Dragonkin: The Banished News

Hello Dragon Hunter,

[h3]The day is set![/h3]

Dragonkin: The Banished's first major update, Nurõrgartt will be released on May 20th!

We made a new teaser to celebrate the occasion, we hope you're as excited as we are!
Please check it out:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

The scope of this update went way beyond what we initially envisioned. This was only made possible through the warm and constructive feedback we have been given with these past months. Thank you so much everyone for your support!

Our upcoming patch notes as well as this DevBlog will feature a [🔥] emote whenever the change is based on community feedback!

[h2]Nurõrgartt Update Overview[/h2]

Now let's take a took at the key changes you can expect in our first major update:

• [h3]6 new character skills[/h3]
  

2 for each class, including the Knight, the Barbarian, and the Oracle.

To learn more about these new skills, please check our Devblog:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1863430/view/498320947205374001

• [h3]3 New Wyrmling skills[/h3]
  

1 for the ice Wyrmling and 2 for the toxic Wyrmling.

• [h3]5 New Services in the City of Montescail[/h3]
  

The Enchanter, The Memorialist, The Grand Benedictor, The Artificer, The Arsenal will be added to your city.

These are designed to give you more control around your itemization and builds.

To learn more about these new Services, please check our Devblog:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1863430/view/498319044783374510

• [h3]New Biome: Nurõrgartt[/h3]
  

2 new environments: The Tundra and the Glacier.

New dungeon: The Ice Cavern.

New enemies, and bosses to discover.

For a deeper dive into the new biome, please check our Devblog:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1863430/view/498317142563751877

• [h3]New endgame activity: Test of Will[/h3]
  

In this mode, you'll face wave after wave of enemies while dealing with a mix of temporary buffs and debuffs, along with permanent bonuses that last throughout the run.

Each wave gets harder with stronger enemies, but the further you go, the better the rewards.

To learn more about this new endgame activity, please check our Devblog: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1863430/view/498319683381887030

• [h3]New kind of reward: Gift of the Eternal[/h3]
  

In our ongoing efforts to enhance player agency and reward progression, we'd like to introduce a new kind of reward: Gift of the Eternal.

Our goal with that new reward is to provide meaningful choices that respect your time and investment in the game. By allowing you to select rewards that align with your goals, we aim to enhance your gameplay experience and progression satisfaction.​

To learn more about it, please check our Devblog:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1863430/view/498319683381887486

• [h3]🔥New Storage Chest for Fragments[/h3]
  

Many players have expressed frustration over the limited storage space for Fragments and we've heard you!

That’s why we introduce the Fragment chest!

You’ll now find several Fragment chests scattered throughout the city, right alongside the familiar Equipment chest.​

• [h3]15 New endgame hunts[/h3]
  

New rewards to unlock on the Hunting Board for chaos hunts and for the Gift of the Eternal. Most Hunts happen in the new biome “Nurõrgartt”.​

• [h3]🔥Progression & loot adjustments[/h3]
  

Your feedback highlighted how the overall level progression, especially between levels 30 to 45 could feel underwhelming and unrewarding.

With this patch, we’ve taken the first steps to make leveling more satisfying by allowing players to obtain more interesting and high-rarity drops much earlier. Our intention is to add more 'wow' moments for the player and make progression before max level feel exciting.

As such, Divine & Draconic items will be available starting at level 1 and Mythical items at level 30 instead of 45. Also, all rarities (Uncommon, Rare, Legendary, Mythical) are now obtainable 10 levels earlier. This change does not affect Fragment drops.

The Gift of the Eternal, which can drop in the story and offers rarer items, should help reinforce the sense of progression.

• [h3]🔥Gameplay adjustment[/h3]
  

This patch brings a wide wave of gameplay refinements aimed at improving the core experience. As such, we’ve reworked many parts of the gameplay.

Expect: increased enemy density and group variety, combat feel (impact) and responsiveness, loot visibility, difficulty adjustments, and of course overall skill balance.

• [h3]Quality of Life (QoL) & New accessibility options[/h3]
  

We are adding in-game guides, features like level-up notifications, and improving tooltip readability.

We also really want our players to be able to customize their experience. That’s why we’re adding plenty of settings for you to mess around with, such as high-contrast cursor, minimap transparency, camera distance, NPC and Enemy Highlight options, Colorblind mode and more.

• [h3]Founder Pack 2 available[/h3]
  

Dragonkin: The Banished. Founder Pack 2 contains:

6 exclusive pieces of equipment including a chest and a helmet for your heroes (2 per character)

6 exclusive visual effects allowing you to add a trail to your Wyrmling.

The exclusive pack “Day of the Dead Dragon” includes cosmetic elements for your city: statues, roofs, flags and pennants.

A few weeks ago, on Discord, we shared a preview of one of the customisations from Founder Pack 2.

Here's a look at the Dark Prophetic Armour for the Oracle, designed by Agathe Dhondt:



[h2]About the story[/h2]

We realised that it's possible we hadn't been clear enough about when the rest of the story will be released.

[h3]We plan to add the additional story acts when we come out of Early Access and fully release Dragonkin: The Banished.[/h3]

We understand that some players are waiting for this before jumping into the game, and we truly appreciate your patience.

We're eager to hear your thoughts on the prologue and the story so far, feel free to share your opinions with us on Discord! Your feedback means a lot to us, and your feedback has had a huge influencer on the upcoming Nurõrgartt update!

Here a reminder of our roadmap:



[h2]Don't forget your Founder Pack 1[/h2]

In the meantime, don’t forget to download Founder Pack 1 if you haven’t already. This pack will expire on May 20th, 2025, and will be replaced by Founder Pack 2. As a reminder, these are cosmetic gifts that we have prepared for players to mark milestones in our Early Access development journey. Thank you again for joining us.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3462450/Dragonkin_The_Banished__Founder_Pack_1/

[h2]What's next?[/h2]

As you can expect, our production velocity is at full throttle and the team is working on refining the Nurõrgartt update. It’s a long ride, but your overwhelming support goes a long way in keeping the team's motivation high!

We're looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the new systems and changes we've made. We'll be keep an eye on how this update lands while the team starts preparing for our next major update, featuring the introduction of the Tracker. But that's still a little far off, for now...

[h2]We'll see you on May 20th![/h2]

As usual, we encourage you to join us on Discord and of course, we’ll be back next week with a big patch note for when the update goes live!

Hello Dragon Hunters!

With this first major update, we’re introducing new skills for each class: The Barbarian, the Knight, and the Oracle are each getting 2 new abilities.



Designing new skills is one of the most exciting parts of development for us, these additions are meant to shake up your builds a bit, and provide new tools to destroy your enemies. We hope you’ll find them interesting.

Of course we’d like to add more skills over time, as we mentioned in our Roadmap.

A quick note on the Nurõrgartt update: we’re still aiming to release it for Spring!

We’ve seen your questions on Discord and Steam, and we’ll let you know as soon as possible when a date is locked. We appreciate your patience.

That said, let’s break down what’s coming.

[h2]Upcoming skills[/h2]


[h3]Lothair De Montdragon - The Knight[/h3]

Starting with our beloved Knight, we’re giving him new tools to lean into the idea of using defense abilities more proactively, while reinforcing battlefield control.

[h3]Compressed Air[/h3]

Lothair pulls enemies inward and deals fire damage to them. While this ability has no cooldown and can be cast repeatedly, each use consumes Fuel.







[h3]The Best Defence[/h3]

Lothair braces his shield in a chosen direction, channeling for a few seconds. During this time, he gains a huge chunk of armor and delivers continuous strikes in front of him while blocking incoming projectiles from the front.








[h3]Electrane - The Oracle[/h3]

Part of the Oracle’s identity is to control the battlefield by managing space, disrupting enemy movements by slowing them, and creating windows to burst and chain abilities easily.

These new tools double down on that identity, offering more ways to abuse the environment.

[h3]Psychokinesis[/h3]

Electrane unleashes a shockwave that pulls enemies after a few seconds, briefly stunning them and dealing physical damage afterwards.

Vision: Instantly pulls enemies and deals damage, allowing you to use it as a reaction spell.







[h3]Electric Wall[/h3]

Electrane creates a passable electric wall. Enemies that pass through it are slowed and take damage over time while allies who pass through the wall gain increased movement speed.

Vision: The wall increases in size, letting you cover larger areas and better control chokepoints.








[h3]Rurik Haraldson - The Barbarian[/h3]

With his new skills the Barbarian is getting more mobility and utility, while keeping the class’s aggressive flow intact.

[h3]Battering Ram[/h3]

Rurik charges in a direction, steering his charge slightly. He deals ice damage to enemies along his path and at the end of the charge explodes in a blizzard of ice damage.







[h3]Ancestral Totem[/h3]

Rurik summons a totem that periodically emits pulses of ice damage to nearby enemies. While active, it empowers the attacks of allies within its radius. The totem can draw enemy aggro and be destroyed.







[h2]Shattering Shield rework is coming[/h2]

We frequently share progress on our Discord server. If you're already part of our community, you've likely seen this update. But for everyone on Steam who isn’t, here’s a sneak peek at what we recently shared.

As part of the many changes coming in the upcoming major patch, we’ve reworked the visuals for one of the Knight’s abilities: Shattering Shield.







Previously, the ability felt a bit underwhelming and didn’t fully capture the impact and power it was meant to convey. So, we decided to give it a visual overhaul!

We believe the new version of Shattering Shield delivers a more satisfying feel and finally gives the ability the visual impact it deserves. This aligns with our goal of improving combat feel such as feedback, weight and impact, that players have been asking for.

[h2]We reworked the loot preview too![/h2]

Some of you probably noticed that we made a few changes to the loot that drops on the ground.

In the next update, it will be easier to instantly know if a drop is Divine, Draconic, or both. Not only did we add new icons, but we also enhanced the visual effects.Fragments will also show whether they contain a Wyrmling or Character skill.

We’re also giving you a behind-the-scenes on the development process, some of our experiments, iterations, and ideas we scrapped along the way to get the version you see today.

As always, things may change during Early Access as we take your feedback into account.



[h2]That’s it for today![/h2]

We really enjoy sharing our progress with the community, but sometimes we’re unsure of what you would like to see most or know. So feel free to join us on Discord and let us know what interests you, whether it's specific features, behind-the-scenes development, or early previews.

Of course, we can’t share everything, as we want to keep some surprises for later, and some things are still too early to be revealed.

See you soon!

Hello Dragon Hunters,

In our ongoing efforts to enhance player agency and reward progression, we'd like to introduce a new kind of reward: Gift of the Eternal.



Our goal with that new reward is to provide meaningful choices that respect your time and investment in the game.

By allowing you to select rewards that align with your goals, we aim to enhance your gameplay experience and the feeling of overall progression.

[h3]What is a Gift of the Eternal?[/h3]

Like any other equipment, fragments and ingredients, Eternal Gift drops on the ground.



Interacting with an Eternal Gift opens a window where you’ll be given a choice between the following options:

• Equipment: A weapon or armor piece, randomly selected
  
• Ancestral Fragment: Random type and rarity
  
• Ingredients: A bundle of 20, randomly selected
  

Additionally, you'll receive Experience Points for your character.

You have 2 rerolls available, allowing you to refresh your 3 rewards.

Note: Once a selection is confirmed, it is final, and the chosen item will appear directly on the ground.

[h3]Where to find a Gift of the Eternal?[/h3]

Gift of the Eternal can appear during the main storyline and endgame content.



In the Story

Defeating major adversaries such as semi-bosses or bosses will grant you an Eternal Gift, acknowledging your accomplishments.​ Some key events also grant a guaranteed Eternal Gift.

In Endgame Hunts

Each Hunt comprises multiple areas, and the total duration influences the number of potential Gift of the Eternal awarded. Longer, more challenging Hunts yield greater rewards.​

In Dungeon Purifications

At the end of a Dungeon Purification, multiple chests appear. Based on your performance and progression within the dungeon, you increase your chances to obtain an Eternal Gift.​

In the Test of Will
Your performance in the Test of Will determines the number of Gift of the Eternal you are guaranteed to receive upon completion. Higher tiers achieved equate to more Gifts.

For more details, please check our previous Devblog:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1863430/view/498319683381887030

[h3]Target farming by customizing your own Gift of the Eternal[/h3]

To tailor Gift of the Eternal to your preferences, a dedicated customization tab is available on the Hunting Board.

Here, you can adjust parameters to influence the types of rewards offered, aligning them with your current objectives or build requirements.​

These customization options unlock progressively as you complete Hunts.







These options let you target farm deeper into what you’re looking for:



[h2]Thanks for reading![/h2]

Okay, that's all we have for this week.

Thanks again for all the support, it truly means a lot to us! Stay happy, stay healthy, and please remember to take good care of yourself. Enjoy the May day holidays if you have a day off and we’ll be back before you know it.

Sadly, you’ll have to wait just a tad longer before you can try the new features of The City and drop Gift of the Eternal. But worry not, we’ll have a huge Patch Notes ready for you to read in the few weeks, along with even more news to share!

See you next week!

“Get ready to dive into your character’s psyche as they mentally prepare to face the voices of the dragons.”

Hello Dragon Hunters,

You may have already seen it on our roadmap, our next major update, Nurõrgartt, introduces a whole new endgame activity: the Test of Will.



In this mode, you'll face wave after wave of enemies while dealing with a mix of temporary buffs and debuffs, along with permanent bonuses that last throughout the run.

Each wave gets harder with stronger enemies, but the further you go, the better the rewards.

Whether you're coming back to Dragonkin after a break or just looking for your next challenge, the Nurõrgartt update will be the perfect time to jump back in.

[h2]How does the Test of Will work?[/h2]

The Test of Will is structured into Trials, each one made up of 10 waves of enemies.
Your goal? Push as far as you can to unlock the best rewards possible!

Between each Trial, you’ll choose between 2 portals. Each one offers either a temporary buff or a permanent bonus that lasts for the rest of the Test of Will.



At the start of each new Trial, enemies automatically gain +1 level and a random stat bonus. These effects stack as you progress into the Test of Will.

[h3]Temporary Bonuses[/h3]

These effects only last for one Trial (10 waves), but they have immediate impact.

Temporary bonuses are often powerful and perfect when the difficulty starts ramping up, or if you plan to leave the Test of Will at the end of this Trial.

Here are a few examples of temporary bonuses that may appear:



[h3]Permanent Bonus[/h3]

Permanent bonuses remain active until the end of your Test of Will run.

But to earn one, you’ll need to survive an entire Trial while dealing with a temporary penalty, which can make that Trial especially challenging.

These bonuses are ideal if your goal is to push as far as possible.

Here are a few examples:



[h3]Special Waves[/h3]

Each Trial includes 3 special waves, appearing every 3 waves.

These waves introduce a gimmick that lasts for the duration of the wave. They’re designed to disrupt your rhythm and force you to adapt your strategy.

Here are a few examples:

• Large movement speed bonus for both characters and enemies
  
• Enemy group that continuously heals itself
  
• Toxic rain covering the entire arena
  

[h3]Arena Maps[/h3]

Each Trial takes place on an arena map, with varied topography.

Some maps are more open, while others are tighter, with choke points that limit your movement and force you to rethink your approach to each wave.

A map can either work in your favor or be a disadvantage, so you’ll need to adapt accordingly.



[h3]Risk & Rewards[/h3]

Starting from Trial 3 (after 30 waves), you’ll have the option to exit the Test of Will between two Trials, securing all the rewards accumulated up to that point.



When you finish the Test of Will, you’ll receive several rewards. Of course, the farther you go, the higher the loot quantity and quality:

• The final chest will contain more loot as you progress through the Trials.
  
  
• The rarity of items also increases: expect higher-quality loot, and greater chances of finding draconic or divine items.
  
  
• Each chest will contain at least one Gift of the Eternal, a new type of reward that we’ll explore more in an upcoming DevBlog.
  

As usual, you have a total of 6 deaths per session.

If you run out of lives, your attempt is considered a failure, and you’ll lose all the rewards accumulated up until that point.



Each wave requires you to defeat all enemies within a limited time.

Exceeding the time limit is considered a failure, and will immediately end your Test of Will.

[h2]That’s it for today![/h2]

As always, if you encounter any bugs or have feedback to share, you can let us know through our Discord!

We also posted the results of the “Choose the Next Sneak Peek!” event on the server, along with some exclusive content in the #announcements channel. Be sure to check it out!

We hope you enjoy that new endgame activity, and thank you SO SO much for all the incredible support you've shown this game.

Hello, Dragon Hunters,

Since the start of Early Access, we've been putting a significant amount of effort into improving itemization and specifically its flexibility, a core part of the gameplay experience that we know many of you have been eagerly awaiting.



The Nurõrgartt update introduces 5 new services to unlock in the City of Montescail, along with an entirely new storage system: the Fragment Chest.

These additions will give you greater flexibility and control when building your loadouts.

[h3]To sum up, here what you can expect:[/h3]

• The Enchanter
  
• The Memorialist
  
• The Grand Benedictor
  
• The Artificer
  
• The Arsenal
  
• The Fragment Chest
  

[h3]We are resetting City Points! [/h3]

With the launch of these new features, we’ve decided to reset city points, allowing players to redistribute them freely.

This reset is also a great opportunity to fix any mistakes or experiment with a different upgrade path than the one previously selected.

Please note:

This reset is not a feature, but a one-time adjustment made specifically for the introduction of the new functionalities.

This reset does not include the Abbey, the jailer, the Order, and the Pythia.

Without further ado, let’s deep dive into what’s coming.


[h3]The Enchanter[/h3]



This new service allows you to modify one of the affixes on a piece of equipment or a “modifier” type hexagon on an ancestral fragment.

The Enchanter will reroll the selected affix or modifier, changing both its type and values.

After the first modification, the other affixes or hexagons will be locked, and only the enchanted affix or modifier can be rerolled again.

Please note:

• Rerolling a Divine affix or hexagon is guaranteed to retain the affix.
  
• Draconic affixes cannot be modified/reroll.
  
• You have unlimited attempts, but each reroll increases the cost.
  

[h3]The Memorialist[/h3]



Visiting the Memorialist allows you to permanently inscribe the bonus effect of a skill modifier, taken from a sacrificed skill fragment, onto a piece of equipment.

If a fragment contains multiple modifiers, the Memorialist will randomly select one from those present in the fragment.

The equipment then gains this bonus modifier for the associated skill, as long as it is equipped.

This allows you to benefit from a character or wyrmling skill modifier without having to place the fragment into the ancestral grid.



[h3]The Grand Benedictor (anciently known as the Master of Scales)[/h3]



That new service enables you to manage your Codex of Talents and Skill Modifiers.

By sacrificing legendary and mythic items, as well as fragments of any rarity, you can permanently record bonuses within your Codex.

As your Codex fills up, you'll be able to select one talent and two modifiers from the skill of your choice.



[h3]Artificer[/h3]



That new service allows the transfer of draconic attributes from one piece of equipment to another.

Please note:

• This process sacrifices the original piece of equipment.
  
• You can only transfer Draconic affixes to a piece of equipment of the same type.
  
• This is the only way to obtain a Mythical Divine Draconic item, as Mythical items do not drop with the Draconic affixes.
  

[h3]The Arsenal[/h3]



This new feature allows you to save up to 4 build presets.

You can save your Equipment, including your currently equipped Wyrmling and its armor, but also your Attributes, the Grand Benedictor, and most importantly, your Ancestral Grid!

This new Service should let you experiment freely with different builds without the hassle or fear of losing your layouts.




[h3]Fragment Chest[/h3]

Many players have expressed frustration over the limited storage space for Fragments and we've heard you! That’s why, in the upcoming update we introduce the Fragment chest!

You’ll now find several Fragment chests scattered throughout the city, right alongside the familiar Equipment chest.

Additionally, we're also adding another kind of chest type that provides quick access to the Arsenal.



[h3]That’s it, for now![/h3]

This wraps up our DevBlog on the upcoming City features.

We can’t wait for you to experience all these new Services!

As always, we’re eager to hear your thoughts on everything. You can expect more changes and adjustments throughout Early Access, as we hear your feedback on things.

If you want to have your say or keep up with all our news and updates, feel free to join our Discord or visit the Steam discussions! We do our best to reply to everyone and answer any questions you may have.

And yeah, we’ll keep saying it, but wishlisting our game helps us a ton. If you like our game, spread the word and let your friends know about Dragonkin: The Banished.

See you next week !