Rune: Ragnarok / Rune II

RUNE II: Decapitation Edition is the current storefront name for the PC game originally announced as Rune: Ragnarok and later marketed as RUNE II. It is a third-person Viking action RPG from Studio 369 and Ragnarok Game, built around brutal melee combat, Norse mythology, open-world exploration, crafting, loot, village restoration, online co-op, and PvP. The Steam listing is now retired and marks the game as unavailable for purchase, which is an important part of its current PC status.

What RUNE II is built around

The central loop combines third-person melee combat with exploration across a shattered Midgard. You travel between settlements, dungeons, and hostile regions while collecting resources, gear, recipes, and artifacts tied to the struggle against Loki. The game supports a complete single-player campaign, but its systems are also designed around sharing the journey with other Vikings online.

Combat focuses on directional attacks, heavy weapons, blocking, parrying, stagger opportunities, dodge movement, and violent finishing moves. Enemies can be decapitated or dismembered, and severed limbs may become improvised weapons. That deliberately excessive tone separates RUNE II from more restrained fantasy RPGs: the game wants combat to feel messy, physical, and occasionally ridiculous.

The camera stays behind the player in a conventional third-person perspective. Weapon choice affects the rhythm of encounters, while stamina management, enemy spacing, and attack timing matter more than simply selecting abilities from a menu. Players looking for a more traditional fantasy action RPG with a similar emphasis on direct melee and loot may also appreciate co-op third-person RPG combat like The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, although RUNE II is more open-ended and survival-leaning.

God paths, skills, and character progression

Character development is organized around alignment with Norse gods. Players can follow Thor, Hel, or Odin, each offering a distinct ability direction, or reject divine alignment and follow the Heathen path. This choice influences access to specialized and ultimate abilities rather than functioning as a rigid traditional class selection.

The god-themed skill tree contains core, specialized, and ultimate skills. Abilities can provide direct attacks, defensive effects, blessings, bloodlust bonuses, lightning powers, berserker-style enhancements, or summoned allies. The result is a flexible action-RPG structure: your weapon moves remain important, but the chosen divine path changes how you approach groups, bosses, and exploration.

Progression also comes through loot tiers, crafting recipes, armor, weapons, and runes. Resources gathered in the world can be used to improve equipment and rebuild settlements. The game does not present itself as a highly technical survival simulator; its building systems support the wider Viking adventure rather than replacing combat and questing.

Midgard, dungeons, and village defense

Midgard is presented as a ravaged open world divided between wilderness, settlements, enemy-held areas, and underground locations. Exploration leads to loot-filled dungeons containing enemy gauntlets, platforming sequences, artifacts, and monster encounters. These areas provide a more focused alternative to traveling through the broader landscape.

Village restoration adds a strategic layer to the campaign. Players gather materials, repair damaged locations, and construct buildings such as longhouses and forges. Rebuilt settlements can come under attack during Horde Events, turning resource gathering into a reason to defend the communities you have helped restore.

The story revolves around Heimdall's call to action and Loki's attempt to create an unending cycle of Ragnarok. The campaign uses the Ages of Ragnarok as a structural idea, giving the world a mythic catastrophe framework while pushing the player toward a final confrontation with Loki.

Modes and multiplayer reality

RUNE II supports single-player, an online co-op campaign, online PvP, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and later survival-focused modes such as Last Viking Standing and Last Clan Standing. The co-op campaign allows friends to explore Midgard, fight large enemies, complete quests, defend settlements, and progress through the same broad adventure together.

Co-op is the strongest reason to consider RUNE II if you already have a group interested in chaotic melee RPGs. Solo players can complete the campaign, but the world design, village defense, and large enemy encounters are easier to appreciate when several players are coordinating attacks and reviving one another.

Competitive modes shift the emphasis toward fast combat and survival. They are separate from the main campaign rather than a replacement for it, so players should not approach RUNE II expecting a persistent MMO world or a large competitive ecosystem.

Edition history and commercial status

The naming history is unusually important. The project began as Rune: Ragnarok, appeared for a time as RUNE, and launched in its original form as RUNE II. After development changed hands, Studio 369 rebuilt and substantially reworked the project as RUNE II: Decapitation Edition, with a new narrative, revised combat, additional quests, dungeons, skills, and progression systems.

The Decapitation Edition was sold as a paid base game with optional upgrade packs and additional recipe-based content. The Steam catalog lists Berserker and God Slayer upgrades, armor sets, weapon packs, and a soundtrack among the associated add-ons. These were not a free-to-play seasonal model; they were optional paid extras attached to a premium PC game.

For current catalog research, the key fact is that the Steam product page remains identifiable but is marked no longer available on the Steam store. Earlier PC distribution also involved the Epic Games Store, but current availability should not be assumed from old launch coverage or archived store pages.

PC features, input, and localization

The PC version provides keyboard-and-mouse support and added controller options during its later development. However, current Steam metadata identifies controller support as partial, so players should not assume a fully consistent console-style interface or flawless controller behavior throughout every menu and action.

Steam lists online co-op, online PvP, single-player support, Family Sharing, achievements, and a third-party EULA. The listed interface languages are English, French, Italian, German, Spanish from Spain, and Russian. English includes full audio and subtitles; the other listed languages are identified primarily for interface support.

RUNE II uses a storefront launcher when acquired through a supported digital platform, but there is no reliable current storefront listing to treat as an active purchase route. Anti-cheat, dedicated server tooling, mod support, and local split-screen should not be presented as core supported features because the verified store information does not establish them.

Who should play RUNE II?

RUNE II is aimed at PC players who enjoy violent Viking combat, open-world action RPG exploration, crafting, loot, and cooperative progression. It is a better fit for groups that enjoy experimenting with weapons, divine skills, and improvised battlefield tactics than for players seeking a polished competitive game or a tightly authored cinematic campaign.

The game is also a reasonable match for players who like Norse mythology but want a more physical and irreverent experience than a conventional heroic fantasy RPG. For another Viking-themed co-op action RPG with a more traditional isometric structure, Norse mythology hack-and-slash games such as Vikings: Wolves of Midgard offer a useful comparison.

Players who expect refined traversal, deep settlement simulation, extensive branching choices, or a large active online community should be cautious. RUNE II's identity is its rough-edged combination of melee spectacle, loot, gods, dungeons, village defense, and multiplayer chaos.

Similar PC games

The closest comparisons depend on which part of RUNE II interests you most. Its third-person melee and equipment focus can be compared with targeted action RPGs like The Surge, while its Viking setting and cooperative combat point toward Vikings: Wolves of Midgard. The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is another useful reference for players who want a party-based third-person fantasy campaign.

None of these games reproduces RUNE II's combination of divine skill paths, dismemberment, village rebuilding, open-world travel, and PvP. The comparisons are therefore about shared mechanical ingredients rather than direct replacements.

RUNE II: Decapitation Edition FAQ

Was Rune: Ragnarok renamed to RUNE II?

Yes. The project was originally announced as Rune: Ragnarok, later used the RUNE name, and was ultimately released as RUNE II. Its substantially reworked version is titled RUNE II: Decapitation Edition.

Is RUNE II: Decapitation Edition still available on Steam?

No. The Steam product page is still identifiable, but the storefront marks RUNE II: Decapitation Edition as no longer available for purchase.

Can the full campaign be played alone?

Yes. The campaign supports single-player play. Online co-op is optional and lets a group explore Midgard, fight enemies, complete quests, defend villages, and progress through the adventure together.

Does RUNE II have PvP?

Yes. The PC edition lists online PvP and includes modes such as Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Last Viking Standing, and Last Clan Standing.

What are the god paths in RUNE II?

Players can align with Thor, Hel, or Odin, or choose the Heathen path. Each direction changes access to specialized and ultimate skills, creating different approaches to combat and character progression.

Which languages are supported?

The verified Steam listing identifies English, French, Italian, German, Spanish from Spain, and Russian interface support. English includes full audio and subtitles, while the other listed languages are primarily interface localizations.

Does RUNE II support controllers?

Controller support was added and improved during development, but current Steam metadata describes it as partial. Keyboard and mouse should be treated as the safer default for consistent PC input.