Marco Labate QA

RuneScape: Dragonwilds

Developed & published by Jagex

Embedded DevQA via DAQA: supporting gameplay features, build validation and release decisions with reproducible player-facing findings.

Engagement at a glance

Engagement
Embedded DevQA / Game QA support via DAQA
Contribution
Senior-level QA contribution: test design and maintenance, defect reporting, regression and live-issue triage
Period
2025 – Present
QA partner
DAQA
Coverage
Active development, release validation and post-release live monitoring across PC and console builds
Credit status
Credited under DAQA

Platform references describe QA coverage or testing exposure where applicable and do not necessarily indicate public release availability on every platform.

QA value shown

Embedded DevQA throughout development, regression and release: I turn gameplay observations into reproducible reports, keep coverage current as features change, and communicate blockers and player-facing risks to QA, production and development stakeholders. Delivered via DAQA as part of the wider QA effort.

Overview

Game description

A cooperative survival-crafting adventure set on Ashenfall, a forgotten RuneScape continent where awakened dragons threaten the land. Players gather resources, build, craft, develop skills, uncover ancient secrets, and prepare to confront the Dragon Queen.

QA Contribution

I support RuneScape: Dragonwilds as Embedded DevQA via DAQA, following gameplay features through active development, regression and release validation. I keep test coverage aligned with changing builds, investigate progression, UI/UX and multiplayer session issues, and report reproducible findings with player-impact context. In QA and production syncs, I share build health, blockers and emerging risks to help development stakeholders make decisions. After updates, I reproduce live reports and support fix verification and hotfix triage.

QA coverage areas

Supported QA and embedded DevQA activities across PC storefront builds and console environments, including Steam, Microsoft Store, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch 2.

  • Steam
  • Microsoft Store
  • Epic Games Store
  • PlayStation
  • Xbox Series
  • Nintendo Switch 2

Official links

Trailer

Official trailer

Watch the official trailer for a quick look at the project’s tone, gameplay, and presentation.

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Public project metrics

Publicly available indicators that provide context for the project's market presence and player reception. These are public project metrics for the title as a whole, not personal performance metrics, and do not represent any individual contributor's impact on its sales, reviews, or commercial performance.

Last checked: June 2026

1M+

Copies sold

25K+

Steam reviews

52K+

All-time Steam peak

Very Positive

Steam reception

Public metrics are based on publicly available store or press information and may change over time.

  • Jagex reports the game surpassed well over 1 million copies sold worldwide.

Role and responsibilities

  • Supported embedded QA coverage across active development, release validation, and post-release monitoring.
  • Contributed to test case creation, review, and maintenance for gameplay, progression, UI/UX, multiplayer/session flows, regression areas, and patch-specific risks.
  • Participated in recurring QA and production syncs, providing updates on test progress, build health, blockers, risks, live issue trends, and player-impact observations.
  • Supported live patch monitoring after major updates by tracking player-facing issues, reproducing reports, assessing severity, and helping prioritize hotfix candidates when needed.
  • Executed smoke passes, exploratory testing, feature validation, regression checks, and fix verification across PC and console builds.
  • Reported reproducible defects with clear steps, expected behavior, evidence, and player-impact context.
  • Provided continuous gameplay feedback to QA, production, and development stakeholders to support clarity, usability, balance, and post-release stability.

Testing activities

  • Smoke and build verification
  • Feature validation
  • Exploratory testing
  • Regression and fix verification
  • Multiplayer and session-flow checks
  • UI/UX and controller-focused observations
  • Stability and crash investigation support
  • Player-impact triage
  • Post-release live monitoring and hotfix support

Example areas tested

  • Gameplay flow and progression continuity
  • Combat readability, enemy pressure, and interaction edge cases
  • UI clarity, prompts, menus, map, and journal states
  • Save/load, death, rejoin, and session continuity scenarios
  • Crafting, building, resource, and reward-loop validation
  • Multiplayer and dedicated-session behavior at a high level

Challenges

  • Working in a rapidly changing Early Access development environment.
  • Balancing broad coverage with release priorities and high-risk player flows.
  • Distinguishing functional defects, design friction, balance concerns, and usability issues.
  • Communicating risk clearly without exposing internal implementation details.
  • Maintaining regression awareness across interconnected survival, combat, progression, UI, and multiplayer systems.

Lessons learned

  • High-quality repro evidence reduces decision time.
  • Player-impact framing makes severity and prioritization clearer.
  • Systemic games require testing around interactions, not isolated features.
  • Good QA notes should explain what happened, why it matters, and what could regress.

Technologies involved

  • Jira
  • Xray
  • Unreal Engine familiarity
  • PC testing
  • Controller testing
  • Multiplayer/session testing
  • Video and log evidence
  • Test planning and regression matrices

Examples are sanitized and focused on QA methodology. No confidential data, internal defects, proprietary process details, or unreleased content are disclosed.