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RuneScape: Dragonwilds – Changing World Settings (Difficulty and More)

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RUNESCAPE: DRAGONWILDS

This guide explains how to change world settings such as difficulty. The in-game editor is not available on our servers, so the change is made by replacing the world with one created on the PC version. If you do not own a PC, you can still make the change using a file created on a friend's PC.

About 6 min readUpdated 2026-10-03For RuneScape: Dragonwilds

About editing from inside the game

The world settings editor inside the game is not available on our servers. When you try to open it, a message appears telling you that dedicated servers are not yet supported.

This is not a mistake on your part. Editing from inside the game requires a separate communication path from the game itself.

You can still change the settings — the steps below describe how, without using the in-game editor.

World settings are decided when the world is created

World settings such as difficulty are decided when the world is created and are stored inside the save data. Because of this, the settings of an existing world cannot be rewritten afterwards.

To change them, you replace the world with one re-created using the settings you want.

The new world starts from the beginning. Your existing progress (bases, inventory, skills and so on) is not carried over.

However, the file for your previous world is not deleted. You can switch back to it later.

What you will need

  • One copy of RuneScape: Dragonwilds for PC (Steam version)
It does not have to be your own PC. A file created on the PC of a friend you play with is fine. If you play only on PlayStation 5 or Xbox, this is how you can make the change.

Step 1: Create a world on a PC

  1. Start Dragonwilds on a PC and create a new world with the settings you want.
  2. Enter that world once, then quit the game. (The save file is created at this point.)
  3. Open File Explorer, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\RSDragonwilds\Saved\SaveGames into the address bar and press Enter.
  4. Check that a file named WorldName.sav is there.
The SaveGames folder on a PC. Only the .sav file is uploaded (.sav.backup is not needed).
The SaveGames folder on a PC. Only the .sav file is uploaded (.sav.backup is not needed).
Do not rename the file. You will use this name as-is in a later step. Names in Japanese and other non-Latin scripts also work.

Step 2: Stop the server

Stop the server from the game panel.

Do not upload while the server is running. The save file is in use while the server is up, so the replacement will not take effect correctly.

Step 3: Upload the save file

In the file manager, open RSDragonwilds → Saved → SaveGames.

This is the easiest step to get wrong. There is also a folder called Savegames (lower-case g) in the same place, but the one actually used is SaveGames (upper-case G). A file placed in the lower-case folder will not be loaded.
Inside the Saved folder. Use SaveGames (upper-case G), not Savegames (lower-case g).
Inside the Saved folder. Use SaveGames (upper-case G), not Savegames (lower-case g).

Open SaveGames and upload the .sav file from Step 1.

The SaveGames folder after uploading. Your previous world file remains in place.
The SaveGames folder after uploading. Your previous world file remains in place.

Step 4: Choose which world to load

On the Startup page, enter the file name without the trailing .sav into [SERVER] Default World Name.

Example: if you uploaded MyWorld.sav, enter MyWorld

The Startup page. Enter the world name without .sav into [SERVER] Default World Name.
The Startup page. Enter the world name without .sav into [SERVER] Default World Name.
The world that loads is chosen by the name entered here — not by whichever file is newest.

Step 5: Start the server and check

Start the server, join the world and check that your settings have been applied.

Returning to your previous world

The file for your previous world is still in SaveGames. Replacing the world does not delete it.

Set [SERVER] Default World Name back to the original name and restart, and you can continue your previous world.

Replacing a world never deletes the previous one. You can switch back at any time.

Frequently asked questions

QuestionAnswer
Can I change the settings using only a PlayStation 5 or Xbox?No. A file created on the PC version is required. However, it does not have to be your own PC — a file created on the PC of a friend you play with is fine.
Is my existing progress carried over?No. The new world starts from the beginning.
Will my previous world be deleted?No. Set [SERVER] Default World Name back to the original name and restart to return to it.
Can I use non-Latin characters in the world name?Yes. We have confirmed that file names in Japanese work.
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