DragonSword: Awakening Standard vs Deluxe Edition
Quick answer
DragonSword: Awakening's standard edition is $29.99 and contains the complete game. The Deluxe edition bundles cosmetic content — costumes with matching weapon skins, and Familiar cosmetics — at a discount versus buying separately. Nothing in Deluxe affects gameplay, power or progression, so it is purely a question of whether you want the cosmetics.
Updated · Verified on Patch 1.0.x · Sources: in-game testing, Steam store page, Hound13 announcements
The short answer: buy standard unless you specifically want the costumes. Here is the detail.
What each edition contains
| Standard | Deluxe | |
|---|---|---|
| Full base game | Yes | Yes |
| All 19 heroes | Yes | Yes |
| All story content | Yes | Yes |
| Tower of Trials, Hunts, Raids | Yes | Yes |
| Four free post-launch heroes | Yes | Yes |
| Rift System when it arrives | Yes | Yes |
| Cosmetic costumes | No | Yes |
| Matching weapon costumes | No | Yes |
| Familiar cosmetics | No | Yes |
| Price | $29.99 | Higher — bundle pricing |
The critical line is the one about post-launch content: Ryza, Jerome, Veronica and Logan are included with the full version regardless of edition. They are not a Deluxe exclusive. Neither is the Rift System, nor the new Hero Quests. See new heroes.
Nothing in Deluxe affects power
This is worth being explicit about, because in many games "Deluxe" means a head-start bundle or an XP boost. In DragonSword: Awakening it does not.
The Deluxe content is cosmetic only: costumes for heroes including Ornette, Cerese, Theresia, Dana and Kalsion, each with a dedicated weapon costume, plus Familiar cosmetics. None of it changes stats, ailment application, Karma, gear, or anything that touches combat.
A standard-edition player and a Deluxe-edition player have identical mechanical capability. See is it gacha for the full monetisation picture.
Who should buy Deluxe
Buy Deluxe if you already know you like the character designs, you expect to put 40+ hours in, and you would probably buy costumes individually anyway. Bundled, they cost less than buying separately, so the maths works in your favour if you were going to buy them at all.
Buy standard if you are unsure about DragonSword: Awakening, you do not care about cosmetics, or you want to test it inside Steam's refund window first. You can buy costume DLC later — nothing is time-limited, and choosing standard does not lock you out of anything.
What about future costumes?
Additional costumes arrive through post-launch updates, including swimsuit sets for Reina and Astria. These are not included in the launch Deluxe bundle — they are separate future content. So Deluxe is not a season pass; it is a bundle of the launch cosmetics.
If your reasoning for Deluxe is "it will cover everything going forward", that reasoning does not hold.
Upgrading later
Steam sells the cosmetic DLC separately, so buying standard now and adding costumes later is a valid path. You pay slightly more than the bundle price if you eventually buy everything, and considerably less if you buy nothing or only one or two.
Given DragonSword: Awakening is 10–15 hours of story and you may not know yet whether you will play it for 40 hours, deferring the cosmetic decision is the lower-risk choice. Nothing about the cosmetic DLC is limited-time, so there is no urgency premium to pay.
A simple decision rule
If you find yourself weighing this for more than a minute, buy standard. The reasoning is asymmetric: choosing standard costs you only a small bundle discount if you later decide you want every costume, whereas choosing Deluxe costs you the full difference if you bounce off DragonSword: Awakening in the first few hours.
Since the campaign is only 10–15 hours and the combat system is unusual enough that not everyone will click with it, the option that stays reversible is the better default. Nothing in the cosmetic catalogue is time-limited, so there is no urgency premium to pay for waiting.
FAQ
What is the difference between DragonSword: Awakening standard and Deluxe?
Deluxe bundles cosmetic costumes with matching weapon skins and Familiar cosmetics. The base game, all heroes and all post-launch content are identical between editions.
Is the DragonSword: Awakening Deluxe edition worth it?
Only if you want the cosmetics. Nothing in it affects gameplay, power or progression, and all free post-launch content is included in both editions.
Are the new heroes included in the standard edition?
Yes. Ryza, Jerome, Veronica and Logan are free for all owners regardless of edition.
Can I upgrade from standard to Deluxe later?
The cosmetic DLC is sold separately on Steam, so you can add items later. You lose the bundle discount but keep full flexibility.
How much does DragonSword: Awakening cost?
The standard edition is $29.99. The Deluxe edition is priced higher and bundles cosmetic content.