Dragonwilds has supported dedicated servers since March 2026 and crossplay since the 1.0 release on September 15, 2026. This post covers how to host a server, how crossplay works now, and what Jagex has announced for the rest of 2026 and 2027. Everything here comes from Jagex’s own posts, linked at the end.
Crossplay and invite codes
1.0 launched on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store and the Jagex Launcher), with crossplay between them.
- Crossplay is set per world. You choose it each time you load or host a multiplayer world.
- Crossplay worlds are shown in the world browser.
- Dedicated servers have a crossplay option.
- Invite codes are shown in the pause menu. Friends enter them in the world browser.
Patches since launch have fixed several crossplay problems:
| Patch | Date | Fix |
|---|
| 1.0.0.6 | September 29, 2026 | Epic Games Store players back online with crossplay |
| 1.0.1 | October 14, 2026 | Epic users can view dedicated servers again |
| 1.0.1 | October 14, 2026 | PC players with emoji in their name can join PS5 and Xbox hosts |
| 1.0.1 | October 14, 2026 | Server sorting returns consistent results |
How to host a dedicated server
Jagex lists three ways to host:
| Option | Difficulty | Cost | Saves |
|---|
| Shockbyte (Jagex’s hosting partner) | Easiest | Set price | Secured |
| Your own computer | Hard | Electricity | Manual backups |
| Cloud server you set up | Hardest | Depends on capacity | Manual backups |
Requirements
- A 64-bit Windows or Linux machine.
- 2 GB of RAM plus 1 GB per player. Servers hold up to 6 players, so 8 GB covers a full one.
- UDP port 7777 reachable from outside. A second server uses 7778. Every router between you and your ISP needs to forward it, and some ISPs block port forwarding. If others can see your server but can’t join, port forwarding is the likely cause.
Install
- Get the free “RuneScape: Dragonwilds - Dedicated Servers” product on Steam, or use steamcmd:
steamcmd +force_install_dir C:\MyInstallFolder +login anonymous +app_update 4019830 +quit
- Add the launch options
-log -NewConsole (Steam, right-click the server, Properties) so the console shows what the server is doing.
- Run it from Steam, or run
RSDragonwilds.exe from the install folder.
Settings live in DedicatedServer.ini, under Saved/Config/Linux on Linux and Saved/Config/WindowsServer on Windows. Jagex says Windows users need to copy the file from the Linux folder. Stop the server first: edits made while it runs are lost.
| Setting | Required | What it does |
|---|
| Owner ID | Yes | Your Player ID, shown at the bottom of the in-game Settings menu. The server won’t start without it. |
| Server Name | Yes | The server’s name, whatever world it runs |
| Default World Name | Yes | Name of the world the server creates on first start |
| Admin password | Yes | Anyone who enters it in Pause Menu > Settings > Server Management becomes an admin |
| World password | No | Overrides any password saved in the world. Leave empty for an open server. |
Find and join it
Open the Worlds screen, go to the Public tab and search for the exact world name. The search is case sensitive. The server and game versions have to match, so after a patch, update the server too (Shockbyte servers update on restart). The server’s version is at the top of its log, and your game’s version is in the top-left corner.
Move a world to the server
The server loads the newest .sav file in RSDragonwilds/Saved/Savegames. With none there, it creates a default Standard world.
- Stop the server.
- Back up everything in
RSDragonwilds/Saved/Savegames, then empty the folder.
- Copy your world’s .sav from
C:\Users\<your username>\AppData\Local\RSDragonwilds\Saved\SaveGames into the server’s Savegames folder.
- Start the server.
For a new world with custom settings, create it in your own game first, enter and exit it once, then copy it over the same way.
Owners and admins
| Role | Who | Can do |
|---|
| Owner | Player ID matches the Owner ID | Ban and unban anyone, online or offline |
| Admin | Entered the admin password | Ban regular users who are online. Can’t unban. |
| Regular user | Everyone else | Play |
The log is at RSDragonwilds/Saved/Logs/RSDragonwilds.log. Jagex lists one known issue: Steam invites to a dedicated server don’t connect, so have friends search the world name instead.
1.0.1 also fixed two dedicated server bugs: foundations and floors that couldn’t be placed where one had been destroyed, and Axtral Projection only highlighting the first tree.
Roadmap: Luminance and the Blood Crystal Saga
Jagex shared its plans at the first Dragonwilds Summit at RuneFest on October 3, 2026.
| Update | When | What’s in it |
|---|
| Luminance | December 2026, free | Prelude to the Blood Crystal Saga. The Lyre, Songstones and Fairy Rings, elven character customisation, new weapons, armour and vestiges from Harmonised Crystal Fragments, a Prifddinas building kit and the Prayer skill. |
| Song of Rebellion | First half of 2027 | First Blood Crystal Saga chapter. The elven city of Ailddinas, the Nos Clan, implings, new kebbits, grizzly bears and birds, and the Hunter skill. |
| Official modding | First half of 2027 | Creation tools and an in-game mod browser on all platforms, alongside Song of Rebellion, Secure Servers and Leaderboards. |
| Crown of Night | Not dated | Second chapter. The Light of Seren, and the Dark Bow and Ivandis Flail. |
Jagex calls Luminance “our December update” and hasn’t given a release day. What the Summit post says about it:
- Story: Kuldra’s reign has ended, but Ashenfall’s story continues. You protect Ceridwen and her child, two elves on the run from the bounty hunter Morwyn.
- Lyre: Ceridwen’s plan is built on music. You master the Lyre and use it to resonate with Songstones, or with Fairy Rings to travel to hidden destinations across Ashenfall. Jagex hasn’t said how you get the Lyre or how many Fairy Rings there are.
- Prayer: comes with altars. The teaser mentions scattering ashes and burying bones, and tells you to save some space in your bases. Jagex says it isn’t the same skill as in RuneScape or Old School RuneScape, and will share more closer to release.
- Elven looks: new facial features and elven ears in character customisation. Jagex says the ears won’t give you super hearing, so they’re a look, not a bonus.
- Gear: you track down the new weapons, armour and vestiges with Harmonised Crystal Fragments. They aren’t in the game files yet. Don’t confuse them with Harmonised Compound, which is already in the game.
- Building: the Prifddinas kit comes in green and white and includes new arched roof pieces.
Jagex says Hunter is the first of several new skills coming in 2027. It hasn’t said whether Song of Rebellion and Crown of Night will be free like Luminance, or what Secure Servers will change for dedicated server hosts.
Sources
- Dedicated Servers - A How-To Guide, Jagex, March 30, 2026
- Our 1.0 Release is live!, Jagex, September 15, 2026
- 1.0.0.6 is now live!, Jagex, September 29, 2026
- Eye on Ashenfall: 1.0.1 Update, Jagex, October 14, 2026
- RuneScape: Dragonwilds Summit, Jagex, October 3, 2026
Game data: extracted from build ++dominion+hotfix-CL-247725.
