"It was essential that we found partners with a deep understanding of local players and gaming culture"

Image credit: Jagex

RuneScape developer Jagex has announced two publishing partnerships to bring RuneScape: Dragonwilds to Japan, South Korea, and South East Asia.

RuneScape developer Jagex announced it would be launching RuneScape: Dragonwilds in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in April. Described at the time as the company's "most significant international expansion" to date, the launch will include localisation in Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

Now, in partnership with Japanese publisher Graph, a branch of Active Gaming Media, and South Korean and South East Asia publisher H2 Interactive, RuneScape: Dragonwilds will be available in those regions, marking the first time in the company's 25-year history that a Jagex-developed game will be available via a third-party publisher.

Jagex said the deals form part of its broader RS25 strategy to use the significant anniversary as a springboard for "future growth, global expansion, franchise evolution and record investment into the future of RuneScape," and is part of its wider plan to expand the RuneScape universe "onto a global stage following on the success of RuneScape: Dragonwilds."

"As we looked to expand RuneScape: Dragonwilds internationally, it was essential that we found partners with strong regional expertise and a deep understanding of local players and gaming culture," said Anna Mostyn Williams, senior director of business development and partnerships.

"The partnerships reflect a strong strategic and creative alignment between Jagex and both regional publishers, built around a shared belief in the long-term global potential of the RuneScape franchise and the unique appeal of RuneScape: Dragonwilds for players across APAC."

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