Runescape 4 is actual. After laying out an entire wealth of content material coming to its longstanding MMORPG at Runefest 2026, together with an animated sequence made in collaboration with Charlie ‘MoistCr1tikal’ White, Jagex confirmed that it is at present engaged on an all-new sport, dubbed the “fourth pillar” of the studio alongside OSRS and Dragonwilds. It’s going to seemingly be fairly a while earlier than we get our arms on it, however that is okay, as a result of the Runescape 3 roadmap is trying fairly stacked proper now, together with a “new starting” this December with Runescape Reignited, which you can attempt free of charge at launch.
I did not come into this yr’s festivities anticipating a totally new Runescape MMO, but I completely acquired chills because the teaser of adventurers wandering by way of metropolis streets and flying throughout the skies of a completely 3D world performed out. Might it’s? Then, the fade to black, and a burning ‘4.’ The design may be very a lot that of Runescape Dragonwilds, definitively cartoony and shiny, albeit way more ‘real looking’ in its visuals than what we’re used to from the MMO facet of the sequence. In the meanwhile, we’re simply instructed that it is “in improvement,” though Dragonwilds Govt Producer Jesse America was capable of give me some further particulars previous to the reveal throughout a roundtable presentation.
“On the Dragonwilds roadmap at a sure level, there was one thing known as Shadows of Ashenfall in 2027.” America explains that this was deliberate to ship the basics and artstyle of the survival game gamers already cherished, however with extra of a social focus. “We really made designs for an growth that will elevate up Dragonwilds into the realm of the standard Jagex sport with persistent servers, excessive participant counts, and plenty of social options. A social hub, player-to-player buying and selling, all of that good things you see within the MMOs.”
America says the group at Jagex “embraced that problem with a number of inventive ambition and a number of enthusiasm,” however rapidly began to understand from the early prototypes that what they have been constructing “primarily could be an MMO, and that it deserved its personal sport – to not be part of Dragonwilds, however to face alone as Jagex’s fourth, new pillar.” He notes that it is nonetheless “actually early days,” however that the whole studio is working on the project collectively. “In due time, we can have extra details about all of it.”
Placing that pleasure apart, the opposite massive reveal for the trendy sport is a flash again to its previous: Runescape Reignited. If OSRS is basically the Jagex equal to World of Warcraft Without end – having returned to a definite level within the MMO’s historical past earlier than branching out to develop into one thing unbiased and new – then Reignited is Runescape Traditional. It is set to launch on Tuesday December 2, and takes us again 25 years to expertise a remastered Gielinor because it was when it first launched in 2001.
“It is a relaunch of this sport that all of us love,” Affiliate Inventive Director Ryan Philpott explains, the place you may begin from scratch with a brand new character and expertise Runescape “as if it was launched at the moment.” Jagex is working to verify the UI move, onboarding, quests, and environments are all polished “to carry as much as trendy requirements.” For launch, that is targeted on the early expertise, with work set to proceed “shifting into 2027 and past.”
Reignited will function a brand new ‘journey information’ to help your journey and be sure to have the instruments and data to succeed. “We all know that Runescape is a big sport of large breadth and depth during the last 25 years, and we all know that it may be overwhelming at occasions to both begin out or to return.” The journey information is due to this fact your “advisable journey by way of the sport, that includes the important thing options: type of a ‘curated path’ of what Runescape has to supply.”
Moreover, the launch of Runescape Reignited permits Jagex to supply one other new function. “We will be introducing one thing known as the Corridor of Legends, a spot the place we’ll immortalize gamers who obtain the world first as a part of taking part in Reignited. The primary individual to, say, attain 99 Woodcutting – they will have a statue of their character positioned in-game throughout the Corridor of Legends to immortalize themselves in our sport perpetually.” To rejoice Reignited’s launch, there’ll even be a ten-day free trial for all.
For many who simply need to preserve taking part in trendy Runescape, you are not being left within the grime both – removed from it. Jagex’s 2027 Runescape roadmap could be seen above, and it kicks off this month with the official launch of group plugins, providing you with extra methods to customise your expertise. Past that, the approaching yr is damaged up into three distinct story arcs: Hoard of Dragons, Metropolis of Gnomes, and Secrets and techniques of Karamja.
Philpott tells me Horde of Dragons is deliberate for “the start of January,” and teases that “the world will evolve because the arc performs out.” This primary chapter introduces the long-awaited tier improve that’s Grandmaster Clue Scrolls, an Agility rework promising “improved sport integration,” and the sequel to the Dragon Slayer quest (that is a brand new take, fairly than the Dragon Slayer II of OSRS). Following that’s Metropolis of Gnomes, which facilities across the continuation of the Gnome storyline that first started in 2002.
Metropolis of Gnomes will introduce a Grandmaster quest known as The Curse of Arposandra that guarantees a brand new space together with “new fight and skilling content material,” and as you would possibly assume, which means we’ll be heading to the hidden gnome metropolis of lore. As if we would have liked extra affirmation of that, Jagex guarantees a brand new solo boss battle in opposition to Glouphrie, the founding father of mentioned metropolis, together with one other group skilling boss (one the place non-combat abilities are a fundamental part of the encounter) involving legendary spirit tree Argento.
Final on the record is Secrets and techniques of Karamja, and little is being revealed about this for now, though we’re instructed it’s going to function a brand new raid, Temple of Ah Za Rhoon. “We all know gamers have been asking for it [Karamja] for a really very long time,” Philpott remarks. Alongside all of which can be extra steps alongside Jagex’s ‘Highway to Restoration,’ resembling a unified assortment log, a rework of the hunt timeline and grouping system, improved clan finder, recent content material creator instruments, and the return of the studio’s quality-of-life squad, Ninja Crew.
“The entire yr of 2027 is basically about giving gamers extra of what they need and extra of what they’ve cherished for thus lengthy, whereas ensuring there’s something for everybody,” Philpott concludes. “It would not matter whether or not you’re new to the sport, or whether or not you are an lively participant who’s been right here for a very long time, there’s primarily one thing for everybody all the best way alongside the yr.” He hopes this will get Runescape “again to the place we all the time knew it ought to have been after the yr of restoration,” and guarantees to make sure “that we do not make those self same errors once more.”
Runescape Reignited will launch on Tuesday December 2, 2026, and you can play the total factor free of charge, on common members’ worlds, from day one by way of Saturday December 12 with out the necessity for a membership. Past that, it looks as if the sky is the restrict – and there is lots extra to be discovered on the OSRS roadmap from Runefest 2026 as properly, if that is extra your velocity.