Runescape Dragonwilds' first major update is one big poison swamp, but at least we get mounts

If you've never heard of Runescape Dragonwilds before, forget everything you thought you new about Runescape. Okay, maybe not the fantasy adventuring. Or the multiplayer. But you'll be leaning on your survival instincts more than your MMO grinding skills when it comes to exploring the continent of Ashenfall. Dragonwilds' first major update, Fellhollow, promises more of the same as we explore the eponymous new region. From new quests and enemies to an explosive boss fight, here's what you can expect from the gargantuan update.

Fellhollow is a decaying region, beset by the Wither Rot - think of the worst poison swamp area you've ever stumbled upon (Blighttown, Lake of Rot, basically the entirety of Dark Souls 3). But this update is far bigger than just a foetid bog. While Runescape Dragonwilds doesn't quite make our list of the best survival games yet, it's got every chance of doing so if its early access period continues at this rate.

As well as facing various venomous enemies and environmental hazards, you can be afflicted with the free expansion's signature status effect: Soul Rift. This could be a blessing or a curse, depending on your perspective, but developer Jagex promises it will transform exploration, combat, and survival. If you do get afflicted, you gain access to two different effects, Rift Sight and Imaru's Gaze.

The former opens up new spectral pathways through the landscape and unveils secrets obscured from the living, and the latter lures the dragon Imaru to your location. Given the moniker The Soul Eater, Death has chosen you as the hero to break the curse that afflicts this twisted guardian dragon. This will entail a boss fight, because of course it will, but the rewards should be worth the multi-phase battle.

The update also brings a core Runescape mechanic to Dragonwilds: farming. The farming skill has a magical twist befitting Dragonwilds' sorcerous vibes, and promises hours of gameplay as you tend your allotments and grow some enchanted tomatoes or something. Jagex is keeping the details on this one close to its chest for now, but it should form a crucial part of the survival loop for players trying to live off Fellhollow's decaying land.

Finally, the Fellhollow update introduces mounts to Runescape Dragonwilds. This new mechanic kicks off with the Terrorbird, which is unlocked via a bespoke questline, but you should expect more mount options in future updates. Terrorbirds have appeared in Runescape (the regular version, that is) before, as mounts for gnomes. They look fierce but are pretty docile, suggesting that they'll be similarly chilled out in Dragonwilds.

The Runescape Dragonwilds Fellhollow update is available now. You can download it on Steam here.

Whatever aspect of Dragonwilds you like most, the free Fellhollow update has something for you. Unless you're still getting over Farron Keep, that is.