How to Make a RuneScape Dragonwilds Server (2026 Guide)

A RuneScape: Dragonwilds dedicated server keeps your Ashenfall world online when the host logs off, and holds up to 6 players instead of the 4 you get when someone hosts from the game. Jagex gives the server away for free, and since the 1.0 release on 15 September 2026 it supports crossplay, so friends on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 can all join the same world. This guide covers the full setup. At the end there is a quicker option if you would rather skip it.

Short on time? A hosted Dragonwilds server is online in about a minute with crossplay and no port 7777 to forward, so console friends get an always online world too. Our quick start for hosting a Dragonwilds server shows each step.

What you need

A PC or server that stays on while people play. The server only runs on 64 bit Windows or 64 bit Linux. Consoles cannot host a dedicated server. If nobody in the group has a machine to leave running, a hosted server fills that gap.
RAM: Jagex's rule is 2 GB plus 1 GB per player. That is 4 GB for two players, 6 GB for four and 8 GB for a full world of six.
SteamCMD to download the server. No game purchase is needed for the server itself, it downloads with an anonymous login.
Your Player ID, found at the bottom of the Settings menu in game. The server uses it to know who owns it.
Access to your router settings, so friends outside your home can connect.

Step 1: Download the server

The dedicated server is Steam app 4019830. It is also a free tool in the Steam client if you prefer to install it that way on Windows.

With SteamCMD on Linux:

steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/dragonwilds/server +login anonymous +app_update 4019830 validate +quit

On Windows, the same command works with a path like C:\dragonwilds-server. Run it again whenever the game updates, because players cannot join a server on an older build. Jagex patches often after a big release, so this is the chore that catches most self hosters out.

Linux needs a few 32 bit libraries for SteamCMD. On Debian or Ubuntu:

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
sudo apt install lib32gcc-s1 libc6:i386 libstdc++6:i386

Do not run the server as root. Make a separate user for it, for example sudo useradd -m dragonwilds, and install and launch as that user.

Step 2: Run it once

Start the server so it creates its folders and config file.

On Linux:

chmod +x RSDragonwildsServer.sh
./RSDragonwildsServer.sh -log -NewConsole -Port=7777

On Windows, run the server executable in the install folder with the same -log -NewConsole parameters, from a shortcut or a .bat file.

Once it has finished starting, stop it. Always stop the server before editing its config: changes made while it runs are lost when it saves.

Step 3: Fill in DedicatedServer.ini

The config file lives here:

Linux: RSDragonwilds/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/DedicatedServer.ini
Windows: RSDragonwilds/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/DedicatedServer.ini

Four values are required and one is optional:

Key	What it does
`OwnerId`	Your Player ID from the in game Settings menu
`ServerName`	The server's name
`DefaultWorldName`	The world the server creates and loads. Players search for this name, and it is case sensitive
`AdminPassword`	Unlocks the server management tab in game
`WorldPassword`	Optional. Players must enter it to join

Keep the server and world names short, around 16 characters, and write the world name down exactly as you typed it. Save the file and start the server again.

Step 4: Bring an existing world

Already started a world in co-op or single player? You can move it to the server. On Windows, your saves are in:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\RSDragonwilds\Saved\SaveGames

Copy the world's .sav file into the server's RSDragonwilds/Saved/SaveGames folder, set DefaultWorldName to that world's name and restart. Keep a copy of the original somewhere safe first, and do not rename the file. More detail in how to transfer a Dragonwilds world to a dedicated server.

Step 5: Open the ports

The server uses UDP port 7777 by default. A second server on the same machine uses 7778, and so on. You can pick the port yourself with -Port= on the launch line.

Allow UDP 7777 through the firewall on the server machine. On Ubuntu: sudo ufw allow 7777/udp.
Forward UDP 7777 on your router to the server's local IP address.

Our port forwarding guide covers the router side step by step. If your provider uses CGNAT and forwarding will not work, a hosted server avoids the problem entirely.

Step 6: Turn on crossplay

Since 1.0, dedicated servers have a crossplay option, and crossplay worlds appear in the world browser for every platform. It is the PlatformPolicy=Crossplay line in DedicatedServer.ini: check it is set, and restart after any change. See Dragonwilds dedicated server crossplay for invite codes and console settings. A crossplay world is the only way for a group on PlayStation, Xbox or Switch 2 to have an always online world, since consoles cannot run the server themselves.

Console players may need to allow crossplay and online play with other platforms in their console's privacy or parental control settings before they can see the world.

How friends connect

Players join from the Worlds screen in two ways:

Search by name. Open the Public tab and search for the exact world name. Capital letters matter.
Invite code. Anyone already in the world can see the current invite code in the pause menu. Friends enter that code in the world browser to join, which is the easiest way for console players.

If you set a world password, they enter it next, then pick a character and load in. Steam invites to a dedicated server have been unreliable, so stick to the name or the invite code.

Common problems

The world does not show in search: the name is not typed exactly, including capitals, or the server has not finished starting. More causes in Dragonwilds server not showing up.
Friends time out: UDP 7777 is not forwarded, the firewall is blocking it, or the server is on a different port than you think.
Config changes disappear: you edited DedicatedServer.ini while the server was running. Stop it, edit, start again.
No admin controls: AdminPassword is empty or OwnerId is not your Player ID. See how to become admin on a Dragonwilds server.
Console players cannot see the world: crossplay is off on the server, or blocked in the console's privacy settings.
Lag with a full world: the machine needs more RAM. Six players want 8 GB. See how much RAM a game server needs.
Version mismatch after a patch: run the SteamCMD update again.

The easy way

Hosting Dragonwilds yourself works, but it comes with upkeep: a Windows or Linux machine left on whenever anyone wants to play, UDP 7777 open on your router, and a SteamCMD update after every patch before anyone can see the world again. For a console group, it also means someone has to own and run a PC just for the server.

A hosted server takes that off your hands. Plans follow Jagex's own sizing, from 9.99 USD a month for a duo to 19.99 USD for a full world of six, and you can split the bill with friends at checkout. The world is online in about 60 seconds with crossplay, you upload your .sav in the browser, and you press Backup before every boss fight. See RuneScape: Dragonwilds server hosting for plans, or the quick start for hosting a Dragonwilds server.