Runescape 4 is actual. After laying out a complete wealth of content material coming to its longstanding MMORPG at Runefest 2026, together with an animated collection made in collaboration with Charlie ‘MoistCr1tikal’ White, Jagex confirmed that it is at the moment engaged on an all-new recreation, dubbed the “fourth pillar” of the studio alongside OSRS and Dragonwilds. It’s going to probably be fairly a while earlier than we get our fingers on it, however that is okay, as a result of the Runescape 3 roadmap is trying moderately stacked proper now, together with a “new starting” this December with Runescape Reignited, which you can strive without cost at launch.
I did not come into this 12 months’s festivities anticipating a totally new Runescape MMO, but I completely obtained chills because the teaser of adventurers wandering by way of metropolis streets and flying throughout the skies of a totally 3D world performed out. May or not 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 far more ‘life like’ in its visuals than what we’re used to from the MMO aspect of the collection. In the intervening time, we’re simply informed that it is “in improvement,” though Dragonwilds Govt Producer Jesse America was capable of give me some extra 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 recreation gamers already cherished, however with extra of a social focus. “We truly made designs for an growth that may carry up Dragonwilds into the realm of the everyday Jagex recreation with persistent servers, excessive participant counts, and plenty of social options. A social hub, player-to-player buying and selling, all of that great things you see within the MMOs.”
America says the staff at Jagex “embraced that problem with numerous artistic ambition and numerous enthusiasm,” however shortly began to understand from the early prototypes that what they have been constructing “basically could be an MMO, and that it deserved its personal recreation – 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 your entire studio is engaged on the challenge collectively. “In due time, we could have extra details about all of it.”
Placing that pleasure apart, the opposite large reveal for the trendy recreation is a flash again to its previous: Runescape Reignited. If OSRS is actually the Jagex equal to World of Warcraft Eternally – having returned to a definite level within the MMO’s historical past earlier than branching out to change 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.
“This can be a relaunch of this recreation that all of us love,” Affiliate Inventive Director Ryan Philpott explains, the place you will begin from scratch with a brand new character and expertise Runescape “as if it was launched immediately.” Jagex is working to ensure the UI circulate, onboarding, quests, and environments are all polished “to carry as much as fashionable requirements.” For launch, that is centered on the early expertise, with work set to proceed “transferring into 2027 and past.”
Reignited will function a brand new ‘journey information’ to assist your journey and ensure you have the instruments and data to succeed. “We all know that Runescape is a big recreation of huge 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 “really useful journey by way of the sport, that includes the important thing options: form 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’ll be introducing one thing known as the Corridor of Legends, a spot the place we will immortalize gamers who obtain the world first as a part of taking part in Reignited. The primary particular person to, say, attain 99 Woodcutting – they are going to have a statue of their character positioned in-game inside the Corridor of Legends to immortalize themselves in our recreation perpetually.” To have a good time Reignited’s launch, there’ll even be a ten-day free trial for all.
For individuals who simply wish to maintain taking part in fashionable Runescape, you are not being left within the filth both – removed from it. Jagex’s 2027 Runescape roadmap could be seen above, and it kicks off this month with the official launch of neighborhood plugins, supplying you with extra methods to customise your expertise. Past that, the approaching 12 months 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 recreation integration,” and the sequel to the Dragon Slayer quest (that is a brand new take, moderately 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, meaning we’ll be heading to the hidden gnome metropolis of lore. As if we wanted extra affirmation of that, Jagex guarantees a brand new solo boss combat in opposition to Glouphrie, the founding father of mentioned metropolis, together with one other neighborhood skilling boss (one the place non-combat expertise are a foremost part of the encounter) involving legendary spirit tree Argento.
Final on the listing is Secrets and techniques of Karamja, and little is being revealed about this for now, though we’re informed 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 are extra steps alongside Jagex’s ‘Highway to Restoration,’ comparable to a unified assortment log, a rework of the hunt timeline and grouping system, improved clan finder, contemporary content material creator instruments, and the return of the studio’s quality-of-life squad, Ninja Crew.
“The entire 12 months of 2027 is admittedly 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 does 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 basically one thing for everybody all the way in which alongside the 12 months.” He hopes this could get Runescape “again to the place we all the time knew it ought to have been after the 12 months 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 complete factor without cost, 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 loads extra to be discovered on the OSRS roadmap from Runefest 2026 as properly, if that is extra your velocity.
