Quebec City, Canada — June 10, 2025 — RuniQ, an independent game studio founded by a team of industry veterans with decades of combined experience, today announced the official release date for Heroes of Mount Dragon, coming to Steam on June 25, 2025.
The founding team behind RuniQ has worked on some of the most recognizable names in gaming — Spider-Man, Crash Bandicoot, Skylanders, and Call of Duty — bringing their expertise in combat systems, animation, and level design to bear on this ambitious new project. From the moment-to-moment gameplay to the studio’s striking hand-drawn 2D art blended into 3D environments, Heroes of Mount Dragon reflects a rare level of craftsmanship from a newly formed indie studio.
Check Out Heroes of Mount Dragon On Steam
Master Transformative Combat and Rule the Arena
Set in the mystical world of Üna, Heroes of Mount Dragon is a side-scrolling brawler where players battle as heroes chosen by fate to become Dragon-Souls — champions bonded with ancient dragon eggs. Each hero has a distinct fighting style and transforms mid-combat into a mighty dragon form, unlocking new moves and abilities to dominate foes or turn the tide in battle.
Combat is fast, fluid, and deeply expressive. Players can launch air juggles, combo chains, and special attacks in both human and dragon form, combining powers for devastating results. Each hero-dragon pairing brings different strengths to the battlefield — one might emphasize high-speed strikes and evasion, while another might rely on heavy, ground-shaking blows or elemental area-of-effect attacks. Dragon transformations aren’t just a power boost; they add strategic flexibility mid-fight, letting players adapt to new threats or capitalize on openings.
The founding team behind RuniQ has worked on some of the most recognizable names in gaming — Spider-Man, Crash Bandicoot, Skylanders, and Call of Duty — bringing their expertise in combat systems, animation, and level design to bear on this ambitious new project. From the moment-to-moment gameplay to the studio’s striking hand-drawn 2D art blended into 3D environments, Heroes of Mount Dragon reflects a rare level of craftsmanship from a newly formed indie studio.
Check Out Heroes of Mount Dragon On Steam
Master Transformative Combat and Rule the Arena
Set in the mystical world of Üna, Heroes of Mount Dragon is a side-scrolling brawler where players battle as heroes chosen by fate to become Dragon-Souls — champions bonded with ancient dragon eggs. Each hero has a distinct fighting style and transforms mid-combat into a mighty dragon form, unlocking new moves and abilities to dominate foes or turn the tide in battle.
Combat is fast, fluid, and deeply expressive. Players can launch air juggles, combo chains, and special attacks in both human and dragon form, combining powers for devastating results. Each hero-dragon pairing brings different strengths to the battlefield — one might emphasize high-speed strikes and evasion, while another might rely on heavy, ground-shaking blows or elemental area-of-effect attacks. Dragon transformations aren’t just a power boost; they add strategic flexibility mid-fight, letting players adapt to new threats or capitalize on openings.
The game encourages experimentation and creative play, thanks to layered mechanics like temporary power-ups and curses — magical effects that alter the flow of battle, sabotage enemies, or empower allies. These dynamic systems ensure that no two matches play the same and that team synergy and tactical use of abilities are just as important as raw reflexes.
Built for Co-op and Competitive Chaos
Designed for up to four players, Heroes of Mount Dragon supports both local and online multiplayer, offering full co-op and competitive modes across a range of levels. In cooperative mode, players team up to face monstrous hordes and boss creatures tied to the narrative world of Üna. Environmental hazards and stage-specific challenges keep players on their toes, pushing them to coordinate movement, time dragon shifts, and support each other’s strengths.
In competitive modes, players go head-to-head in skill-based matches where aggressive play, map control, and smart use of dragon powers determine who reigns supreme. The layered character roster and variety of play styles lend themselves to repeat sessions, with high replayability whether you’re chasing victory solo or diving in with friends.
At launch, four heroes will be available, with four additional characters joining the roster post-launch to keep the meta fresh and evolving.
Designed for up to four players, Heroes of Mount Dragon supports both local and online multiplayer, offering full co-op and competitive modes across a range of levels. In cooperative mode, players team up to face monstrous hordes and boss creatures tied to the narrative world of Üna. Environmental hazards and stage-specific challenges keep players on their toes, pushing them to coordinate movement, time dragon shifts, and support each other’s strengths.
In competitive modes, players go head-to-head in skill-based matches where aggressive play, map control, and smart use of dragon powers determine who reigns supreme. The layered character roster and variety of play styles lend themselves to repeat sessions, with high replayability whether you’re chasing victory solo or diving in with friends.
At launch, four heroes will be available, with four additional characters joining the roster post-launch to keep the meta fresh and evolving.
Coming to Steam This June
A playable demo will be featured during the upcoming Steam Next Fest, giving players an early chance to experience Heroes of Mount Dragon firsthand. The full game launches June 25, 2025, on Steam, with releases on other storefront and platforms to follow.
If you’d like more information about Heroes of Mount Dragon or to schedule an interview with the developers, please respond to this email.
Heroes of Mount Dragon is localized in English, French, German, Spanish (Spain), Portuguese (Brazil), Korean, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese.
A playable demo will be featured during the upcoming Steam Next Fest, giving players an early chance to experience Heroes of Mount Dragon firsthand. The full game launches June 25, 2025, on Steam, with releases on other storefront and platforms to follow.
If you’d like more information about Heroes of Mount Dragon or to schedule an interview with the developers, please respond to this email.
Heroes of Mount Dragon is localized in English, French, German, Spanish (Spain), Portuguese (Brazil), Korean, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese.
ABOUT RUNIQ
RuniQ is an independent game studio based in Quebec City, founded by a seasoned team of developers who’ve worked on some of the most iconic franchises in gaming. With credits on Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, Skylanders, Spider-Man, Guitar Hero, Call of Duty, and more, the team brings deep experience from their years at major studios including Activision, Beenox, and Ubisoft.
Co-founded by Creative Director Thomas Wilson, Managing Director Stéphane Gravel, and Design Director Philippe Turcotte, RuniQ is driven by a passion for crafting meaningful, high-energy experiences. The team also includes talent across animation, engineering, storytelling, level design, and art—all united by a desire to build a universe of their own.
Their debut title, Heroes of Mount Dragon, is a hand-crafted action brawler set in a broader multimedia world developed in partnership with HMD Creations (books, board games, and more). Since its founding, RuniQ has earned support from the Canada Media Fund, won the GDC Pitch Day in 2024, and secured the Valo-Capitale grant, establishing the studio as one of Quebec’s rising stars in independent game development.
RuniQ is an independent game studio based in Quebec City, founded by a seasoned team of developers who’ve worked on some of the most iconic franchises in gaming. With credits on Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, Skylanders, Spider-Man, Guitar Hero, Call of Duty, and more, the team brings deep experience from their years at major studios including Activision, Beenox, and Ubisoft.
Co-founded by Creative Director Thomas Wilson, Managing Director Stéphane Gravel, and Design Director Philippe Turcotte, RuniQ is driven by a passion for crafting meaningful, high-energy experiences. The team also includes talent across animation, engineering, storytelling, level design, and art—all united by a desire to build a universe of their own.
Their debut title, Heroes of Mount Dragon, is a hand-crafted action brawler set in a broader multimedia world developed in partnership with HMD Creations (books, board games, and more). Since its founding, RuniQ has earned support from the Canada Media Fund, won the GDC Pitch Day in 2024, and secured the Valo-Capitale grant, establishing the studio as one of Quebec’s rising stars in independent game development.
ABOUT INDIE.IO
indie.io is home to hundreds of the world’s most innovative independent video games and developers. Founded in 2020 by Donovan Duncan and Ben Robinson - industry veterans with a collective 40 years of experience across the video game landscape - our mission is to provide support to independent developers and set the standard for gaming creation, management, and promotion. Our tools and services include marketing, QA, playtesting, partnership deals, and distribution to all major platforms to maximize your visibility, revenue, and engagement to ensure long-term success – with no upfront costs. You may know us from Echoes of the Plum Grove, HumanitZ, the Dark Deity franchise, and Coromon!
We’re powered by a worldwide team of 35 remote employees; a mix of semi-professional esports players, developers, and gaming enthusiasts whose passion and technical know-how fuel the company’s mission. As industry experts, we dedicate ourselves to providing innovative marketing support services and integrations; as players, we want to discover and elevate the creators of exceptional, inspiring, and unexpected games of every genre. Join us on our quest to cultivate a vibrant global community of players and creators alike!
indie.io is home to hundreds of the world’s most innovative independent video games and developers. Founded in 2020 by Donovan Duncan and Ben Robinson - industry veterans with a collective 40 years of experience across the video game landscape - our mission is to provide support to independent developers and set the standard for gaming creation, management, and promotion. Our tools and services include marketing, QA, playtesting, partnership deals, and distribution to all major platforms to maximize your visibility, revenue, and engagement to ensure long-term success – with no upfront costs. You may know us from Echoes of the Plum Grove, HumanitZ, the Dark Deity franchise, and Coromon!
We’re powered by a worldwide team of 35 remote employees; a mix of semi-professional esports players, developers, and gaming enthusiasts whose passion and technical know-how fuel the company’s mission. As industry experts, we dedicate ourselves to providing innovative marketing support services and integrations; as players, we want to discover and elevate the creators of exceptional, inspiring, and unexpected games of every genre. Join us on our quest to cultivate a vibrant global community of players and creators alike!