Every DragonSword: Awakening Familiar explained — how mounts work, gliding and unique abilities, which are free, and whether the Familiar DLC is worth buying.
DragonSword Awakening Familiars Guide — Every Mount, Ability and DLC
Familiars are DragonSword: Awakening's answer to mounts — and they're far more than cosmetics. They boost your movement speed, let you glide, and each carries a unique traversal ability that changes how you explore Orbis. With roughly 30 planned, about two-thirds earnable in-game, this guide covers the whole system: what Familiars do, how to get them, and whether the paid ones are worth it.
Here's what you'll learn:
- How Familiars work: mounts, gliding, and unique abilities
- Every free Familiar source, including the Abyssal Direwolf
- The DLC Familiars and whether they're worth buying
- Which Familiar abilities matter most for exploration
What Familiars Actually Do
Every Familiar you summon:
- Boosts ground movement speed — they're your mounts.
- Can glide — jump from a height and ride the air.
- Carries a unique ability — faster climbing, an in-air speed boost, underwater diving, and similar traversal perks.
- Can be summoned almost anywhere — dungeons are the main exception, and you can't swap mounts inside instances.
They do not fight alongside you. Familiars are traversal tools with personality, and the game's exploration design assumes you have one — some underwater treasure, high cliffs, and launcher routes are effectively gated behind the right Familiar ability. The map guide covers the exploration side; here we focus on the creatures themselves.
How to Get Familiars
Hound13 has confirmed roughly 30 Familiars are planned for the game, with about two-thirds available through standard gameplay — challenges, achievements, quests, and story milestones — and the rest as DLC. Mercenary rank promotions also grant new Familiars as you rise through the ranks.
The free launch standout is the Abyssal Direwolf, given to every player free from the Steam store until the end of August — grab it before it leaves, because freebie DLC Familiars have been confirmed to rotate in and out.
It's a free add-on on the Steam store page, and its wolf-mount movement profile is one of the better early-game options. One click, no gameplay requirement.
The Familiar DLC Lineup
As of mid-August, the store lists these paid Familiars (each ~$3.99, all cosmetic-only in effect):
- Viola Flying Squirrel
- Cotton Flying Squirrel
- Orchid Wing Cat
- Timid Hummingbird
- Gale Sky Wolf
- Frost Sky Wolf
- Exploration Squad Griffon
- Holy Knightage Griffon
- Flame Spirit Fox
- War Direwolf
The Deluxe Pack (part of the Deluxe Edition) adds the Brave Baby Dragon, an exclusive Familiar — see our editions guide for the full version breakdown.
Hound13's roadmap Q&A emphasized that paid and free Familiars are cosmetic only and do not affect gameplay — "players can choose companions based on preference." The free roster covers the mechanical bases.
Are Familiar DLCs Worth Buying?
The honest answer: not for gameplay. Hound13 has stated DLC Familiars are cosmetic — no stat advantage, no exclusive ability that unlocks content. If you're buying for the look or collection, the $3.99 price is in line with costume DLC. If you're buying because you think a Familiar will make your character stronger, you're wasting the money — spend it on the Deluxe Pack for the artbook and soundtrack instead, or save it entirely.
Which Familiar Abilities Matter Most
While the full ability list per Familiar is still being documented by the community, the traversal archetypes that matter:
- Deep-dive — required for underwater treasure (the Vestment of the Great Spirit route depends on it; see our cooking guide for the stamina food pairing).
- Glide-boost — the Eona's Legacy tower launchers are much easier to use with an in-air speed boost.
- Climb-boost — saves real time in the mountain regions.
Official source: Hound13 roadmap announcement — simulationdaily — "DragonSword: Awakening will feature about 30 Familiars, with roughly two-thirds available through standard gameplay and the rest as DLC. Developers emphasized that paid and free Familiars are cosmetic only and do not affect gameplay."
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Familiars? Mount/pet hybrids that boost speed, enable gliding, and each carry a unique traversal ability.
How do you get them? Story milestones, mercenary rank promotions, challenges, and (for some) DLC. The Abyssal Direwolf is a free Steam add-on until the end of August.
Is the Abyssal Direwolf free? Yes — free on the Steam store until August 31.
Are Familiar DLCs worth it? For cosmetics, sure. For gameplay, no — Hound13 has confirmed they're cosmetic-only.
Related Guides
- DragonSword: Awakening Guide — Everything You Need to Know
- Map Guide — Regions, Fast Travel and Underwater Secrets
- Cooking Guide — Recipes, Healing and Food Buffs
- Editions Guide — Standard vs Deluxe and All DLC
- Beginners Guide — First Hours and Priorities
- Achievements Guide — All 59 and How to Earn Them
Official resources: Steam store page · simulationdaily roadmap report · Steam community hub
Last updated August 12, 2026. Familiar count and DLC policy from Hound13's roadmap Q&A; per-Familiar ability lists are community-documented and still being finalized as of patch 1.0.5.
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