectly legible despite the smaller screen real estate.

Jagex has implemented profound accessibility features primarily centered around reducing cognitive load and mechanical friction. The Artisan skill's 'Storage Ledger' automates inventory management, significantly aiding players who struggle with spatial organization or find manual sorting physically fatiguing. The new combat system's 'animation cancelling' allows players to abort attacks mid-swing to block, removing the punishing, lock-in animations that typically alienate players with slower reaction times. The game features full cross-platform invite codes, entirely bypassing complex account linking or third-party friend systems. Furthermore, customizable UI scaling, extensive subtitle options with directional indicators, and the inclusion of a Creative Mode ensure that players of all mechanical skill levels can engage with the world of Ashenfall without being overwhelmed by punishing survival mechanics.

• The game is highly scalable but extremely demanding at maximum settings due to Unreal Engine 5's advanced rendering capabilities.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop users should ensure they are running on dedicated graphics rather than integrated graphics to maintain stable framerates in dense forest biomes.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: A minimum TGP of 85W is highly recommended for stable 60fps at 1080p. Low-power GPUs will require heavy FSR/DLSS upscaling.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game taxes both CPU and GPU heavily; adequate thermal headroom is required to prevent throttling during base-building rendering.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Unreal Engine 5 requires high sustained CPU frequencies for physics calculations. Ensure your laptop is in Performance mode.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch is highly recommended to bypass integrated graphics bottlenecks and reduce input latency during parry-heavy combat.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS are supported and highly recommended on 'Quality' or 'Balanced' presets to stabilize framerates.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Shadow cascades and global illumination have the highest performance impact. Lowering these can yield up to a 30% fps increase.
• Game Name: RuneScape: Dragonwilds

• OFFICIAL PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS from the game's Steam page. These specifications are for the Early Access version and may change. An SSD is recommended for higher tiers.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop performance will vary based on the specific model's cooling and TGP. The game's complex systems and high-fidelity world can be demanding, so a modern gaming laptop is advised.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle the advanced graphical features of Unreal Engine 5.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and detailed simulation elements will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex survival systems and AI.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance.
• Game Name: HIRAETH

• Upscaling Tech: NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS are supported and highly recommended on 'Quality' or 'Balanced' presets to stabilize framerates.
• Key Settings Impact: Shadow cascades and global illumination have the highest performance impact. Lowering these can yield up to a 30% fps increase.

• G P U T G P: A minimum TGP of 85W is highly recommended for stable 60fps at 1080p. Low-power GPUs will require heavy FSR/DLSS upscaling.
• Cooling Thermals: The game taxes both CPU and GPU heavily; adequate thermal headroom is required to prevent throttling during base-building rendering.
• C P U Power Limits: Unreal Engine 5 requires high sustained CPU frequencies for physics calculations. Ensure your laptop is in Performance mode.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch is highly recommended to bypass integrated graphics bottlenecks and reduce input latency during parry-heavy combat.

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle the advanced graphical features of Unreal Engine 5.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and detailed simulation elements will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex survival systems and AI.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance.